Our next Fantasy game review examines an offering that many of us are already familiar with. Metro Fantasy Football was our chosen distraction from the Fantasy Premier League (FPL)- not only did we provide a weekly tips column but we also took it on as our “second game” for the 2010/11 season. The jury is still out on our selected Scout League games right now, but with improvements made throughout, it’s clear that the Metro game deserves plenty of consideration once again.
Once again Fantasy managers can register up to five different teams as they attempt to come top of the pile and claim £7,500 – half of last season’s grand prize, but still not to be sniffed at. Runners-up also get a handsome wedge of cash for their efforts (diminished again, of course) as well as a £1000 return for the ten Managers of the Month over the course of the season.
The Ruleset
The Metro hits us with some familiar rules, with the standard £100m budget to select a squad of 15 players in any of the expected regulation formations, with up to four players from each club allowed to pitch in.
Last season was a bit of a proving ground where some noticeable flaws and gaps were found as the game progressed – fortunately it looks like these have been recognised and addressed. Gameweeks are now already set out after causing confusion last season, while benched players can be automatically subbed on to replace injured and suspended players in the starting XI, much like the FPL – a huge improvement.
It’s the scoring system that provides the real intrigue and is make or break to this game’s appeal. Based on the FSB ruleset – Points are granted for goals, assists and clean sheets as expected, but this is supplemented by involving a whole number of player actions on the pitch based on Opta data.
The noticeable highlights here include 2 point returns for every tackle won, shot blocked, clearance or interception made, while at the other end of the field an effort on target garners 5 more points; every a pass in the final third will also add a single point to player tallies.
The captain’s armband offers double points which can be shifted each week as you see fit, while transfer allowances are unlimited – but at a cost. We get one free transfer a week (plus five bonus trades twice in the season around each transfer window) but can also make additional changes at a cost of 25 points.
In addition to the overall competition and private mini-leagues, the Metro also has a raft of side games for those who like to back their Fantasy selections – betting plays a major role here. Be it joining weekly cash games or playing the Five-a-Side and new Star Player sideshows. The latter is what you would expect – pick five players with the top scoring manager each gameweek claiming a £100 prize. Star Player is perhaps more intriguing, this simple betting format asks you to choose from two player options in opposition, staking £10 in the hope of a return. As an example, you can choose to bet your tenner on either Bobby Zamora or Darren Bent in the opening fixture at Craven Cottage – the Fulham striker offering £20 if he scores more points, Bent a return of £17.
These options may seem overwhelming for the regular Fantasy manager but act as decent distractions once your Fantasy lineup has crossed the white line on matchday.
Player List
The Metro appear to have given their player list plenty of thought this season – there appear to be few exploits on offer and pricing looks well balanced. That’s not to say there aren’t a few apparent bargains on offer from the start.
Keiren Westwood (£1.6m) and Dorus De Vries (£1.7m) look good options in goal should they cement starting roles at their new clubs. Westwood’s back four also looks cheap with Michael Turner (£3.8m), Wes Brown (£4.0m) and Titus Bramble (£3.9m) all available in the budget bracket. There are also some out of position options in defence – Blackburn’s Martin Olsson is a defender once again although Gareth Bale’s wing role is no longer exploitable – he’s classed as a midfielder this season.
He keeps the company of Stephane Sessegnon (£7.1m) and Jamie O’Hara (£7.2m) who both look strong options in the low-mid price bracket, while Junior Hoillett gets a midfield berth in this game too and will be well fancied. Wes Hoolahan (£6.8m) and Nathan Dyer (£6.9m) also look decent bench fodder options from the promoted sides.
Up front Danny Graham (£6.3m) looks equally appealing as a budget option, as does team-mate Scott Sinclair (£6.8m). Once again the likes of Demba Ba (£7.5m) and Bobby Zamora (£7.4m) look tempting in the mid-price bracket.
The Verdict
The Metro have clearly upped their game. The site and interface is slick and more manageable that last year’s effort and major wrinkles have been ironed out – most notably the introduction of auto substitutions. Obviously the prizes aren’t of the gargantuan stakes the Sun Dream Team puts on offer but are still factors when you consider that this is a wholly free to play game.
If you ignored the Metro game last season, you’ll find it a major departure from the FPL game with the Opta based scoring adding depth and variety to the normal goal/assist/clean sheet format. The casual player may find the points tallies more difficult to track however, making this a game that is perhaps more likely to appeal to a hardcore following looking to break away from the standard Fantasy football template.
