Football fever!

July/August 2010

Last season hundreds of readers of Engaged Investor took part in our fantasy football game, pitching trustees against asset managers, consultants and administrators in dozens of mini-leagues all available free to you.

With a £55m budget to buy your dream team of Premier League players, Pensions Fantasy Football is a chance for you to be the manager as you score points based on what your players do in real-life Premiership matches.And don’t forget that each month the manager who’s scored the most points wins a Nintendo Wii and the overall season victor claims an iPad!

To sign up free for this season’s league go to: www.engagedinvestor.co.uk/football

Read on to look back on last season’s highlights and see our predictions for this season’s player thoroughbreds and donkeys.

TIPS FROM THE TOP

Our 2009/10 winning manager, pensions consultant Steve Carruthers of Blevins Franks, lets us in on the secrets of his success.

Did you have a particular strategy for your winning team?

I have to admit, it’s more luck than judgement. But, I do believe that the tried and tested players will keep scoring the points year in year out. Frank Lampard, Cesc Fabregas and Wayne Rooney, they are all reliable point-scorers. There’ll always be surprise teams that do well – such as Fulham last season – but it’s hard to guess which ones.

Do you find there’s a clash between your ‘real life’ club loyalties and your Fantasy League team?

I support League One club Brighton, so no! Participating in Fantasy League makes watching the Premiership football on television more interesting – you follow it with a different view.

What tips would you offer to this year’s hopefuls?

Try and pick players who have a good chance of playing every week. Clubs that use a rotation system make it difficult to predict when a player will be included in the team. Guaranteed regular starters, such as Frank Lampard, make life easier. You don’t want to be sitting next to the radio waiting for a team to be announced half an hour before kick-off to see if your players are included.

Also, don’t chase players simply because they have just scored a lot of points. A player who has scored a hat trick one week isn’t likely to do the same thing every week.

A good start to the season is essential as well, so choose wisely for your opening squad.

Are you playing again this year?

Yes, definitely. It was great fun last season. I really enjoyed being able to see how other teams were doing and liked being able to tinker with my own team over the course of the season.

WHO TO BUY AND WHO TO AVOID

Here is Engaged Investor’s handy guide to the players that count, the selections to avoid and the unknown quantities that could just win you the title.

Five to buy

Wayne Rooney – he might have had a dire World Cup, but back on home turf at Old Trafford Rooney is likely to rediscover winning ways.

Petr Cech – with manager Carlo Ancelotti now firmly at the Chelsea helm, expect the Blues to be a fearsome team this season.

Patrice Evra – the Manchester United defensive stalwart played 13 more games than any other

Red Devils defender last season.

Frank Lampard – Every year there are rumours that Lampard will go overseas; every year there are rumours that his best days are behind him. But we predict another exceptional season.

Craig Bellamy – Fantasy League reclassified front man Bellamy as a midfielder last season. He may not be the most glamorous of players, but could generate a good points tally by midfielder standards.

Five to avoid

Phillipe Senderos – With last season’s manager Roy Hodgson off to pastures new, Fulham may well struggle this season.

The entire Blackpool defence – Blackpool are likely to be this season’s Premier League whipping boys. Buy their defenders at your peril.

Titus Bramble – how many own goals will the Wigan central defender score this season? Bramble is also likely to be out for most of the early part of the campaign with a foot injury.

Robert Green – that World Cup blunder in England’s opening match could deeply dent Green’s confidence. With a shaky defence in front of him at West Ham, it could be a butterfingers season for England’s occasional No.1.

Kevin Davis – the Bolton striker committed more fouls than anyone else in the Premier League in 2009/10 – the sixth time in seven years he’s earned that dubious accolade.

Five dark horses

Andy Carroll – if Newcastle can succeed in holding onto striker Carroll, he could be the club’s shining light in what might be a tortuous return to the Premiership for the Magpies.

Yaya Toure – his brother Kolo has been a long-term success in the Premiership so there’s pressure on Manchester City’s new signing to match Kolo’s achievements.

Joe Cole – where will the Chelsea and England misfit end up, and how will he be positioned in his new team’s plans? Spurs, Arsenal and both Manchester clubs are rumoured to be interested.

David Silva – another purchase for Manchester City, this time from Valencia. Silva was one of the stars of the World Cup and could flourish under Mancini’s leadership at the City of Manchester stadium.

Jermaine Beckford – he was a leading light in Leeds United’s dissection of various FA Cup opponents last season, including Manchester United. But can he repeat that form two divisions higher at Everton?

THE EDITORS PREDICT...

Our own tips for the top

Maggie Williams, editor

As a supporter of lowly League One club Brentford, I’m unencumbered by club bias in choosing my Fantasy League team. Patrice Evra is a regular Fantasy League favourite of mine – I’m hoping for a repeat of last season’s outstanding form from him. I’m a firm believer in building a solid defence, so I’ll also be spending far too many Fantasy League pounds on Ashley Cole from Chelsea. I’m not convinced by Arsenal’s back line – new keeper or not – so I’ll be giving them a wide berth, at least for the early part of the season. Spurs’ defence can also be suspect, but I think Michael Dawson is worth a try. Michael Johnson at Manchester City could be a good, reasonably priced, midfield purchase, but it’s difficult to know how many games he’ll play, given the embarrassment of other footballing riches at the club. Frank Lampard will rise above the World Cup debacle to have another great season, I predict, and if Fernando Torres remains at Liverpool Spain’s excellent World Cup prowess should inspire him to keep on scoring at Anfield.

Andrew Sheen, assistant editor

As this is my first season in the Fantasy League, I’m going to go for a mix of experimentation and reliance on tried and tested skill. Tricky Mexican forward Javier Hernandez is a new signing at Manchester United – he could either be the new Solskaejer or another Forlan. Alex McLeish at Birmingham has a larger budget and will make his defence dour and hard to break down – whoever he brings in is likely to be good value. Blackpool striker Bret Ormerod is old and unproven at top level but he scored plenty of goals at home last season. Visiting teams will not appreciate a Blackpool pitch that makes Wembley look like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. To balance out the gamble that is Ormerod, I’ve got my eye on striker Robin Van Persie at Arsenal. He’s due a good season and should be reasonably fresh. Given his quiet summer, I’m hoping that Frank Lampard will also turn out to be a good buy.

Now it’s your turn

You’ve read our predictions – now it’s over to you! Registration for the 2010/11 season starts on July 28 with an iPad on offer for the overall winner plus prizes for top monthly points scorers. It’s FREE to take part and you can change your team selection as often as you like before the season starts.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to www.engagedinvestor.co.uk/football and sign up now!!