Games

Help us pick a team for our ‘Football Manager – FPL Style’ game

Fantasy Premier League managers desperately struggling with withdrawal symptoms are in luck as we fully launch a new video series this week, entitled ‘FOOTBALL MANAGER – FPL STYLE’.

After a successful trial last week, we are now preparing for another head-to-head clash in the virtual world of Football Manager.

Long-time Scoutcaster Az has spent the last few days using Football Manager to build the 2019/20 season into the game as it happened in real life all the way up to March 13, the day that coronavirus triggered a suspension in the Premier League, with Gameweek 30 the next one to play.

We will then use this virtual world to do two things:

  1. Have a simulated FPL head-to-head battle
  2. Predict how the 2019/20 campaign could end if it had been able to play as planned

We will select a Gameweek 30 Scout Picks XI for the next round of fixtures set to be played in the Football Manager save that has been prepared earlier.

Each round of action will see the Scout Picks’ weekly team go up against a community team lead by long-time Scoutcaster Az.

As Az will be representing the Scout user base, he is asking for your help on any 50/50 calls regarding selection – more of which at the bottom of this piece.

We’ve allotted ourselves a budget of £85.0m, the same as we would normally for the Scout Picks, and have purchased players based on their current prices in the real-life version of FPL.

Then, we’ll watch some of the matches from Gameweek 30 scoring our players using the pre-existing FPL scoring system. The only difference will be bonus points. Obviously, we’re not going to use the existing calculator for that as it would take far too long, so for each match 3, 2 and 1 bonus points will be handed out to the players with the highest match rating.

At the end of the Gameweek, we’ll see who has the most points and they will be the winner! We will aggregate the scores each week and, come the end of the series, we will know if the FFS editorial team or Az’s community champions will emerge triumphant.

Watch out for this brand new video on our YouTube channel this week.

Gameweek 30 Fixtures

The only difference from the actual Premier League table is that Sheffield United and Aston Villa have already played their outstanding Blank Gameweek 28 fixture, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Where our Football Manager simulation and the real world may occasionally differ are the order of the remaining fixtures for 2019/20.

Gameweek 30, indeed, is a Double Gameweek in this Football Manager save, with Newcastle and Aston Villa enjoying two matches:

  • Watford v Leicester City
  • West Ham United v Wolves
  • Newcastle United v Sheffield United
  • Norwich City v Southampton
  • Aston Villa v Chelsea
  • Bournemouth v Crystal Palace
  • Everton v Liverpool
  • Manchester City v Burnley
  • Newcastle United v Aston Villa
  • Brighton and Hove Albion v Arsenal
  • Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United

Gameweek 30 – Az’s 50/50 Calls

As mentioned above, Az will be canvassing for your votes on a range of team decisions.

His starting XI for Gameweek 30 contains a number of as yet unresolved decisions (highlighted in bold below) and he wants your help in settling them:

We will be revealing both Az and David’s teams on Friday lunch-time while the video itself will be online on Saturday afternoon – in place of the usual football.

57 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Az
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Fantasy Football of Fantasy Football.
    Can it get any nerdier?

    Hope you'll check out the series! Looking forward to seeing how the season pans out (and putting David in his place along the way of course)

    1. DavidMunday815
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      My only goal for the next episode is to EXACT MY REVENGE! 😀

    2. TiAgoFPL
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Nice One . Looking forward to this . FM Addict here

  2. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    I have no idea what’s going on here - feel like I’m in some sort of wormhole.

    1. Az
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      embrace it. let it consume you.

    2. Brimble82
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Take the red pill.

    3. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      I thought the World Cup of FPL was a weird concept, but this is just as weird, if not weirder.

      1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Wait until the grand finale

        The winner of the FPL world cup manages a team in Football manager, and we do FPL teams based off that season

        With the winner of that getting to select their all time best FPL XI who then get loaded into a Ragabolly simulation against a championship manager 01/02 version of this season's top 10, with the bottom half in a playoff against the top 6 teams from the now abandoned Belgian League to see who gets European football in the Football Manager 2020 simulation season

  3. bitm2007
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    It's 12 years since I last played Football Manager on my PC. Is the latest version (2020) of that program the best football management game available today ?

    1. andy85wsm
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Pretty much!

      You can actually get the 01/02 version for free and update it to the current teams and stuff if you want - I did it yesterday.

      Mason Greenwood is currently ripping up the 19/20 season - something like 9 goals in 8 games.

      1. bitm2007
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Thanks I've already got Football Manager 2008, I wonder if the same can be done with that.

        1. andy85wsm
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          Not sure to be honest! There's a pretty big community around the 01/02 game that I can see which is how it's all happening.

          Not sure if that's the same for other FM games.

        2. Fortune
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          I am currently replaying the game as well.
          I played 07/08/09/10/11 before i stopped.
          my favorite is definitely 2008, for some reasons.

          a week and i already reached 2011/2012 season.
          by the end of the outbreak think i will have reached 2050ish haha

      2. goriuanx
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Do you know where I could download 01/02 version from? 🙂

        1. andy85wsm
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          champman0102 dot co dot uk

          1. goriuanx
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            Legend.

            1. bitm2007
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 9 Years
              3 years, 12 months ago

              Try playing a direct ball 4-3-3 in that version, if it's the one I'm thinking of it will transform also rans into world beaters.

      3. el polako
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Does it take a lot of work to get it going ? (Downloading, winrar's, other programs ?).

        1. andy85wsm
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          Not really!

          Just follow the video instructions. It's pretty easy and fairly quick

          1. el polako
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            Xmas tree formation and Javier Saviola here I come 🙂

    2. The Mighty Hippo
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      I reckon FM 2013 was the best ever version of the game. Anyone else remember that one?

      1. andy85wsm
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        I don't to be honest! It all becomes a bit of a blue.

        Champ Man 97/98 was the first I ever played.

  4. goriuanx
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Belgian league has been completed with rest of season cancelled

    - Club Brugge champions with 15pt lead
    - Gent get CL as runners up
    - Relegation to be decided

    Via Rory Smith

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      The Belgian league's mental isn't it? There's 16 teams so its a 30 game regular season, followed by a play off round after the initial 30 or something?

      1. TopMarx
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        check out the Mexican league - they have two seasons in one, with two play-off rounds (one for each season within the season) and at the end a final of the two play-off winners, which could be the same team... So confusing! (I mean I think I've understood it right...) they also have cup competitions.

    2. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      What position did Clutching Straws finish?

    3. andy85wsm
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      For anyone that hasn't read it, it's worth reading the extra couple of addon tweets - https://twitter.com/RorySmith/status/1245674616712048641

      Sounds like it was probably a much easier decision than it would be to do something similar for the PL etc

  5. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    I'll have Tonton Zola Moukoko & Pablo Aimar behind Martin Palermo in a Christmas tree formation please Carol

  6. andy85wsm
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    My vote is in, will be good to see Danny Rose back to his best I hope!

  7. IRBOX ⚽
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    How you lads doing over there in Premier League country? Terrible statistics and projections.

    In Australia we are showing extremely promising numbers and it’s got me questioning the implementation of such drastic measures at the complete desolation of the economy. I am in the medical profession, however, I am extremely conflicted from both a political and economical forefront

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Imagine the numbers if the drastic measures weren't implemented.

    2. Right In The Stanchion
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Australia has a lot less people and a lot more space. Better run government too.

      That’s why

    3. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Dead people don't vote or spend money.....

    4. DOG GOD IT - KEANE 15
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Everybody will have to hunker down and weather the economic storm as a byproduct of the battle against COVID19.

      Numbers-wise, please don't be lulled into a false sense of security ... it might rear up again. Best to be totally or near-totally sure before lifting restrictions.

    5. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Is that you Doctor Shipman?

  8. Amey
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Banter between Benzema & Giroud is awesome 😀

    Giroud has nailed it !!

    1. Right In The Stanchion
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Benzema international record is worse then Giroud. Doesn’t have a leg to stand on

  9. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    I miss football.

    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Hang in there boss. We're Vin the land of the living and hopefully your family and friends are all good. In a few months football will be back and we'll be saying it was worth the wait.

    2. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Yep, just imagine that in few months time you will be excited to watch Burnley vs Newcastle or even worse Everton vs Arsenal.

    3. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      I'm missing only FPL, probably wont even miss that after few more days 😀

  10. DeadStarComing
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    I don’t fully understand this but I would love it, LOVE IT! if Liverpool didn’t go on to win the league in this simulation. Come on Az, make it happen 😉

  11. All For One
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Guaita
    Maguire. Taa, Lundstram
    Fernandes, Salah, KDB, Traore
    Auba, Ings, Jimenez

    Button, Dunk, Dendoncker, Kelly

    1FT 0.7 ITB

    FH, Wilcard, BB still available

    Kelly> Holgate?

  12. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Next season there should be a "Fantasy Fantasy Premier League" game where we can pick the likes of Mark, Ronka, Eggdonk, Lateriser, FPLVirgin etc at appropriate prises and whoevers team of managers get the highest combined score is the winner.

  13. Strchld
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    So what are u doing with your mini cash leagues if they cancel rest of the season?
    Im leading all my 3 mini cash leagues and have all chips left except TC. Two of those leagues I have over 100p lead and voiding prizes doesnt feel right for me obviously.

    A) Void
    B) Current ranking and pay out all prizes.
    C) Current ranking and pay 50% of the prizes. (this sounds best for me.)
    D) Something else or no idea yet?

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Rolling all cash into next season.

      1. Strchld
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Also current points?

        1. el polako
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          No.
          New season new start but more money to win.

          1. el polako
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            Keeping current points would be disheartening for those in last positions.

    2. jtreble
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      We are doing B: current ranking and pay out all prizes.

      1. Strchld
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Really hope we would do the same.

    3. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Paying out all prizes.

    4. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Keeping it all and changing my email address

  14. dunas_dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Is the iPhone or iPad versions of Football Manager any good ? I see it is tuned down to play on smaller screen

  15. Henning
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Anyone Still watch fotboll live?
    So bored with almost no sports going on, so i have started to go and see div.4 and div.6 training matches.

      1. Henning
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Haha!