SOCCER SPORT !

[Raza]

please explain again the process of transferring a player and signing a new one - and at what cost !

No problem. I didn't realize this was your first time playing, else I wouldn't have given such a flip answer before.

After logging in, you go to the transfers tab. On the left will be a graphic showing all 15 players on your team. There will be little Xs by each player.

Click the X of the player you want to transfer out. Then, on the right, will be all of the players in the Prem. You have various sorting options; by team, all players, by position, et al. I usually filter to the team or position.

After that, choose the player you want to replace him with and click. The player value cannot exceed the cash you have in the bank (which includes the value of the player you've transferred out). Once you're satisfied with your transfer or transfers, you click Confirm Transfers, which is under the team graphic. It should take you to another screen to confirm it. Once you've done that, your transfer is complete.

As for the cost, each week, you're given one free transfer. They accumulate, but only to a total of two transfers. So you can only ever make two free transfers in a given week if you wait. Beyond that, each transfer costs four points.

Twice a season (once in this year, once after January), you can play a Wildcard, which allows unlimited free transfers for that week. Use it wisely.

Things to pay attention to when choosing players:
Who has them? Since the league has shared and not exclusive players, having Hazard may not help as much as you'd think because so many players will have him. Of course, you need to balance this with keeping pace. Marc Albrighton was a dream team player this week, but I doubt he'll out score Hazard week in and week out, so it's important to find those low percentage gems and balance it with the big players as well.

Who are they playing? Tim Krul may be a good goalkeeper, but do you trust the defense enough to start him when he's playing a team like City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Arsenal? Next week I'm benching a great player because he's up against very tough opposition.

Player values change. As people buy into a player, the price goes up, and when people sell out, the price goes down. When I heard about Danny Rose's long term injury, I immediately transferred him out so I didn't miss out on any cash as people get the news and sell him off. The upward and downward movements aren't huge, but they can be enough to **** your bankroll up.

Does the player start regularly? Having a bench player isn't terrible, but I wouldn't want to rely on players like Danny Ings or Jesus Navas or Theo Walcott without a good backup because they don't get consistent play time. Remember, if a player in your starting lineup doesn't play, he gets subbed out for one of your bench players in the final tally. But if he comes on in the 90th minute just to get an appearance, you're stuck with just one point out of him.

As far as team choice strategy goes, there are different philosophies. Spend big on a few players who will anchor your team and fill the rest of your slots with cheap players who will only pick up 1 or 2 points, try to balance the team out, and everything in between. I can't speak to which is better, I'm hardly an expert.

[movet22]

This is my first year playing, and I am going for the 'spread the wealth' mentality. We'll see how that works. I am hoping that Aguero gets healthy soon, and that they run 2 up front with Bony and him. Whether that materializes or not remains to be seen, and my strategy may end up in the can mid season.

Seems fun thus far, but the only way American football beats European football is in the fantasy realm.

[OTGabe]

This is my first year playing, and I am going for the 'spread the wealth' mentality. We'll see how that works. I am hoping that Aguero gets healthy soon, and that they run 2 up front with Bony and him. Whether that materializes or not remains to be seen, and my strategy may end up in the can mid season.

Seems fun thus far, but the only way American football beats European football is in the fantasy realm.

Are you on premierleague.com? If so, you should join the IWL league.

[movet22]

I am. Not sure how to join a league as such. Is it just under IWL? Is there a password of some sort?

[shameless]

No problem. I didn't realize this was your first time playing, else I wouldn't have given such a flip answer before.

After logging in, you go to the transfers tab. On the left will be a graphic showing all 15 players on your team. There will be little Xs by each player.

Click the X of the player you want to transfer out. Then, on the right, will be all of the players in the Prem. You have various sorting options; by team, all players, by position, et al. I usually filter to the team or position.

After that, choose the player you want to replace him with and click. The player value cannot exceed the cash you have in the bank (which includes the value of the player you've transferred out). Once you're satisfied with your transfer or transfers, you click Confirm Transfers, which is under the team graphic. It should take you to another screen to confirm it. Once you've done that, your transfer is complete.

As for the cost, each week, you're given one free transfer. They accumulate, but only to a total of two transfers. So you can only ever make two free transfers in a given week if you wait. Beyond that, each transfer costs four points.

Twice a season (once in this year, once after January), you can play a Wildcard, which allows unlimited free transfers for that week. Use it wisely.

Things to pay attention to when choosing players:
Who has them? Since the league has shared and not exclusive players, having Hazard may not help as much as you'd think because so many players will have him. Of course, you need to balance this with keeping pace. Marc Albrighton was a dream team player this week, but I doubt he'll out score Hazard week in and week out, so it's important to find those low percentage gems and balance it with the big players as well.

Who are they playing? Tim Krul may be a good goalkeeper, but do you trust the defense enough to start him when he's playing a team like City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Arsenal? Next week I'm benching a great player because he's up against very tough opposition.

Player values change. As people buy into a player, the price goes up, and when people sell out, the price goes down. When I heard about Danny Rose's long term injury, I immediately transferred him out so I didn't miss out on any cash as people get the news and sell him off. The upward and downward movements aren't huge, but they can be enough to **** your bankroll up.

Does the player start regularly? Having a bench player isn't terrible, but I wouldn't want to rely on players like Danny Ings or Jesus Navas or Theo Walcott without a good backup because they don't get consistent play time. Remember, if a player in your starting lineup doesn't play, he gets subbed out for one of your bench players in the final tally. But if he comes on in the 90th minute just to get an appearance, you're stuck with just one point out of him.

As far as team choice strategy goes, there are different philosophies. Spend big on a few players who will anchor your team and fill the rest of your slots with cheap players who will only pick up 1 or 2 points, try to balance the team out, and everything in between. I can't speak to which is better, I'm hardly an expert.

thankyou so much for that in depth explanation buddy -much appreciated -i will endeavour not to embarrass myself too much

[OTGabe]

Our loyalties are many, but can we all agree to have a laugh at Arsenal? No Gooners here, right? So glad to see the cycle starting early this year:

[tribe125]

I like Arsene. I'd like to have dinner with him on a hillside terrace in Provence.

I'd develop atrial fibrillation if I thought he was going to manage my team.

[Raza]

I honestly do think Wenger is the thing holding Arsenal back from winning the title. On paper, their team is as good as anyone else's, if not better.

[Raza]

Hmm, thinking about it, here are the Arsenal players I'd like at Liverpool:
Olivier Giroud
Alexis Sanchez
Laurent Koscielny

I think those three can start with some regularity at Liverpool. Furthermore, for the bench, I wouldn't mind:
Aaron Ramsey
Santi Cazorla
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
David Ospina
Mesut Ozil
Theo Walcott

That's 9 players I think could strengthen Liverpool. And yet, the whole at Arsenal seems less than the sum of its parts. And I think that's Wenger's fault.

From Chelsea, all I'd want are Oscar, Hazard, Willian, and maybe Remy. City has Silva, Aguero, Toure, Hart, and maybe Kolarov. When they had Dzeko and Jovetic, I'd have been all over them too. United has Chicharito, Mata, and maybe Schneiderlin.

[meijlinder]

I think arsenal is missing a mean streak. Not to advocate playing dirty but sometimes you need that player to make a hard tackle to ignite a team or the crowd. They had it with Vieira but can't think of one since.
Chelsea have a couple in Terry, Ivanovic, even Costa. City have toure. United have Rooney. Pool had Gerrard (now not sure who can fill that role) .

I don't see that player in Arsenal today.