my first fantasy league so i can't compare but goals are graded higher if scored by defenders lower by forwards plus a bunch of other things:

http://en.euro2012fantasy.uefa.com/rules/

The first week's a nightmare. No fixtures look like they'll be a thrashing.

Wow!
Tough oponents here (and a loud mouth - tactics #26: everybody wonders whether I'm talking about them)...

Sorry...
Hard to pick a team indeed, here too, as I don't have a clue about who's to play where for a bunch of teams; except the expensive players, of course, that I can't afford anymore...

I picked a team and tried to keep some cash on the side, it's always helpful when you discover too late you've selected someone who flopped (Gomez was a terrible flop 2 years ago, I'll stay away from him)...

ah yes, the money is a pain, i have zero left of course, even after picking some really shitty players. good forwards are expensive!

the league is a weird math thing, and i'd like to see what assumptions people are gambling on. it's disappointing not being able to see other people's teams and figure out their strategies. will we become visible at some point?

hmmm...

When the transfer deadlines hit you get to see everyone's team for that gameweek.

This week's hard. The only definite favourite to win is Holland, for me, so I've maxed out on those and gone for a mix of steady options and cheapos elsewhere. But I'll undoubtedly change it again before the deadline. The hardest thing is choosing players within the budget that you're sure will actually start.

the other issue is figuring out who will survive yeah? don't you keep the majority of your players for the duration of the tournament? i mean it's not like you pick a team this round and a whole new team in the next one-- you're pretty much stuck with money-limited transfers, no?

Haha. Fergie-style mindgames, ah?

No, you have another point straight after the group stage where you can make unlimited free transfers. You can do the same once at any other point in the game using your wildcard. It's really quite intuitive once you get used to it. The problem shouldn't be the limited amounts of transfers but building a functional team with the budget, at least in the first couple of weeks. You're not restricted to just two players from a single team later on which will make things a bit easier. The problem at this stage is having to choose lower ranked players from countries you know nothing about. I can't even pronounce half of my defence!

loudmouth? moi? ;)

ha ha i got a shitty defense and gk as i put all my money on the attack.

UNLIMITED free transfers you say? that's good to know because i was leaving out some good deals on the basis that they would get killed in the quarterfinals. great, i'll waste another evening now sorting out a team, haa ha ha ha.

We've seen what happens to those who respond to the mind games

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yenzdq5g6o

Yeah, I suppose a big tactical decision will be when to use your Wildcard. I think the first matchweek will be a shambles for most of us, especially with so many unpredictable fixtures and no feel yet for who's being picked and who's in form. As Bertrand mentions, we don't yet know who this tournaments Gomez is gonna be. All I know is I'm relying heavily on the Dutch putting on the style against the Danes on Saturday.

And in case you weren't aware, whichever player you choose as your captain for any gameweek, gets double their original score.

Wow, this is easily as nerdy as LARPers or civil war reenactors or ren-festies.



Um, carry on.

math teams? nerdy? nooooooo... it can't be!!

Too bad this comment wasn't typed by !@#$%!...
(tactics #31: username dropping - weird questions arising)

The worst thing is I have real trouble picking players on teams playing against England. I'm half tempted by one or two French players but I imagine what Kate Middleton would think and cant bring myself to do it.

I don't have any single player from England. I briefly had one but...
Will Downing play in defence with that curse on the 3 Lions?

i think downing is the last player to cover in defence!

i have a couple of english players, but i dont hold out much hope for them getting me points. It was more a case of them being people i'd heard of who i could afford!

i've gone for a couple of french players too. and a swede. But i've fallen out with Kate since she had that restraining order put on me

Downing in defence was wishful thinking from your first oponent (I know Milner had to play there on occasions when he was at Newcastle, but he should soon be out too).
The British team is apetizing with all its injuries.

I've been hesitating on the number of Swedes in the squad for the same reason, plus Ukraine players were defeated during their last friendly; a good part of the team had been stricken by a virus/bug attack.
The question is will they have recovered? and recovered without zesty blood poured down their veins?

yay, i can't wait for the circus to start tomorrow... although it's a shame that tomorrow's games have zero appeal.

will try to join in on the game, if i can find a spare 30 minutes between now and tomorrow 5.45pm.