It's time for the next round in our Roto FC Mock Draft. If you missed the first round it went a little something like this:
1 - Cristiano Ronaldo
2 - Steven Gerrard
3 - Cesc Fabregas
4 - Fernando Torres
5 - Emmanuel Adebayor
6 - Carlos Tevez
7 - Dimitar Berbatov
8 - Petr Cech
9 - David James
10 - Edwin van der Sar
You can read the full Round 1 article here.
The Roto FC Draft snakes from round to round, hence the order of Round 1 will be reversed for Round 2, back to normal in Round 3, and so forth.
Round 2
Pick 11 - Manager 10
Gael Clichy/
Defender/Arsenal
A tackling machine, Clichy racked up the most tackles (121) of any defender last season and had the second-best net tackling ratio in the League behind Javier Mascherano. An excellent defensive choice for Manager 10 to pair with Edwin Van der Sar.
Last season's ranking - 7
Pick 12 - Manager 9
Ashley Young
Forward/Aston Villa
Has come on leaps and bounds since joining Villa in 2007. Young completes a potent attacking triumvirate with Gabriel Abgonlahor and John Carew. Provides excellent service, for Carew especially, and created 63 attempts last term. As Young's game continues to progress, look for him to break double figures in scoring (9 last season).
Last season's ranking - 21
Goals like this recent Intertoto Cup effort will do very nicely indeed.
Pick 13 - Manager 8
Frank Lampard
Midfielder/Chelsea
Like his teammate Cech, if Lampard can stay fit he would be a steal in the second round. In a good year he is a top 5 fantasy scorer, but how will his place in the side be affected by the arrival of Deco?
Last season's ranking - 22
Pick 14 - Manager 7
Patrice Evra
Defender/Manchester United
If Euro 2008 showed anything, it highlighted the importance of athletic full-backs who can defend and attack with confidence. Step forward Patrice Evra. The flying Frenchman is a genuine all-rounder - making the top 75 in 7 scoring categories - and an integral part of the League's stingiest defence.
Last season's ranking - 11
Pick 15 - Manager 6
Nemanja Vidic
Defender/Manchester United
With Rio Ferdinand nursing an injured back, Vidic would be a wise second round choice. A rock at the back, Vidic is also a dangerous threat from set-pieces. I definitely expect him to improve on the solitary effort he notched last season.
Last season's ranking - 30
Pick 16 - Manager 5
Jose Bosingwa
Defender/Chelsea
He may not have quite the same impact as the last Jose to arrive at Stamford Bridge, but should become Chelsea's first choice right back. Bosingwa is very solid defensively and offers good forward running (see video below for evidence).
Last season's ranking - N/A
Pick 17 - Manager 4
David Bentley
Midfielder/Tottenham Hotspur
Will benefit from the step up and should improve on his 6 goals in the last campaign. The only element of doubt comes from the huge depth in Tottenham's squad. Blessed with a plethora of talented midfielders, Juande Ramos may choose to rotate between Bentley and Aaron Lennon.
Last season's ranking - 17
Pick 18 - Manager 3
Robbie Keane
Forward/Liverpool
Will form an intriguing partnership with Fernando Torres. Expect the Dubliner to maintain the same level of performance from last season - 15 goals, 47 attempts created. At five different clubs Keane has never broken 20 league goals in a campaign.
Last season's ranking - 13
Pick 19 - Manager 2
Didier Drogba
Forward/Chelsea
Still a Chelsea player for now, Drogba only played 19 games last season because of injury and the ANC. With Steven Gerrard in the bag, Manager 2 can take a gamble on Drogba remaining at Stamford Bridge and returning to his 06/07 form that saw him notch 20 league goals.
Last season's ranking - 279
Pick 20 - Manager 1
Rio Ferdinand
Defender/Manchester United
At 29 years old, it will be hard for Ferdinand to improve on last season, but expect him to maintain his status as one the best centre-halfs in the League. Excellent distribution at 84.61% accuracy. Beware of the occasional injury and Rio Brainfreeze™.
Last season's ranking - 15
What do you think of our Round 2 choices? Comment and let us know!
Stick around for Round 3, coming soon...
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
Roto FC Mock Draft - Round 2
The Boot Room - Transfer Merry-Go-Round: Lessons from History
In my previous column I wrote about the risk/reward nature of certain players. The greatest of these are inevitably the new arrivals, especially those recruited from overseas.
Before considering the recently relocated in this Autumn's draft class, let's take a look at the most expensive transfers made in the Summer of 2007 and see how they fared in Fantasy terms over their rookie year.
Most Expensive
Fernando Torres – c.£20million. Played less than 75% of minutes, but still ranked 9th in the game. Highest-ranked player with fewer minutes was Frank Lampard in 19th.
Anderson – c.£18million. Being handed the number 8 jersey suggested he might have a key part to play at United but the Brazilian youngster, who was only 19 as the season began, only managed limited playing time and a rank of 158th.
Owen Hargreaves – c. £18million. Aged 26 last August, Hargreaves promised more than his youthful Brazilian team-mate but delivered little extra. A series of nagging injuries and the form of Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes meant that he only managed half an hour more pitch time than Anderson. Ranked 118th.
Darren Bent – c.£17million. The most expensive player to move between English teams, the Spurs hitman found himself low on opportunities and often lower on form. Ranked 168th.
Nani – c.£16million. Same old story as the Portuguese starlet managed only limited pitch time and a rank of 130th.
Carlos Tevez - £?. Hard to know exactly the nature of the deal that took the Argentine hitman to Old Trafford, but we do know the success he had there. Tevez was the most valuable new recruit in fantasy, and 4th highest-rated overall.
Craig Gordon – c.£9million. The most expensive goalkeeper to move last summer was a mega-flop, a horrible save ratio leaving him nearly the worst player in the game.
Clearly, there are some high achievers and some fantasy flops in this expensive bunch. Perhaps most surprising is that the top five averaged barely 55% of the total playing time available... fantasy managers should be wary of assuming that a high price tag automatically means a fixed first team berth.
Highest Ranked
If a transfer fee bigger than Ronaldinho's teeth isn't an indicator of fantasy success – what is? Let's look at the players who cracked the top 50 fantasy rankings after a change of scenery last season, and see if there's any kind of pattern:
Carlos Tevez – Ranked 4th. Joined Manchester United on a somewhat opaque loan deal from some investment club/syndicate/persons unknown via West Ham, with the player now valued around £25million. Then aged 23 with 29 caps for Argentina. Forward.
Roque Santa Cruz – Ranked 8th. Joined Blackburn from Bayern Munich for c.£3.5million. Age 26. 56 caps for Paraguay. Forward.
Fernando Torres – Ranked 9th. Joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid for c. £20million. Age 23. 44 caps for Spain. Forward.
Bacary Sagna – Ranked 28th. Joined Arsenal from Auxerre for c.£6million. Age 24. No caps for France (though 28 at under-21 level). Defender (full-back).
Elano – Ranked 31st . Joined Manchester City from Shakhtar Donetsk for c.£8million. Age 26. 26 caps for Brazil. Midfielder (attacking).
Kenwyne Jones – Ranked 38th. Joined Sunderland from Southampton for c.£6million. Age 22. 31 caps for Trinidad & Tobago. Forward.
Juliano Belletti – Ranked 41st. Joined Chelsea from Barcelona for c.£3.5million. Age 31. 23 caps for Brazil. Defender (full-back).
Aiyegbeni Yakubu – Ranked 43rd. Joined Everton from Middlesbrough for c.£11.25million. Age 28. 35 caps for Nigeria. Forward.
What do we have? Five forwards, one attacking midfielder and two full-backs. In an average sample of 10 players from the top 50 we would have found 0.6 GK, 3 DEF, 3.2 MID and 3.2 FW, so there is a slight bias towards forwards. Elano, whilst a midfielder by name, is in fact a link player who earned almost all his fantasy value from his goals, shots on target and attempts created.
Our pair of defenders are both full-backs who joined established defences at Champions League sides. It is a very small sample size from which to draw a conclusion, but it might encourage a fantasy manager to look with real confidence at 2008 new boys Jose Bosingwa of Chelsea and the Italian Andrea Dossena of Liverpool.
The forwards who performed best each have a body of international experience. This was not true of big-money underachievers like Darren Bent (cost £16million, ranked 214) and David Nugent (£6million, 336).
There are exceptions, such as experienced internationals Diomansy Kamara (£6million fee but only 185th in value), Craig Bellamy (£6million, 320), Alan Smith (£6m, 417) and Mido (6million, 464). The common thread here is injuries: Bellamy missed 6 ½ months, Smith had two lay-offs (though he was mightily ineffective even when fit), Mido was dogged by groin and pelvic injuries and only managed 12 appearances. Kamara was fairly healthy but missed time for the African Cup of Nations.
This gives us something of a set of guidelines to the types of players most likely to succeed at new clubs. Next time out I'm going to try to apply these to players who have found new homes already this summer.
By Sandy King
Row ZZ Re-development
Since switching to our new domain - www.rowzz.com - we've encountered a few technical difficulties.
Hence, some readers were left with a restricted view of the site.
We've fixed the problem now and will resume normal service.
Thanks for your patience!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Boot Room - Draft Strategy #2: Risk and Reward
In my previous article, I outlined a few broad approaches to draft strategy. I now want to take a closer look at how you may weigh up potential picks, particularly those whose season may be hard to predict with any great confidence.
Do You Feel Lucky?
There is one question every drafting manager needs to ask themselves: How much risk am I prepared to take on with my players? To an extent every player comes with risk – anyone could pull a hamstring or incur the wrath of their manager in the first game of the season and end up on the treatment table or transfer list – but some have more than others.
Age
Age brings risks, at both ends of the scale. Every year there will be some young players who earn huge value with breakthrough seasons, but many others who fail to live up to their promise. Three years ago Aaron Lennon was in England's World Cup side in Germany, while Ashley Young was in the Watford academy. Last season, however, Young was a dominant force with 9 goals and 63 attempts created, while Lennon was a seventh round pick. Which way will the careers of Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Bolton's young recruit Fabrice Muamba progress this year?
At the other end of the spectrum are the golden oldies. David James and Jens Lehmann both began last season at the ripe old age of 37. James enjoyed an Indian Summer on the South coast and became the most valuable keeper in fantasy, while his German counterpart made some early errors and only managed 560 minutes on the pitch all season. Blackburn's Tuncay and the evergreen Ryan Giggs are old enough to share a bus pass between them, but both had top 100 seasons, while others of their generation, like Alan Stubbs and Giggs' one-time team-mate Dwight Yorke saw their careers peter out into fantasy insignificance.
Of the top 15 players on our Player Rater last season, only James and the prodigious Ronaldo (22) were outside the 23-27 age range at the start of the campaign. Some more seasoned defenders like Rio Ferdinand (then 28) and Martin Laursen (then 29) followed close behind, but the real fantasy difference-makers are generally in their mid 20s. However, there may be real value to be found by working out whether the likes of Mark Viduka and Sami Hyppia can defy the risk that comes with their ages and bring you some reward.
Health
Injuries to key players can cripple a fantasy team as much as a real one, so as well as age, medical history must be taken into consideration. Because the official rankings are based on last year's performance, those who proved brittle and saw reduced playing time will be automatically downgraded, but if you can stomach the risk, there may be handsome rewards to be gained from investing in the lowly-ranked likes of Gary Neville, Craig Bellamy and Gareth Bale – if they can return to full health... and stay there.
Not all injury lay-offs are equal. Arsenal's young striker Eduardo missed time following the horrific leg break, but that hardly indicates an injury-prone nature; rather this was simple misfortune. Gary 'Red Devil' Neville missed the entire season with an ankle injury sustained in early 2007, but now hopes to play first team football for two more years. Managers must decide whether to believe the United skipper, who could be a hugely valuable asset if able to play regularly in that mean defence, or to be put off by the series of setbacks which blighted his rehab throughout 2008.
At the other end of the spectrum, some players avoid the major lay-offs but are continually niggled by minor injuries. Aston Villa striker John Carew missed time in five separate spells last year but still racked up over 2,500 minutes on the pitch, while Wigan's Emile Heskey managed to break the 2,000 minute mark despite reporting to the physio on seven occasions.
Details that will help you evaluate the health prospects of your potential draftees can be found at the excellent Physio Room site.
Position
Not all playing positions carry equal risk. Goalkeepers and defenders earn points as part of a unit, so their performance is less dependent on the vagaries of form. In each of the past three seasons, the three tightest defences have been Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea's – followed each time by Arsenal, then Everton and then Portsmouth. Individuals in those teams may have better or worse seasons but, as long as they are in the team, they will have some value protection from their colleagues. The same may be true of strikers at clubs which always create plenty of attempts.
Scoring Category
Similarly, some scoring categories are more predictable than others. A top goalscorer is a key component of any side, yet these can be harder to pin down than you might at first think. Of last season's top 10 scorers, only Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov and Aiyegbeni Yakubu made that list in 2006-07. Only Wayne Rooney and Darren Bent showed up in the top 10 in both 2006-07 and 2005-06.
On the other hand, the top performers in the save percentage list are relatively consistent. Last season, of keepers with more than 1,000 minutes played, the top stoppers were Edwin Van Der Sar, Petr Cech, the under-rated Steve Harper, Tim Howard and Manuel Almunia. The previous year all of these except Almunia, then without a first team spot, were in the top 6 for the category.
Liverpool's Jose Reina may not be amongst the top shot-stoppers, but his command of his area and of the solid defence in front of him (combined with his reliable health and status as the sole Liverpool player seemingly exempt from Rafa's rotation) have seen him win the Golden Gloves award for leading the league's goalkeepers in Clean Sheets for three consecutive years. Van Der Sar, Howard and Cech have all been top 5 both of the previous times too.
High performing goalkeepers then, while not exempt from risk (Reading's Marcus Hahnemann slipped from 78.5% saves and 13 clean sheets in 2006-07 to 69.6% and only 8 last year, for example), are a better investment for the risk-averse manager than their striking counterparts.
Perhaps the most reliable performers of all are the top chance-creators. Of the top 10 this season, only the youthful trio of Emmanuel Adebayor, Niko Kranjcar and Ashley Young weren't present the year before. Those who fell away did so because of injury (Frank Lampard) or by small margins (Dimitar Berbatov fell to 13th on this year's list). Of this year's crop, Ryan Giggs' impressive total will inevitably decline with age, but most of the others should be reliable blue-chip performers next season.
Balance
How you react to risk is a matter of personality. Embracing it can bring great capital, but also disaster. The secret of a great draft is to manage your risk, taking it on board at the right times and in the right kinds of player. Carefully consider how you balance and distribute your gambles and your bankers on draft day and reap the rewards.
In my next piece, I will be discussing in depth perhaps the most obvious example of the risk/reward player – the recently transferred player.
By Sandy King
Monday, July 28, 2008
Roto FC Mock Draft
In anticipation of the upcoming Roto FC season, Row ZZ has put together a mock draft. We'll add a new round every day and update the draft based on transfers and injuries.
Here's Round 1 to kick us off...
Round 1
Pick 1 - Manager 1
Cristiano Ronaldo
Forward/Manchester United
His mind-boggling stats last season paint their own picture, but with his future at Old Trafford still in doubt, can he be risked with the first overall pick? 31 league goals say he probably will.
Last season's ranking – 1
Pick 2 – Manager 2
Steven Gerrard
Midfielder/Liverpool
Liverpool’s (and fantasy managers') Mr. Dependable. There would be nothing risky about choosing Gerrard with the second pick. Expect his partnership with Fernando Torres to continue blossoming this season.
Last season's ranking – 2
Pick 3 – Manager 3
Cesc Fabregas
Midfielder/Arsenal
The "safe pick" from Arsenal since Emmanuel Adebayor's future remains uncertain. With Hleb, Flamini and Gilberto Silva gone, Fabregas will have to take on more responsibility and his growing maturity should be reflected in his stats - 9 bookings hurt him last season so look for his discipline to improve.
Last season's ranking - 5
Pick 4 – Manager 4
Fernando Torres
Forward/Liverpool
With a season of Premier League experience, Torres should improve in the two categories that let him down last year – passing accuracy and attempts created. Whether his minutes increase depends on Rafa’s rotation policy.
Last season’s ranking - 9
Pick 5 – Manager 5
Emmanuel Adebayor
Forward/Arsenal
If he stays at the Emirates, he’s guaranteed to score goals. Also creates lots of chances for others in the fluid Arsenal system. Like Ronaldo, the persistent transfer rumors bring an element of risk to the selection, but it’s a gamble worth taking.
Last season’s ranking - 3
Pick 6 - Manager 6
Carlos Tevez
Forward/Manchester United
Much will depend on his competition for a place in Alex Ferguson’s first eleven. As things stand, Tevez should start for United alongside Rooney, but that could change if Louis Saha can stay fit, or if a new striker like Dimitar Berbatov arrives at Old Trafford.
Last season’s ranking - 4
Pick 7 – Manager 7
Dimitar Berbatov
Forward/Tottenham Hotspur
Will he be in the white of Spurs or the red of Man United? Berbatov’s goals and shots on target were impressive last season; they should get even better if he makes the journey north.
Last season’s ranking - 14
Pick 8 – Manager 8
Petr Cech
Goalkeeper/Chelsea
By the law of averages, Chelsea and Cech are due a season free from injury-worry. Cech’s save percentage was second only to Edwin Van der Sar among first choice keepers, and his clean sheets should increase if John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho can stay healthy.
Last season’s ranking - 45
Pick 9 – Manager 9
David James
Goalkeeper/Portsmouth
Stays in great shape and used his athleticism to make the most saves in the league last season – 137 stops with a success rate of 79.19%. Benefits from an unchanged defence that registered 16 clean sheets.
Last season’s ranking - 6
Pick 10 – Manager 10
Edwin van der Sar
Goalkeeper/Manchester United
Still a class act at 37 years young, Van der Saar completes a run on keepers to finish the first round. He would be ahead of Cech and James if it were not for Alex Ferguson’s habit of resting the Dutchman against the likes of Stoke and Hull, in favor of Tomasz Kuszczak and Ben Foster.
Last season’s ranking - 34
Do you agree with our Round 1 selections? Post a comment and let us know.
Round 2 coming soon...
The Boot Room - Draft Strategy #1: First Things First
Roto FC is a new style of Fantasy Football game being run in partnership with Row-ZZ. Click here for more information about the game.
The Boot Room is a series of articles written to help guide new managers through this game, and give even the more experienced some food for thought.
Patience is a Virtue
When preparing to draft a fantasy team, there are two great unknowns. You need to predict which players will earn your team the most value over the coming year, obviously. If that weren't enough, however, a productive drafter must have a good sense of which players their opponents will see as having the most value.
A little-known striker languishing in the reserves at Hull may turn out to be the best player in the league, but to reach for them in the first round is a draft folly. Better strategy is to take the player with the big reputation while he's still on the board, and come back in later for the diamond you have spotted lurking in the rough.
Knowing how long you can hold back for a player is not an easy matter. Any player is only a pick away from being snapped off the board, and the official draft rankings may not be the best indication of how long you can wait to pounce. The rewards of waiting patiently for the last possible moment to grab the player you want can be huge, but the frustration of seeing him snatched up in the round you were planning your move greater still.
Over the next few weeks we will be publishing a few mock drafts here on Row-ZZ, which may give some hints and tips; for more than this you will need to get inside the mind of your fellow managers. Who will be willing to take risks on the untried foreign import or emerging young talent? Who will build a team of wily veterans? A manager may lean towards players from their own supported team, or hedge their bets by steering clear of their Saturday heroes. Of course, in a public league you may have no clues at all.
Plan of Action
The draft has ticked around to you for the first time. Confronted with a list of over four hundred and fifty options, you have only a minute or two to choose who will help your side most - where do you turn? Obviously it helps to be able to narrow these hundreds down, and there are a few methods which fantasy drafters may employ.
#1: Best Player Available
This is the simplest approach. With a pre-determined list of all players in the game ranked in the order of value you expect from them over the season, you take the top available name at a position you have free. Not rocket science, and particularly appropriate to the early rounds, where you have unlimited blank spaces on your team sheet.
However, a manager drafting on a rigid 'BPA' principle is likely to end up with an imbalanced squad, lopsided in favour of one position of category. Remember that the maximum score available from any of the scoring categories is 10 points, and that you receive this no matter whether you win it by a single goal, tackle or save – or three hundred. Once you have enough talent in a given category to win it, anything else is wasted resources which could help you compete elsewhere.
A manager who fancies themselves as a wheeler-dealer may conduct the entire draft on a BPA principle, planning on trading the surplus of whatever they end up over-burdened with to strengthen weaker areas in due course. However, there is always the risk of being marooned with no trading partners to be wary of. To create a balanced side straight out of the draft, you must consider the issue of scarcity.
#2: Positional Scarcity
Every team is required to field 2 players in goal, 6 each in defence and midfield, and 4 forwards. This means that a minimum of 20 goalkeepers, 60 defenders, 60 midfielders and 40 forwards must be drafted. However, some of these positions are deeper than others. Consider the table below, which identifies the last player who would have been required at each position in a perfect draft for last season, and their fantasy rank:
As you see, goalkeeper is by far the thinnest position. While each team must field two keepers, the last ones to be chosen will not have much value to a team at all, compared to the last midfielders.
Positional Scarcity suggests that a goalkeeper who can deliver a given fantasy value is worth choosing ahead of a midfielder who will deliver the same. Predicting which goalkeepers will be of value, of course, is the first hard task. The second is working out how much weight you choose to give positional scarcity. Do you take a keeper who could deliver 90% of the value of the best available midfielder? What about one who could only deliver 70%? Weighting the depth of the respective positions is key to drafting a balanced team.
#3: Categorical Scarcity
Similarly, not all categories are as deep as one another. The table below shows the top score and standard deviation from this mean, illustrating the distribution of the performers.
* Number of passes completed beyond the league average rate of 73.92%
** Number of shots saved beyond the league average rate of 69.38%
*** Since the aim is to accrue as few discipline points as possible, each card provides negative points, so an un-cautioned player has 0.
So far, so maths. Ugh, I can only apologise. If, however, I managed to absorb anything at all from the assorted folk who tried to teach me about the subject (and this is, admittedly, not a given), it's that the lower the percentage of the top score represented by one standard deviation, the thinner the category is in terms of elite performers.
In practice, this means that there are few top level shot-stoppers, which fits with what we saw earlier. There are also relatively few players running up really high totals of goals scored and shots on target. At the other end of the spectrum, there are a lot of guys out there giving you solid performances in the 'minutes' category.
How does this help draft strategy? It suggests that a player who is elite in one of the scarcer categories is more desirable than one who is elite at one of the deeper ones, and that to dominate a category like goals or save percentage requires fewer top performers than net tackles or minutes played would. The official rankings from last season take this into account, but it is still well worth bearing in mind when drafting.
#4: Punting A Category
The best possible outcome of a draft is to have a team which can compete in all 10 categories. This gives you a maximum of 100 points. You may reach a stage, however, where you decide that this has become impossible – if, for instance, by round 15 you have no goalkeepers and all those you feel could help you pick up more than a point or two are off the board.
In this unfortunate event, you have two choices. Either make the best of a bad job and hope to make up the scores later in the game by trading or shrewd free agent pick-ups, or decide to 'punt' or abandon a category entirely. The downside of the decision to punt is that you resign yourself to an inevitable score of only 1 point for this category, reducing the total available to 91, but it is possible that you may feel this will bring you a higher score overall.
In this situation, rather than grabbing the best of the worst 'keepers, the drafting manager will leave them to the very last rounds of the draft, taking whatever dregs are left over there, and concentrate their resources in scoring top points in other categories.
Another example might be a midfield assembled with no tacklers, only good passers and creators, or a forward line which scores very few goals but creates a plethora of chances, tackles back effectively and so on. In very rare situations, cutting your losses entirely may be the way to go, but this is only advised as a very last resort.
Know Your Place
A final important consideration is your place in the draft ladder. Because of the snake format of the draft, a manager with the tenth picks in any round will immediately get the chance to start the next. This 'turn' position can be used to great effect by snapping up two similar players, effectively starting a run on them; but requires greater foresight in judging which players will still be around next time the selection passes to you.
By Sandy King
The Boot Room will return soon with some thoughts on strategies managers may consider when weighing up some types of players and the risks - and rewards - associated with them.
Introducing Roto FC Fantasy Football!
In partnership with Row ZZ, a pair of over-competitive football fans by the name of Sandy King and Mike Jenkins are attempting to enliven the world of the Fantasy Football manager by developing a new game – Roto FC - as an alternative to the list-based salary cap games found in newspapers and on the Premier League's own website.
This season, a few trial leagues are being run, each chock-full of eager guinea pigs. For their (theoretical) benefit, the (even more theoretical) interest of the casual Row ZZ fan and the (most theoretical yet) purpose of giving a few aspiring fantasy columnists a chance to cut their teeth writing about the game, Row ZZ will be featuring a series of articles concerning all aspects of this fantasy game, under the moniker of 'The Boot Room'.
Full rules for the competition can be found here, but the gist is that 10 managers take it in turns to draft players to their teams, so each player only appears once per league.
They then accumulate stats in 10 categories, from goals scored to save percentage, and these tallies are then compared against each other. The team who leads each category gets 10 points, the second placed side earns 9, and so on. This means that the maximum score available is 100, the minimum 10 and the average 55.
We still have some spaces left for this season, so if you are interested in helping us play-test this game, and our web site, please drop us a line at the address in the rules document. Even if not, any thoughts you have on our writing would be much appreciated!
Friday, July 25, 2008
What if...We had Premier League All Stars
What if, instead of playing West Ham United or another foreign club in it's annual All Star Game, the MLS pitted it's best players against a Premier League All Star team?
There is already a PFA Team of the Year, voted for by players in the league, but appearing in its ranks represents little more than a consolation prize for not winning the Player of the Year Award.
If the Premier League is so keen to promote its status as the World's best league, why not add some additional players to the selection and send the squad, along with the Manager of the Year, on a money-spinning jaunt around the world every summer? Hey presto, there's your 39th game.
The concept would no doubt be condemned by clubs who would be deprived of their best players for a few days of pre-season. If there were, however, some share of the profits on offer, the Premier League and its members might be able to come to an agreement.
So who should make a Premier League All Star Team? The MLS uses a four-tiered voting system with fans, players, managers and the media each contributing 25% of the total votes.
Here at Row ZZ, we had our own vote and came up with the following squad of 20 (3 Goalkeepers, 6 Defenders, 6 Midfielders and 5 Forwards) along with a manager and assistant. We have automatically included the 2008 PFA Team of the Year members in our squad.
Goalkeepers
David James/Portsmouth (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Edwin van der Saar/Manchester United
Petr Cech/Chelsea
Defenders
Bacary Sagna/Arsenal (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Rio Ferdinand/Manchester United (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Nemanja Vidić/Manchester United (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Gael Clichy/Arsenal (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Joleon Lescott/Everton
Patrice Evra/Manchester United
Midfielders
Cristiano Ronaldo/Manchester United (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Steven Gerrard/Liverpool (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Cesc Fabregas/Arsenal (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Ashley Young/Aston Villa (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Niko Kranjcar/Portsmouth
Gareth Barry/Aston Villa
Forwards
Emmanuel Adebayor/Arsenal (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Fernando Torres/Liverpool (2008 PFA Team of the Year)
Wayne Rooney/Manchester United
Dimitar Berbatov/Tottenham Hotspur
Roque Santa Cruz/Blackburn Rovers
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Assistant: Arsene Wenger
What do you think of this squad? Any glaring omissions? How would it fare against the undefeated MLS All Stars? Watching Ferguson and Wenger work together on the sidelines would at least be entertaining.
Oh, and for the obligatory Halftime Musical Extravaganza, how about a Battle of the Bands - USA vs England? Kaiser Chiefs vs Killers? Jonas Brothers vs McFly? Comment with your suggestions now!
For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
It's mean to dress-up cats and make them wear silly hats. Same goes for footballers.
Steven Gerrard received an honorary fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University today. Gerrard's expression gave me the sense that he would rather be wearing a football kit than his ceremonial gown/hat ensemble.
Click here to see BBC video of Gerrard receiving his fellowship.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Clip of the Day: Anchorman is a Chelsea Fan.
No, this isn't another Fantasy Fan piece (more of those to come).
While promoting his latest movie, Stepbrothers on last night's Daily Show, Will Ferrell showed his true colors. The Blues, it appears, are his boys.
Will Ferrell isn't the only famous Chelsea supporter. In fact, the club lists its celebrity followers on the official website. The list ranges from the respectable (Lord Attenborough) to the ridiculous (Tara Reid) and makes you wonder...is Chelsea the club of the people or People Magazine?
New Column at Soccer365: Chelsea’s Quest for the West
Several Sundays ago, when I opened up my local paper and dipped into the sports section, I was delighted to find an article about soccer. The Chapel Hill News has a tiny circulation and it was a welcome surprise to see them covering the planet’s most popular sport instead of the usual High School baseball reports.
The story was about Chelsea's recent link-up with CASL, the Triangle Region's premier youth soccer club. The nuts and bolts of the deal involve the re-branding of the club's academy teams as "Chelsea Academy” teams as well a coaching exchange between the two organizations...
To read the rest of this column, head to soccer365.com
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Bret's Northern Rock of Love
In an effort to encourage the wearing of football shirts among American celebrities, here's the first installment of a new feature: Fantasy Fans.
First up we have Bret Michaels, former Poison frontman and star of VH1's reality franchise, Rock of Love.
Bret makes the perfect Magpies fan since watching his show can be painful and hilarious in equal measure, just like watching the Newcastle defence.
Bret finds love or Newcastle win a trophy...which will come first?
Send us your own Fantasy Fan suggestions or pictures.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Clip(se) of the Day: G-Unit-ed
Is David Beckham's great American adventure having a cross-cultural impact? His (and his wife's) celebrity has certainly raised the profile of football in the US.
The Beckham brand is everywhere now it seems - and not just on the back of kids' jerseys. If he isn't on Perez Hilton, he's popping up in Sharpie commercials or in Snoop Dogg's Reality TV show.
Snoop Dogg isn't the only rapper embracing football. Check out Clipse "rocking" the black Manchester United jersey in the video for their song "Fast Life" below.
Will football shirts become a growing trend in hip-hop videos? If the game is to develop Stateside it has to become part of the national culture - and that means MTV, VH1 and BET.
Though football transcends class, international success is still bred largely in the shanty towns and slums of Brazil, Argentina, France and even England. When/if urban America swaps basketballs for footballs, the US might finally begin to fulfill it's huge potential.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Clip of the Day: Darren Huckerby Interviewed by Idiot
Kudos to Unprofessional Foul for bringing one of the worst sports interviews in history to my attention.
English footballers like ex-Norwich and Coventry forward Darren Huckerby are moving to America in search of the good life.
Unfortunately for Huckerby, this cringe-worthy interview with local sports anchor Gary Radnich proves how far football still has to go in the US.
Watch and weep...
Friday, July 18, 2008
Clip of the Day: Berbatov
Reports claim Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced Dimitar Berbatov will join Manchester United by the end of the summer.
The Spurs striker is a long-time United target and his capture would seemingly signal the end of Louis Saha's Old Trafford career.
An attacking unit of Berbatov, Ronaldo (if he stays), Rooney and Tevez would be among the most feared in Europe.
Here's a taste of what "Dimi" can do...
Fergie: Ronaldo is staying
Sir Alex Ferguson has met with Cristiano Ronaldo and insists the Portuguese will stay at Old Trafford.
Speculation over Ronaldo's future has persisted throughout the summer despite Manchester United's continual assertions that their star player will not be sold to Real Madrid.
Ronaldo's comments hinting at a "dream" move to Madrid haven't helped the situation and Ferguson was keen to speak with Ronaldo in person before embarking on the club's pre-season tour of South Africa this week.
"The meeting went well - I think we both put across our points of view - where we stand and where the player stands," explained Sir Alex.
"I can say he'll be a Manchester United player next season. That's our stance - he won't be sold."
As the summer wears on, you can bet Real Madrid will test Ferguson's resolve to the limit.
See more details at the official Manchester United website.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Where in the World is Samuel Eto'o?
During football's off-season, one learns to expect all sorts of bizarre transfer rumors. But Samuel Eto'o signing for Uzbek club, PFC Kuruvchi, takes things to a new extreme. Never before has the term "silly season" been more appropriate.
On Monday, Kuruvchi announced via their official website that Eto'o had signed a six-month contract. Next came the rebuttal from Barcelona's spokesman who stated that the transfer was not "very likely."
It certainly wouldn't seem likely. What would possess Eto'o to move to Uzbekistan? Arguably Africa's greatest ever player, he is still in the prime of his career. His time at Barcelona appears to have ended, but countless top European clubs would welcome him with open arms.
Instead, it was in Tashkent today that Eto'o received a hero's welcome. What he was doing there, accompanied by three Barcelona representatives, is anyone's guess. Is this some sort of ridiculous publicity stunt? If it is then we should find out pretty soon.
If, however, there is any truth in Kuruvchi's claims, it would represent the irreversible slide towards a modern game dominated by money.
Aging Europeans travel to the Middle East looking for one last bumper payday. Spurred on by cash-hungry agents and consortiums, young South Americans are increasingly likely to be found, shivering, in the former Soviet Bloc. David Beckham's American "mission" would have been a non-starter without the significant financial incentive.
The one thing that these new football markets have is wealth, drawn largely from natural resources. Uzbekistan is no exception, producing the sixth-largest amount of cotton in the World (useful for all those Eto'o replica shirts) and possessing significant deposits of gold, silver, coal and oil.
Unfortunately for the Uzbek people, very little of that wealth finds its way back to them; despite a national GDP of $64 billion, about a third of the country lives below the poverty line.
If the Eto'o deal goes through, it will not be cheap. Kuruvchi are sponsored by Uzbek energy giant UzGazOil so funds shouldn't be a problem. But is that what football has become?
It is sad to think that Eto'o would trade the Champion's League for the chance to battle Pakhtakor in Uzbekistan's Oliy League. It would be a shame if money proved to be so persuasive. How else could an unknown club in landlocked Central Asia entice one of the world's best talents?
Clip of the Day: Ronaldinho
Remember when Ronaldinho was the best player on the planet? He's still only 28 and if he manages anything approaching this effort while he's at Milan then the Rossoneri have got themselves a bargain that would make David Dickinson proud.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Blatter's A Blathering Idiot
The modern footballer is many things, but a slave he is not. These are men who enjoy the most glamorous of careers, are flush with endorsements and are routinely paid more than an average person's yearly salary in the space of seven days. What slave has ever earned $100,000 a week?
That question clearly escaped the bizarre mind of FIFA President Sepp Blatter. His comments regarding the Cristiano Ronaldo situation, comparing the Portuguese winger to a "modern slave," have been widely and justly attacked from across the world of football.
Condemnation has rained in from UEFA, club managers throughout Europe, and a host of respected former players. When Pele, who more than anyone in the history of football transcended race and class, comes out and says you're wrong, perhaps it's time to backtrack. But not Blatter, oh no.
He has put his foot in his mouth more times than seemingly possible, but he rarely apologizes for his outrageous comments. This is the same man who suggested female players wear tighter shorts. The man who instituted the ludicrous rule of booking players who remove their shirts after scoring. This is a man who repeatedly undermines national and regional governing bodies to propel his own warped interpretations of the game.
If Blatter refuses to apologize for his latest remarks, the time has surely come for him to leave or be forced from office. I don't tend to agree with The Sun on many things, but in this case its petition calling for Blatter's removal is spot on.
Football needs a leader with tact; a leader who still has some marbles left. Blatter needs to shut up or pack up.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
New Column at Soccer365 - Queiroz A Huge United Loss
After the magnificence of Moscow, this summer has so far been one to forget for Sir Alex Ferguson. The Cristiano Ronaldo saga goes on and on and it now seems certain that Ferguson will lose the most essential cog in his Manchester United machine.
The catalyst for much of United’s recent success, Carlos Queiroz looks set to be the summer’s first and costliest departure from Old Trafford. Despite rebuffing Benfica’s advances earlier this year, Quieroz is set to replace the recently departed Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager of the Portuguese national team...
To read the rest of this column, head to soccer365.com.Monday, July 7, 2008
Forgetful Mike & Mike
In a year jam-packed with great sporting memories, some slip the mind quicker than others.
This morning on the Mike & Mike Show (ESPN Radio and ESPN2), the hosts fielded an email question that asked, "Is 2008 one of the great sporting years?"
Mike Greenburg spent some time pondering the question, reeling back through his mental archive of the year to date. He touched on several events that backed up the emailer's point - yesterday's epic Wimbledon men's final, the rivalry of the NBA and NHL finals, the Cinderella story at the College Baseball World Series, the dramatic Monday playoff in the U.S. Open and the overtime NCAA Basketball Championship game.
All undeniably thrilling, but no mention of Euro 2008? Hailed by many as one of the finest international tournaments in years, Euro 2008 concluded little more than a week ago, yet seems to have already been erased from the American sporting psyche. This is especially surprising since Mike & Mike's network, ESPN/ABC, broadcast every game from Austria and Switzerland.
The fact that the two Mikes, Americentric as they are, neglected to mention a football tournament isn't particularly surprising. Their absent-mindedness was unforgivable, however, when it continued to include the biggest sporting event on the planet (no, not the Superbowl).
When Greenburg moved on to the events still to come in 2008, he correctly noted that there would be some more golf and tennis, and rightfully pointed out that the World Series is due up in October. But what of the Olympics? What of over 10,000 athletes competing in 302 events in 28 sports? Nothing.
The Games start in Beijing, a month from tomorrow, and will be a defining moment in 2008's sporting legacy. Just try and remember to watch.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Ring the Bell - The Market Is Open
It’s July 1st and that means the start of football’s annual swap-shop. The excitement of Euro 2008 is already a distant memory (except, perhaps, in Spain). From Manchester to Milan, the scouting reports are in and the continent is ready for some serious post-tournament wheeling and dealing.
Even before the action in Austria and Switzerland kicked off, Luka Modric agreed terms with Tottenham. His subsequent performances for Croatia will leave the Spurs strike-force (whoever they are) licking their lips at the prospect of some world-class service.
During the tournament it became increasingly likely that Arsenal would make Samir Nasri their latest French recruit. The transfer is yet to be completed, but all signs point to Nasri replacing the want-away Alexander Hleb in Arsene Wenger’s new look midfield.
Another midfield set for a makeover is Chelsea’s under new boss “Big Phil” Scolari. ₤8 million signing Deco joins incumbents Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Claude Makelele, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel in the Stamford Bridge engine-room. It seems certain that at least one, probably Frank Lampard, will make way.
Plenty of others made impressions during the European Championships. The tournament witnessed international advances and washouts aplenty. Which stars shined brightest? Whose transfer plans were foiled by summer failure?
Big Movers. The stars who could command top-dollar fees.
- Cristiano Ronaldo – The saga that never ends. Player power rules in the modern game and, in all likelihood, the World Player of the Year elect will make his dream move to Real Madrid a reality. In the meantime, Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz will do their utmost to persuade the talismanic winger to stay at Old Trafford.
- David Villa – The Golden Boot winner will be in high demand and would prefer Champions League football to the Uefa Cup fare on offer at Valencia next season. Real Madrid and Chelsea wait in the wings.
- Wesley Sneijder – Any deal for Ronaldo could see Sneijder heading to Manchester. The gifted playmaker would be a first-rate addition to the Man United squad while the aging Paul Scholes is phased out.
- Lukas Podolski/Bastian Schweinsteiger – The pair featured infrequently for Bayern Munich last season, but were among Germany’s best performers this summer. A host of La Liga and Premier League clubs could swoop if Bayern cannot guarantee them starting places next season.
- Cesc Fabregas – Showed flashes of his prodigious talent during the finals. He would be the ultimate trophy-signing for Barcelona or Real Madrid, but Arsene Wenger will firmly reject any advances for the jewel in his crown.
Stepping Up. The well-known names set for the big time.
- Andrei Arshavin – Set the Alps alight with his quarter-final brilliance against the Dutch. Despite the let down against Spain, the Russian captain seems set for a move to Barcelona.
- Rafael van der Vaart – Played second fiddle to Sneijder in Austria and Switzerland, but still showed his considerable talent and growing maturity. La Liga would be his expected destination.
- Dani Güiza – Used as an impact sub by Luis Aragonés, the Mallorca hitman displayed the energy and composed finishing that took him to the top of La Liga’s scoring charts. If Villa leaves Valencia, Güiza could be on his way to the Mestalla.
- David Silva – Another Valencia player to impress at the finals, Silva could follow Villa to Real Madrid. Rafa Benitez could do with a world-class winger, so it would be no surprise to see Silva teeing up Fernando Torres at Anfield come August.
- Darijo Srna – His dynamism on Croatia’s right flank was a big factor in their success. Premier League clubs like Man City (where he could team up with compatriot Vedran Coluka), Everton and Newcastle might be interested.
Euro Breakthroughs. The unheralded players ready for their close-up.
- Turkish upstarts – For weeks ago, the likes of Arda Turan, Sabri Sabrioglu and Volkan Demirel would have been met with little recognition outside Turkey. Euro 2008 has changed that. German and Italian clubs are most likely to snap up the young Galatasaray and Fenerbahce stars.
- Russian revolutionaries – Going into the summer, only one Russian squad member (Ivan Saenko) played his football outside the Motherland. Following Zenit St. Petersburg’s Uefa Cup success and the international transformation under Guus Hiddink, Russians playing abroad should become more common. With Arshavin leading the exodus, expect to see Roman Pavlyuchenko,Yuri Zhirkov, Alexander Anyukov and Denis Kolodin embark for foreign shores in the near future.
- Orlando Engelaar – Did a fantastic job of freeing the more creative Sneijder and Van der Vaart in Marco van Basten’s 4-2-3-1 system. The FC Twente midfielder is reportedly attracting interest from Everton and Newcastle, but a move to Germany remains more likely.
- Danijel Pranjic – The speedy wing-back combined excellently with Ivan Rakitic on Croatia’s left side. Heerenveen will have stave off interest from bigger Dutch and German clubs.
Going Nowhere. The flops who can call off the movers…for now.
- Mario Gomez – Not so “Super” anymore. Prolific until he steeped foot in Austria, the Stuttgart youngster suffered an embarrassing loss of form and confidence. Linked with Juventus last summer, he will hope The Old Lady wasn’t watching Euro 2008.
- Karim Benzema – Paid the price for Raymond Domenech’s lackluster tactics and failed to show the raw talent he possesses. Ran out of ideas when faced with international-quality defending, the sort of which he rarely faces in Ligue 1.
- Ebi Smolarek – Scored 9 times in qualifying but couldn’t buy a goal at the finals. Will remain out of favor at Racing Santander and it may require a move back to Central Europe to revive his club career.
- Simao Sabrosa – Formerly coveted by Liverpool, Simao was one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament. His awful control and incoherent decision-making was especially surprising given his excellent club form at Atletico Madrid.
