And so, finally, we begin.
So how will it work?
This is not like a normal draft, where drafters take turns to pick. Everyone picks at once, by way of PM to me, in a 24 hour window. The first window will begin at 1pm on 23 July, and end at 1pm on 24 July. Posters will then be informed of the results and notified of the time that the next pick starts.
Picks will be for one position each time, in rough team order, and as set out by me at the outset of the pick. The first pick will be for your goalkeeper, the next for right-back, left-back, centre-back, centre-back+, centre-mid, centre-mid+, attacking-mid/number 10, right winger, left winger, striker. The last pick is a "super-sub", and can be any position.
So who can I pick?
Your first choice in each round will be for a player in the top 6 teams in the Premier League in the relevant year. For most of the picks, the relevant year is
2018/2019. There are two exceptions - the second centre-back pick is to be taken from the 1998/1999 season, and the second centre-mid pick is to be taken from the 2008/2009 season.
You PM me your choice (eg for GK you might say "Alisson"). When I have received all of the choices and the window closes, I will post the results. If your choice is
unique, ie no one else has chosen the same player, you keep the player (hurrah!) and they are added to your team. If the player you choose has been chosen by one or more other posters, your choice is
invalid (boo!). But fear not! You get to choose again, in the next round of picks. HOWEVER - next time, your choice must be from the next "tier" of teams from the relevant year...
The tiers are as follows, with the teams included for the 2018/2019 season. You can go away and research the other two seasons yourself
First Tier - Top Six - Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, Man Utd
Second Tier - 7th to 13th - Wolves, Everton, Leicester, West Ham, Watford, Palace, Newcastle
Third Tier - 14th to 20th - Bournemouth, Burnley, Southampton, Brighton, Cardiff, Fulham, Huddersfield
Fourth Tier - Championship Top Half - Norwich City, Sheffield United, Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Derby County, Middlesbrough, Bristol City, Nottingham Forest, Swansea City, Brentford, Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City
Fifth Tier - Championship Bottom Half - Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, QPR, Reading, Millwall, Rotherham Utd, Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town
Sixth Tier - League One
Seventh Tier - League Two
Eighth Tier - National League
Ninth Tier - National League North/South
Tenth Tier- Any other player playing football in England
Each choice is made sequentially. So, if your first choice as a GK is invalid, your second choice is made at the same time you pick your RB, and so on. For more clarity on this, and an example of how this will work, see my post in the opening thread:
https://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=343339.msg16726487#msg16726487Ring My Bell
Drafters may choose one "ringer". This can be for any position, but the choice must be made in the relevant round (ie if you want your ringer to be a RB, you pick him during the FIRST CHOICE ROUND FOR RBs. You can't select a ringer as your second/third choice for a position.)
The ringer can be a player from any season since the inception of the Premier League (when football was invented
) You must specify the player, AND the season (eg Gerrard 2005/2006, Suarez 2013/2014, Sean Dundee 1998/1999).
Once a ringer is chosen, he cannot be chosen again. As with the other picks, if two or more people pick the same ringer (regardless of "season"), the picks are invalid, the player is out of the draft, and no other ringers can be selected by those drafters. So choose wisely!
How Do I Choose?A player must have been registered with the club, or made a competitive appearance for the team during the relevant season. Players can be on loan, but all players can only be picked once. Once a player is invalid, or indeed chosen, he cannot be picked by any other player for any other position. I suggest you use wikipedia for squad lists and stats - most clubs will have a a page for the 2018/2019 season. Other than that, use Google or any other site you like. Ultimately it is for YOU to prove that your choice is valid.
Players are assessed qualitatively for the purpose of matches/voting at the level they are
during the relevant season. So you can choose Peter Cech as your GK from a top six side, but it's the 2018/2019 Peter Cech. The exceptions are the 98/99 CB and the 08/09 CM who are assessed at their 98/99 and 09/09 level, and the ringer who is assessed at the level of the season the drafter has chosen.
You can choose a player out of position if you so like. If you decide that you want Mo Salah to play in goal, pick him in the GK round. Or Harry Kane to anchor your midfield. Or Romelu Lukaku to play up front. But you MUST play them in that position in the matches! And consider whether a good player playing out of position is better than a "weaker" player playing in his natural position.
Drafters are encouraged to be tactical. Use mind games to convince other players who you're going to pick. Psyche them out. It's up to you. Choose players because you want them, choose players in the likelihood that others will to block them, choose players you don't think others will pick. It's what should make this fun
Any questions?
Ask away. I know it seems complex, but most of the complexity will be at my end! The basic rule is - pick a player once a day, hope your pick is unique, and if not pick a "weaker" player the next day until your team is full and you've made 12 valid picks.
Updated teams and invalid picks:
DeFacto -
Alex McCarthy (GK), Daryl Janmaat (RB), Digne (LB), Pallister (98/99 CB), Shawcross (CB), Gundogan (CM), Borja Valero (08/09 CM), Grealish (AM), Leroy Sane (RW), Pereyra (LW), Fowler (95/96 ST), Ndidi (Sub)Fucking appalled* -
Kasper Schmeichel (GK), Steven Gerrard (04/05, RB), Creswell (LB), Mamadou Sakho (CB), Gudni Bergsson (98/99 CB), Xabi Alonso (08/09 CM), David Silva (CM), Knockaert (AM), Almiron (RW), Lamela (LW), Rondon (ST), Giroud (Sub) TrendisnotChakan* -
Ederson (GK), Wan-Bissaka (RB), Van Dijk (LB), Gary Ablett (98/99 CB), Jonas Olsson (CB), Rice (CM), Modric (10/11 CM), Mahrez (RW), Redmond (AM), Martial (LW), Origi (ST), Milivojevic (Sub)Claus* -
De Gea (GK), Robertson (RB), Kyle Walker (LB), Roy Keane (98/99 CB), Bednarek (CB), Henderson (CM), Lampard (08/09 CM), Moint (AM), Zaha (RW), Pulisic (LW), Rashford (Sub)MikeyLFC -
Rui Patricio (GK), Montoya (RB), Chilwell (LB), Sanchez (CB), Materazzi (98/99 CB), Tielemans (CM), Mascherano (08/09 CM), Wijnaldum (AM), Lucas Moura (RW), Willian (LW), Suarez (13/14 ST), Pogba (Sub) Max_powers* -
Nick Pope (GK), Bellerin (RB), Otto (LB), Coady (CB), Dave Watson (98/99 CB), Felipe Anderson (CM), Scholes (08/09 CM), Vardy (AM), Aubameyang (RW), Fraser (LW), Walcott (ST), Alderweireld (Sub)vivaboby -
Butland (GK), De Bruyne (RB), van Aanholt (LB), Lascelles (CB), Sol Campbell (98/99 CB), Fernandinho (CM), Bale (09/09 CM), Manuel Lanzini (AM), Richarlison (RW), Hudson-Odoi (LW), Mitrovic (ST), Drogba (06/07 Sub) AdzLFC* -
Tom Heaton (GK), Michail Antonio (RB), Laporte (LB), Stam (98/99 CB), John Obi Mikel (CB), Eriksen (CM), Lassana Diarra (CM 08/09), Mane (AM), Arnautovic (RW), Ings (LW), Pedro (Sub)Lovelycushionedheader -
Matt Ryan (GK), Cedric Soares (RB), Emerson Palmieri (LB), Rudiger (CB), Stuart Pearce (98/99 CB), Ruben Neves (CM), Michael Essien (08/09 CM), Gyfli Sigurrdsson (AM), Deulofeu (RW), Aguero (LW), Torres (07/08 ST), Ozil (Sub)Vishwa* -
Pickford (GK), Alexander-Arnold (RB), James Milner (LB), Irwin (98/99 CB), Dunk (CB), Maddison (CM), Parker (08/09 CM), Stiepermann(AM), Damarai Gray (RW), Babel (LW), Deeney (ST), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Sub)*Indicates have used winger pick.
Invalid picks - Alisson, Kepa, Lloris, Fabianski, Azpilicueta, Fabinho, Vertonghen, Rose, Pereira, Gomez, Kompany, Maguire, Schar, Desailly, Adams, Rio Ferdinand, Ake, Des Walker, Kante, Patrick Vieira, Hegazi, Henchoz, Cristiano Ronaldo, Fabregas, Firmino, Son, Hazard, De Jong, Jota, Moutinho, Henry, Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Ward-Prowse, Salah, Lacazette, Wilson, Jimenez, Keita, Kane, Sturridge