Just as I thought - you lot this season are utter crap. What is going on? This season's best score at the halfway point (week 21) is 757 from Ben Graves, 5 more than Paul Kelleher. The top Div 2 score, and 7th overall, is Greg Foulger with 697.
These are the lowest scores we have had since The Telegraph changed the points system in 2004.
At this point last season Ryan Saveall was leading the way of a new Premiership N&R FL table with 804 points, 47 more than Ben. In fact Ben's score would only have been good enough to place him 7th this time last year. Greg's 697 would have placed him as far down as 24th!!
Poor Tim Feldbruegge is again holding up the table. He has 384, which is 46 less than last season's basement side at the midway point managed by Lee Baughan.
In 2005/06 Peter Godfrey led at the the halfway stage with a massive 853 (but eventually finished 9th). Ben's score would have put him 7th that season as well, Greg would have been in 25th! Tim owed the lowest score again and it was actually a point less than this season.
The previous season, 2004/05 saw Mark Wenman top at the turn of the new year with 798 points, 31 ahead of the current best. Ben would have been 4th, and Greg 15th. The lowest score then was one Brian Dougal, who didn't have a clue what he was doing but still managed 447 in the first 21 weeks.
So what does this prove? Remember you are competing for player points not really against each other, although tactically you are. A few years ago we had a number of experienced fantasy managers who took this league very seriously and were always a threat.
So is the league less hard now or not? It's hard to say but certainly the standard has benefited from an influx of new young managers and some of the older statesmen like me, Rutts, Waterman, Singleton, Doyle and Day have all struggled to keep up this season.
I would say the Premiership has got a lot more good players in it and it harder to pick 11 players, particularly big point-getters. I would say that back in the day players like Shearer and Henry were always good for big scores each week and certainly when it comes to stikers there is no stand-out Premier League top goalscorer anymore. In fact Ronaldo is top scorer from midfield, followed by Adebayor and then players not that popular amongst fantasy managers like Santa Cruz, Benjani, Dave Kitson and Marcus Bent all feature in the top scoring chart.
Also I think we all suffer from squad rotation, even the crappy clubs do it, but when you have Torres, and lets be honest, he is a superb footballer, it is bloody frustrating to see him rested every couple of weeks by Rafa. It's the FA Cup Saturday and points count but how many of the top players will actually start?
One tip is to make your transfers carefully, a good run of decent weekly scoring will propel you up the table. It is very noticable this season that managers have been generally very inconsistent. One week a top 3 score, the next a bottom 3 socre. It happened to me this week and last and I haven't even touched my team.
Anyway, we will keep the leagues as they are for a while yet until we get to the serious end of the season and Nobby & Ready will then kick start the N&R 2007/08 play-off's. Promotion and relegation will play a vital role in those, so keep trying, don't give up. There are plenty of prizes still to play for.
Good luck.
Friday, January 04, 2008
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Foulger defends low scoring Division 2 leaders Boys on Tour:
In a late night press conference in Miami, maverick manager Gregory Foulger spoke out against a recent report that the N&RFFL 2007 season has produced unprecendented low scoring:
"You do what you have to, my players know that. Why have 804 points when 697 will keep me top of the division? If I needed 804 points i'd have 804 points, it's as simple as that. Why risk injuries? Why risk suspensions? Ask yourself that, or Newport for that matter. Who is this Newport character anyway. I heard he's lived in the US for years and supports a team called Charlton, now what can he know about football? Nothing!"
Foulger then went on to lambast Hannoi United manager Keith Read:
"He's the sort of manager to promote a spit roast at a Christmas party, no wonder his team's doing so poorly. Imagine Forsell being opposite Sol Campbell, or Owen across from Geremi! Morale would be shot!"
Foulger also went on to comment about the England vacancy:
"Yes I was approached, yes I was flattered, no I wasn't surprised & yes I turned it down. I'm a club man, the lure of weekly matches was too much. Capello's a good mananger, we're good friends, he knows he can call me anytime should the need arise."
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