Metafilter Fantasy Football Challenge 2011/2012

July 21, 2011 10:13 AM

What was once a yearly tradition has become an annual ritual. The Metafilter Fantasy Football (English Premier League) league lives again! To play (it's free!) just log in to the Barclay's Fantasy Game, create a team, and then join private league 54733-21165.

It's a new interface and slightly new rules (vice captains!) this year. You don't have to finalize your team until August 13th, so there's plenty of time to fiddle around if you're following the transfer window.

Free tip: Picking players based on how goofy their picture looks WORKS REEEL WELL

posted by robocop is bleeding to MetaFilter-Related at 10:13 AM (169 comments total)

It's a perennial institution!
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 10:28 AM on July 21, 2011

Fancy new interface this year. It feels like the future.
posted by Errant at 10:31 AM on July 21, 2011

Don't you mean soccer?
posted by desjardins at 10:53 AM on July 21, 2011

I'm in (86ers).
posted by juv3nal at 10:57 AM on July 21, 2011

Oh yeah, I forgot men played soccer too.
(Hope Solo 4 Life!)
posted by villanelles at dawn at 11:03 AM on July 21, 2011

Is it just me, or is the record of last season's final standings lost to posterity?
posted by juv3nal at 11:04 AM on July 21, 2011

desjardins: "Don't you mean soccer?"

Preemptive counter-snark: "Soccer" originated at Oxford as a word for someone who played Association Football. "Rugger" was someone who played Rugby.
posted by Plutor at 11:06 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Coming up with a team name is hard.
posted by BeerFilter at 11:22 AM on July 21, 2011

Coming up with a team name is hard.

Here come 18 AskMe posts about what to name their fantasy team...
posted by inigo2 at 11:25 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ooh, I like the way the team screen shows you the next game for each player.

I'm in. Phoenix Rising.
posted by Infinite Jest at 11:27 AM on July 21, 2011

so, ah, what is the difference between "yearly tradition" and "annual ritual" ? Ask Tevye ?
posted by k5.user at 11:30 AM on July 21, 2011

Phoenix Rising.

Ever the optimist.
posted by doublehappy at 11:42 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm in as the Edge Case Trolls.
posted by BeerFilter at 11:53 AM on July 21, 2011

nice!
posted by modernnomad at 12:01 PM on July 21, 2011

I don't really like that the new interface doesn't tell you at a glance the role of your substitutes. It makes it a little harder to organize your sub order on the fly.
posted by Errant at 12:47 PM on July 21, 2011

This year I'm going to join up before week 5, I think it'll help my chances!
posted by haveanicesummer at 12:52 PM on July 21, 2011

Dover Divers. I didn't have the heart or the stones to pick up Joey Barton.
posted by yerfatma at 1:57 PM on July 21, 2011

I'm in! Team name is "Stuck In." Hopefully I will get the hang of this a little easier than Soccer Manager.
posted by stennieville at 1:58 PM on July 21, 2011

I'm in. Team is \m/.

Also: any tips on how to see last year's results? I forgot to check mine. :(
posted by youcancallmeal at 2:04 PM on July 21, 2011

I'm in! We're the "Honey Badgers".
posted by misha at 3:34 PM on July 21, 2011

Anyone else having trouble joining the private league? I type in the number and click on join league but the next button is never highlighted...
posted by Admira at 3:39 PM on July 21, 2011

Also: any tips on how to see last year's results? I forgot to check mine. :(

You can check your (anyone's) historical score by clicking the manager name on the league page, but what it doesn't show is your ranking relative to other people. Which makes it basically useless (or a huge pain) for gloating purposes.
posted by juv3nal at 4:01 PM on July 21, 2011

Admira, looks like you're in now.

Also, I didn't know this: When you sign up and give your name it later displays that as the team manager, so if you don't want us knowing your fake alias, be mindful. You can change it after you're in by going to Team Detail down the page on the right on the My Team tab.
posted by BeerFilter at 4:07 PM on July 21, 2011

Man, some of the player costs are crazygonuts. Adam costs more than Modric, yet compared to the asking price of the latter, the former went for a bag of crisps and a promise to help Ian Holloway move some weekend.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:09 PM on July 21, 2011

Oh hai IT'S YOU LOT AGAIN.
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:44 PM on July 21, 2011

I like the new interface. If I leave my team kit blank it looks like my team uniform is Mormon undergarments.
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:46 PM on July 21, 2011

but what it doesn't show is your ranking relative to other people.

er...correction: it shows ranking, but only on a person by person basis, not everyone in the league last season in one big table.
posted by juv3nal at 5:53 PM on July 21, 2011

I have never participated in a Fantasy Anything league before. Will we get to see one another's players at any time?
posted by stennieville at 6:13 PM on July 21, 2011

stennieville: "I have never participated in a Fantasy Anything league before. Will we get to see one another's players at any time?"

You can't see the upcoming week's selections but you can see the previous week's.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:23 PM on July 21, 2011

So I threw together a team. I'm interested, but know almost nothing about association football. Is there a limit on the number of teams in the league? I don't want to take a spot if it means I'm blocking other folks out.
posted by Jahaza at 7:35 PM on July 21, 2011

There's not a limit on teams, just as there is no limit on the amount of smacktalk we purvey.
posted by Dr. Zira at 8:05 PM on July 21, 2011

GRAR the goalkeeper selections are reopening my piss-offedness of last year's relegation results. Ben Foster was my goto bargain goalkeep.
posted by Dr. Zira at 8:11 PM on July 21, 2011

As the runner-up of last season's league, I am happy there is no way to check those results. That was a bitter fight. The winner (whose name I've forgotten) should identify here to claim their 15 minutes.

There is actually an option of renewing leagues from last year, which automatically enrolls all the previous members of that league once they join this year's game -- I was planning on doing that, but looks like I was nipped in the bud. Oh well.

I'm in with The O'Shea Walker.

Dr. Zira, there is actually a pretty good bargain goalie available, but that's all I'm going to say. And I'll eat my hat if Foster isn't back in the Premiership by August.

Now to figure out who will be this season's Adam...
posted by Bukvoed at 9:12 PM on July 21, 2011

Oh, and I really like the VC rule, and am cautiously optimistic that awarding bonus points based on statistics will result in less frustration than the previous method of drawing names out of a hat, though we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. Also not too thrilled about having to wait till the next morning for them to be announced.

Regarding the new layout, I like that it tells you the upcoming opponent and whether the player has a home match, and that you can easily browse through the fixtures at the bottom of the My Team page (though a nice feature would be for the upcoming opponents to update accordingly). Overall, though, I think it looks pretty clunky and not very functional. I am also wondering where the Latest page with the points went.
posted by Bukvoed at 9:24 PM on July 21, 2011

I'm in as GianfrancoZola! Now just waiting for them to update a transfer for my goalie, and hoping a midfielder won't go off to France...
posted by catchingsignals at 10:04 PM on July 21, 2011

Do you get points for blinding the opposition with your kit?
posted by catchingsignals at 10:10 PM on July 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

I actually laid in bed this morning vowing not to do fantasy soccer/football this year. Didn't work out. Juv3nal, I've got some revenge brewing.
posted by josher71 at 4:47 AM on July 22, 2011

Now to figure out who will be this season's Adam...

I'm hoping the Swans will be this season's Blackpool. So Sinclair or Dobbie, maybe?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:48 AM on July 22, 2011

In as FC Efficacy.
posted by haveanicesummer at 9:36 AM on July 22, 2011

Juv3nal, I've got some revenge brewing.

Muhahahaha!
For the benefit of those watching at home:

me:
2009/10: 2155
2010/11: 1898

josher71:
2009/10: 2073
2010/11: 1665
posted by juv3nal at 10:19 AM on July 22, 2011

Listen: in the spirit of all sportsmanship and with all affection, I am the superdestroyer and I will destroy all of you.
posted by solistrato at 11:46 AM on July 22, 2011

I'm in. The Cheeky Backheels will crush you all! Or, you know, strive for mediocrity.
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:00 PM on July 22, 2011

I've signed a squad of journeymen, but they've got big hearts and I think we've got the potential to surprise a few sides.

What do I do with my extra points?
posted by doublehappy at 3:26 PM on July 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

What do I do with my extra points?
Wait until some of your big hearted journeymen succumb to cardiac problems and use the extra points to fund their replacements?
posted by juv3nal at 3:49 PM on July 22, 2011

There's a couple schools of thought, at least. One is: don't have extra points at the start if you can avoid it, because banked points are points that won't gain "interest" through player success. The other is: bank a full point or so, because a bunch of your guys are probably going to drop in value at the beginning of the season and you can use the extra points to make up the shortfall when you trade them early without losing too much ground.

Either way, I wouldn't have more than 1 full banked point at the start of the season, and I'd try not to go over .5. That's just me though.
posted by Errant at 3:51 PM on July 22, 2011

We'll definitely be looking to bring in a marquee player before the season starts, then... still got 8 million pounds to spend.
posted by doublehappy at 4:06 PM on July 22, 2011

Whats that? You need some more cannon fodder? Well count me in. I love a good relegation battle.
posted by urban greeting at 4:08 PM on July 22, 2011

Oh, you were asking about 8 points? Yes, you should spend those. Until you're staring at your team in anguish, trying to figure out if you should sell this awesome dude to get the .5 points you need to get that awesome dude, you're not doing it right. Ditto making that trade, then going back to your computer fifteen minutes later and reversing it, then swapping half your team anyway a day later. This part is the fun part.
posted by Errant at 4:12 PM on July 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Excellent! Missed this last year.

Like the new vice captain thing. Price inflation is a bit of a bitch. Think I've found one cheeky out of position pick already though which is good.

The EA linkup is going to make bonus points a bit different to last year - can see defenders being more points-crucial. Also, the assist rules have changed slightly which may well have some knock-on effects.

"I'm hoping the Swans will be this season's Blackpool. So Sinclair or Dobbie, maybe?"

I'd agree on the Swans. I think Sinclair is going to be in a lot of teams. Danny Graham might be an interesting gamble up front as a cheap backup striker as well.

"Dr. Zira, there is actually a pretty good bargain goalie available, but that's all I'm going to say."

Let's be honest, pretty much everyone and their mother is going to start with Shay Given in goal.
posted by garius at 10:40 AM on July 23, 2011

(Oh, and I'm Gazzgo Rangers)
posted by garius at 10:42 AM on July 23, 2011

This year, my team is going to be composed entirely of players with names who sound like Harry Potter characters.
posted by Dr. Zira at 3:14 PM on July 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

Mario Balotelli's cost should be going down pretty soon...
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:36 AM on July 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

In as Abertawe Exiles
posted by lloyder at 7:08 AM on July 25, 2011

Think I've found one cheeky out of position pick already

Walters? :P
I'm in again - Hogtown Hotspur.
posted by jamesonandwater at 11:37 AM on July 25, 2011

FC Darling is in again.

Has anyone found the full player stats page? Last year I put all the info into an excel sheet so I could apply LOGIC to my draft. Which, of course, led to a solid mid-teens finish. In any case, I'd like to let my inner geek flow.
posted by qldaddy at 6:04 AM on July 26, 2011

I'm afraid Blatter's Battlers are going to destroy you all with a string of perfectly executed backroom deals.
posted by inire at 3:07 AM on July 27, 2011

And I'll eat my hat if Foster isn't back in the Premiership by August.
He's back, although maybe not in the fantasy.premierleague system yet.
posted by juv3nal at 4:28 PM on July 29, 2011

I admit it. I splurged on Aguero.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:11 PM on July 29, 2011

Has anyone ever joined the Premier League and been good for the whole of their first season?
posted by Errant at 1:18 AM on July 30, 2011

Errant,

Just superstars?
posted by josher71 at 2:05 PM on July 30, 2011

Well, that's sort of what I mean. Young players are expected to take time finding their way into form, but established players are expected to bed in immediately. There probably are some guys who carried their form across leagues without a problem, but I think maybe that's a smaller list than might be assumed based on the money thrown at them.
posted by Errant at 5:34 PM on July 30, 2011

Has anyone ever joined the Premier League and been good for the whole of their first season?

Javier Hernandez made an instant impact for Man Utd last season, and scored a lot of goals. And he's only in his early 20s. He's not even guaranteed to start for United this season, though, as they've got Berbatov and Rooney.
posted by Infinite Jest at 8:00 AM on August 1, 2011

Sure, Hernandez is one. Torres is another, although that's overshadowed somewhat by his poor form these days.
posted by Errant at 11:28 AM on August 1, 2011

Are you counting promoted sides? Adam did real well for Blackpool until every other team realized you could shut down the Tangerines by double marking him.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:13 PM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Not exactly? I'm thinking primarily of players who made a name for themselves in non-British leagues then coming to the Premier League and struggling or not struggling over the course of their debut season. So I'd argue that a) Adam wasn't precisely a big name in his prime when Blackpool were promoted, and b) would have been used to the British style of play anyway. I'm thinking of guys like Rosicky, Tevez whose first season was pretty underwhelming but a late surge made the difference, Mascherano, Forlan, that sort of player.
posted by Errant at 8:27 PM on August 1, 2011

My thesis being I should be cautious about nabbing the big-money overseas signing right off the bat, because it seems to me that they more often than not require a bedding-in period of multiple months. I have no actual proof of that, though, and would be happy to observe counterarguments.
posted by Errant at 8:32 PM on August 1, 2011

My thesis being I should be cautious about nabbing the big-money overseas signing right off the bat, because it seems to me that they more often than not require a bedding-in period of multiple months. I have no actual proof of that, though, and would be happy to observe counterarguments.

It makes sense in general terms, but if you wanted to get deep into it, you'd maybe want to look at how the individual player did against English opposition in Champion's/Europa League play, because someone who does consistently well in those situations might get up to speed more easily.
posted by juv3nal at 9:57 PM on August 1, 2011

Sure, but even then it would have been with a team that used the player well and with which the player would presumably have been comfortable.

I could actually extrapolate this more generally to say that I think established players who have found success playing one way and in one league tend to struggle during that first year of change. I don't think there's anything mystical or more difficult about the Premier League, it's just the one we're playing games about.
posted by Errant at 3:01 AM on August 2, 2011

Luis Suarez got off to a pretty rowdy start with Liverpool his first season (half season, really) last year. He and Chicharito are the two who come to mind, I thought both had pretty excellent debut Premier League seasons.
posted by stennieville at 12:08 PM on August 2, 2011

Sure, but even then it would have been with a team that used the player well and with which the player would presumably have been comfortable.

Right, but that factor would also hold true for players coming from a lower English division team or even hopping from one team to the other in the Premiership.
posted by juv3nal at 3:19 PM on August 2, 2011

Right, but that factor would also hold true for players coming from a lower English division team or even hopping from one team to the other in the Premiership.

Certainly so, and I'm not discounting it. I don't think I was quite clear in the point I was raising, which is that I think players coming from within the English, and to some lesser extent the Scottish, league system will be more likely to bed in faster with a top-flight English team than a foreign player will, on account of being generally used to the style of play in England. The foreign player, again generally speaking, will have to cope with a new system and a new style of play, and I think there's a difference between playing in that style and learning how to play against it. I think a player moving from one English 4-4-2 to another English 4-4-2 is going to have an easier time fitting in. I think a player used to the sorts of physical challenges that are permitted in England and frowned upon elsewhere will have an easier time acclimating to the league.

None of that is to say that I think Aguero will be shit; far from it, I think he's going to be a superb signing, as he is a superb player. In the context of the fantasy league, if it does take time for him to acclimate, as it did for other superb players like David Silva, I'd expect his price to drop in the early weeks as he gets dropped by teams who were hoping for a Chicharito-style impact, and it may be worth picking him up a little later, when the two opposing lines of his league comfort and his cost inflect. I think that's going to be true for a number of highly-touted signings, and I am arguing that it is frequently true, though obviously not always.
posted by Errant at 4:30 PM on August 2, 2011

I think there's a difference between playing in that style and learning how to play against it.

That's fair and I'm not disputing it, but my mention of performance against English opposition was just thinking in terms of comparing one foreigner versus another, who's likely to get the hang of things quicker.
posted by juv3nal at 7:38 PM on August 2, 2011

Sure, experience counts and there's no mistaking it. On the other hand, I can think of a number of players who signed to English clubs off the back of good performances against them, and who then struggled when asked to play with them. I'm sure you can come up with a similar catalogue.
posted by Errant at 12:15 AM on August 3, 2011

With the season imminent, I'm belatedly in.

Haven't played this for a few years and desperately trying to remember whatever it was I learned before about good tactics. If I remember rightly, making Thierry Henry captain was involved...
posted by philipy at 9:58 AM on August 8, 2011

Dear Lord, please give me the strength to not change my team 5454354 times tonight.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:43 AM on August 12, 2011

Dear Lord, please give me the strength to not change my team 5454354 times tonight.

Don't sweat it, quality of picks at times almost seems irrelevant in the face of the roulette wheel of rotation/injury/suspension.
posted by juv3nal at 12:39 PM on August 12, 2011

If the site won't come back up, then I think your prayers may be answered, buddy.
posted by Errant at 1:00 PM on August 12, 2011

I logged into the site this morning and never closed the tab. I'm still making changes while my co-worker is howling because he can't even log in. THE POWER IS MINE!
posted by Zoyashka at 2:52 PM on August 12, 2011

I can still get into the site, it's just a bit wonky on the leagues I'm in.

I guess it's a sign of my confidence that I'm leaving some cash in the bank for the inevitable WHY DID I PICK YOOOOUUUU flip out Monday morning.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:18 PM on August 12, 2011

I can't log it at all right now. Grar!
posted by Dr. Zira at 4:42 PM on August 12, 2011

I wasn't able to log in all day but I am now. Just completely revamped my team as apparently I have an uncanny ability to pick players about to be injured.
posted by BeerFilter at 8:30 PM on August 12, 2011

Apparently I have the uncanny ability to pick players in matches about to be postponed due to riots.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:42 AM on August 13, 2011

Dr. Zira: "Apparently I have the uncanny ability to pick players in matches about to be postponed due to riots."

I managed to make a flurry of transfers yesterday and dump all my Everton and Spurs players. Then I stupidly decided to rest Suarez because I didn't think he'd be playing today. Damn it.
posted by stennieville at 7:24 AM on August 13, 2011

Liverpool is looking terrific.
Biggest lesson I learned from my first season of Fantasy League: Never trust the game's injury listings. They apparently rely upon a 97-year old Amish man to update the injury reports.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:41 AM on August 13, 2011

Also, remember everyone, this year the bonus points don't go into the system until the Monday following the weekend games, so we'll all have to hold our complaints about the bonus point judges for a couple of days.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:46 AM on August 13, 2011

This is quite a useful injury list.
posted by philipy at 9:56 AM on August 13, 2011

....and I captained RvP instead of Suarez. Sigh.
posted by Dr. Zira at 11:38 AM on August 13, 2011

I wasn't able to change anything before kickoff. Which is ok, because I would have subbed Barton for Wilshire, and seeing him in my team now would probably cause me to smash my monitor and then fall to the ground clutching my face.
posted by Errant at 11:42 AM on August 13, 2011 [2 favorites]

philipy, thanks for the link -- bookmarked.

Who would have guessed that Cahill would be my star player? Bargain signing.
posted by stennieville at 12:39 PM on August 13, 2011

Urf. 26 points on the day. Should not have switched from Suarez/Adam to Carroll/Downing.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:39 PM on August 13, 2011

The bright side of today's Gervinho debacle is that not only do I feel better about deciding against him as a differential, I don't have to struggle with that decision for a few gameweeks...
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:11 PM on August 13, 2011

stennieville: "Then I stupidly decided to rest Suarez because I didn't think he'd be playing today. Damn it."

You are not alone there. How late can you make substitutions before a match, anyway?
I'm also regretting the Barton pick after today, but with 17 points, I'm regretting a lot.
posted by Red Loop at 7:27 PM on August 13, 2011

My bench did superbly. I wanted Robinson on for Al Habsi but I couldn't log in yesterday. Need West Brom to get up against United.

In other news, I was yelling at the TV at 5:30 this morning because Barton only got a yellow card, but it turns out he's in my squad, so I'm okay with it, and admittedly he got stomped on 15 minutes earlier.
posted by doublehappy at 11:20 PM on August 13, 2011

Um. Should we be seeing points by now? And I just managed to pick so horrible that I haven't got any points at all? I'd like a point. 26 & 17 sound just smashing!
posted by BeerFilter at 6:53 AM on August 14, 2011

They should be up... it took awhile yesterday for them to post, but the points for Stoke/Chelsea's Longthrowapalooza '11 are already up.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:41 AM on August 14, 2011

Ok, I'm seeing some points now. Looks like the script that populates various stat boxes are lagging or slow or something. I can see the points on individual players now but it's not being added up in other boxes yet. Or something. West Bromwich Albion vs Manchester United coming up.
posted by BeerFilter at 7:43 AM on August 14, 2011

Excellent; Rooney made me proud today.
posted by misha at 10:09 PM on August 14, 2011

Looks like the new bonus point system has some issues.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:18 AM on August 15, 2011

The FPL Rules:
“Bonus points will be awarded on the Monday morning after the weekend matches are played. Any matches played on a weekday night will be awarded on the following morning.”

Since the Citeh-Swansea match isn't until today, I think the bonus points won't go up until tomorrow.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:19 AM on August 15, 2011

Oh, disregard, I guess they have put up the BPs for the weekend matches at least.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:22 AM on August 15, 2011

Is there any way to see what points were awarded in each of the matches? (e.g. To see who got the bonus points?)
posted by philipy at 10:44 AM on August 15, 2011

If you mouse over the awarded points, you'll see a breakdown of what was awarded or deducted for what.
posted by Errant at 10:57 AM on August 15, 2011

FPL issue an apology for the login problems on Friday night. Am I reading this correctly to state that we can make unlimited transfers until the GW 2 deadline?
posted by Dr. Zira at 11:31 AM on August 15, 2011

I think you're right. Good for them, I wasn't expecting them to do anything about it, but that's a classy move.
posted by Errant at 11:38 AM on August 15, 2011

ESPN3.com has the Citeh/Swansea match live in case anyone is *cough* stuck at the office at their desk *cough.*
posted by Dr. Zira at 11:49 AM on August 15, 2011

Just had to bring my son home early from daycare.. funny that..
posted by robocop is bleeding at 12:15 PM on August 15, 2011

Just 15 minutes in, but Swansea has become the Blackpool of Ian Darke's heart.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 12:16 PM on August 15, 2011

I've said it elsewhere, but that's not quite as surprising as Blackpool maybe were. Swansea's attacking stats last season were completely ridiculous. Whether or not they have the muscle to grind out a victory is still the question, as it was last year. But yeah, for plucky, attack-minded underdogs, you could hardly do better.
posted by Errant at 12:29 PM on August 15, 2011

I like to pretend that Ian Darke is Dumbledore.

Dear David Silve: BWHAHAHAHAH! Love, The Crossbar.
posted by Dr. Zira at 12:31 PM on August 15, 2011

My sister, a huge Harry Potter fan, is visiting and she came running into the room upon hearing an English voice bellowing DDDOOOOBBBBBBIIEEEE!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 12:37 PM on August 15, 2011

I don't know what my beloved Mancini is doing right now, but it looks like it's in Italian.
posted by Dr. Zira at 12:43 PM on August 15, 2011

Vorm is doing well. He should change his name to VROM!
posted by Dr. Zira at 12:47 PM on August 15, 2011

The ghost of Mario Balotelli is hanging before him.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 12:47 PM on August 15, 2011

Wow. The crossbar is really mean today. I just checked to make sure it wasn't Joey Barton in disguise.
posted by Dr. Zira at 12:48 PM on August 15, 2011

Is the crossbar on the ground shielding itself with the uprights? Or does it just have a sweet Neuromancer haircut?
posted by Errant at 1:02 PM on August 15, 2011

I don't know. Perhaps Alex Song will show up and stomp on it and all will be revealed.
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:09 PM on August 15, 2011

Linesmen seem to have two expressions: "Please don't hit meeee!" and "i am a robot"
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:10 PM on August 15, 2011

Ian Darke moonlights as a walking tour guide, apparently. Macca seems to have wandered off from the group.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:13 PM on August 15, 2011

He's just describing what's in his penseive. Macca clearly exploded and is in the process of regenerating.

I have mixed feelings about Dobbie. On one hand, I am very much in favor of house elves scoring goals. On the other hand, I accidentally benched him on my fantasy league team, so if Swansea scores, I really need it to be from Sinclair.
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:15 PM on August 15, 2011

Whoops, you can sit down now, Aguero.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:16 PM on August 15, 2011

I'd like Sinclair to score, but I'd prefer Hart and Kompany to keep clean sheets. So, on balance, things are going fine.
posted by Errant at 1:19 PM on August 15, 2011

I bought into the Moses hype and left Sinclair on the bench, so cleansheet for Kompany would be nice.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:20 PM on August 15, 2011

Britton looks like a Bizarro version of Landon Donovan.
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:24 PM on August 15, 2011

Yaya Tore: Method Actor.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:24 PM on August 15, 2011

Aguero buying spree in 3...2....1....
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:27 PM on August 15, 2011

THANK YOU DAVID SILVA!
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:29 PM on August 15, 2011

Sure, but who has the spare cash for it?
posted by Errant at 1:29 PM on August 15, 2011

I did, but I seem to recall you talking me out of it above.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:30 PM on August 15, 2011

I recall that too, happily.
posted by Errant at 1:34 PM on August 15, 2011

Even Roberto Martinez is rushing off to buy Aguero.
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:46 PM on August 15, 2011

Now I feel really good about it.
posted by Errant at 1:57 PM on August 15, 2011

But I'm pretty sure I'll pay in blood for it later, somewhere. Probably when Fake Fulham play Fake Liverpool.
posted by Errant at 1:58 PM on August 15, 2011

Heh. I'm trying to avoid a knee-jerk selloff to get Aguero under the extended free transfer period.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:01 PM on August 15, 2011

I can't even get logged in right now.
posted by Dr. Zira at 2:04 PM on August 15, 2011

As I said above, Aguero is a very special player. He came on as a sub today, though, which raises questions about where in Mancini's plans he exists or where his fitness is currently, and he played against what is still effectively a decent Championship side which had already been smacked around a bit and which is not widely considered to be very good defensively. There's no question at all that Kun is very, very good, but I'm not sure he's a better choice than Suarez, for instance, who has a nailed-on first-team spot.
posted by Errant at 2:10 PM on August 15, 2011

> If you mouse over the awarded points

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. What I wanted to see what for example how many points each player got in the Man U - West Brom game, rather than say the breakdown of Rooney's points.

Back in ye olde days when I last played this, after each match day there was a long list showing that info for every game, along with all the other relevant stats like mins played, assists etc.

Is there someplace to see that kind of thing?

Assuming always that we'll eventually be able to see something other than a page saying "502 Bad Gateway" at some point.
posted by philipy at 2:33 PM on August 15, 2011

Stop bandwagoning! 502 Bad Gateway is on my team.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:51 PM on August 15, 2011

I think Arsene Wenger is already in talks with 502 Bad Gateway's existing club for a deal involving a Nasri swap.
posted by Dr. Zira at 3:04 PM on August 15, 2011

502 Bad Gateway will be Man U's top scorer, followed by O. Goal.
posted by Errant at 3:18 PM on August 15, 2011

It does look like something they're planning for, philipy. If you look at the set of gameweek matches at the bottom of the My Team page, the scores are hyperlinked, so I assume it will be possible to click on them and see the points and stats sometime in the future.

Another issue, which concerns our minileague is that the league admin now has the option to reset the start of the game till gameweek 2 (meaning that all scores this round will not count for the league standings). Do you guys have any thoughts on that? Me, I think it would make things more fair for people who had issues on Friday night / Saturday morning.
posted by Bukvoed at 3:19 PM on August 15, 2011

502 Bad Gateway will be Man U's top scorer, followed by O. Goal.

Bad Gateway is the new Kylie.
posted by philipy at 3:59 PM on August 15, 2011

It's still all over the place for me. I see three widely different scores, depending on the page.

Re: Score reset, it doesn't matter to me. I have no preference one way or the other.

Another issue: This thread closes in 6 days. I'd love to have some place to continue the discussion in a lively, non-stagnant way. After the troubles it's had, I don't think the minileague forum built into the Barclay's site is gonna be very responsive. Do we want to get a forum set up somewhere hosted &/or an irc channel to hang out in during matches? I'm already hanging out in reddit's soccer irc, it wouldn't be a thing to join another.

Thoughts?
posted by BeerFilter at 4:24 PM on August 15, 2011

We could make another Mefight thread for the FPL.

No much bothered about the score reset thing either way.
posted by philipy at 4:27 PM on August 15, 2011

There is a MeFight Club thread already, here.
posted by Errant at 4:46 PM on August 15, 2011

As someone sitting on 54+ points, I am not in favor of a GW 2 reset ;).
But I think if we're going to take advantage of the unlimited transfer extension to GW 2, it's only fair that we should likewise reset to GW 2.

They're for reals about that unlimited transfers extension, right? Because right now, if you try to do more than 2 transfers it still threatens to deduct 4 pts off of your score.
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:29 PM on August 15, 2011

Hope so. I keep running team versions that would cost me 16-32 points otherwise.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:37 PM on August 15, 2011

Twice now I've re-orged my team only for it to 504 on submit. My points are still broken. I'm not screwing with it again 'till tomorrow or Wednesday when maybe they'll have unfucked their system.
posted by BeerFilter at 7:45 PM on August 15, 2011

Yeah, I have 43 points and would really not like to reset; I didn't change any of my lineup in anticipation of the first day of games because I was just too busy anyway.
posted by misha at 7:53 PM on August 15, 2011

As for resetting the league, unless there's a huge outcry for it, I'd rather not. 38 weeks is not a sprint!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:14 AM on August 16, 2011

Unlimited transfers for Game Week 2 are now working.
posted by stennieville at 12:00 PM on August 16, 2011

Cool. Time to stop scrimping on strikers.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:55 PM on August 16, 2011

Strikers no striking!
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:31 AM on August 17, 2011

So some of us are thinking about liveblogging the Arsenal/Liverpool game Saturday morning. We'll probably do it here unless there's some magical, easy to use text chat utility out there.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:52 AM on August 17, 2011

Someone correct my math but I think the thread will be closing sometime on Saturday. Maybe an irc channel?

There's that Mibbit.com web-based irc client that can have the server and channel set in the url, so all someone would need to do is click here to autoconnect to irc.lunarnet.org and autojoin the #MFFFL channel, or point your existing client to irc://irc.lunarnet.org/MFFFL (I just made that channel. We don't have to use it.).

Or we could do a forum thread. I'm not sure if MFC would be the best place for that type of livebloggish thread, though. If no one cares about the domain name I (or someone else) can whip up a quick web forum just for such a purpose.

Or something else entirely! I'm just trying to be helpful, not over-bearing. :)
posted by BeerFilter at 11:01 AM on August 17, 2011

I'm down, even though the match is on at around 4:30am my time. Must keep an eye on my investments. No preference as to where we gather.
posted by stennieville at 11:29 AM on August 17, 2011

I would prefer a thread to an IRC, if only because I am not a live chat person and figuring out an IRC client at 4:30am may be beyond my coping mechanisms.
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:28 PM on August 17, 2011

Zira, can you give BeerFilter's 'click here' link a try? I just tried it and it seemed pretty point-and-shoot (I'm with you on IRC clients).
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:53 PM on August 17, 2011

Although a whipped together website/forum dealie would be good for going forward, if more Mefites want to do this sort of thing.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:55 PM on August 17, 2011

I wish I could participate in a live chat event, but I'll be on the road. Besides, we're cutting off our television service to get ourselves off the teat for a while.
But. Now I'm wondering how I'll be able to watch the games. Any ideas? I'm willing to pay (some) to watch online. Espn3 has a few of the matches available, but only maybe 2 per weekend, and very possibly not the ones I'd like to see. I'm pretty glad it looks like the Liverpool/Arsenal game will be available to watch online later; I think that matchup late last year was one of the best games of the season.
posted by Red Loop at 3:05 PM on August 17, 2011

I saw a few of you pop in there! I'm cookin' dinnah. Remember the I in IRC stands for Idle.
posted by BeerFilter at 3:19 PM on August 17, 2011

Red Loop: "Now I'm wondering how I'll be able to watch the games. Any ideas?"

Foxsoccer.tv is offering a free one-week trial that offers live and on-demand Premier League, Championship and UEFA Championship matches, which you can watch online. Looks like it's $20/week after the trial ends.
posted by stennieville at 5:20 PM on August 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks stennieville. That's a bit pricey—20 bucks a week? That's... a lot more a month. It's actually a good bit more than I'm paying for my satellite service that includes Fox soccer already. But I really want to get away from the tube, what a dilemma!

P.S. what's up with Gervinho's forehead?
posted by Red Loop at 6:59 PM on August 17, 2011

Everything is up with Gervinho's forehead. Have you seen it? It's up.

I would prefer a message board system as opposed to IRC, if only so I can laugh later about the stupid things I said at five in the morning.
posted by Errant at 9:06 PM on August 17, 2011

Okay, just tried BeerFilter's IRC link and it worked for me.

ESPN3 will be live streaming the game.

Gervinho's forehead is where they will inscribe the memorials of his enemies and the lamentations of their women. And Joey Barton.
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:29 PM on August 17, 2011

Red Loop: "Thanks stennieville. That's a bit pricey—20 bucks a week? That's... a lot more a month."

My bad. I meant $20/month, not week. Slightly more reasonable.
posted by stennieville at 10:57 PM on August 17, 2011

If Gervinho leaves one side of the pitch running at 23 miles per hour and Lescott leaves the other end running at 17 miles per hour, 1) where on the pitch will their foreheads meet and 2) how large will the blast radius be?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:47 AM on August 18, 2011

Ok, I'll have a forum up in a bit. I'll link you all when it's ready.
posted by BeerFilter at 6:37 AM on August 18, 2011

I have a domain, so I can also pretty easily put up forums and such if there is clamor for that.

Also this is decent a free forum hosting site that I've used in the past

I don't expect to be around myself for live chat during the match through.
posted by philipy at 7:54 AM on August 18, 2011

Ok, in full default-themed wonder I present:

MetaFilter Fantasy Football League forum

You can use OpenID or just a plain' ol' email address. Let me know if anyone hits any snags.
posted by BeerFilter at 1:15 PM on August 18, 2011 [4 favorites]