After cup exploits today, SRA & DEE meet in next match, and surely EL dictates a load of junk to be fielded in match 23.

Good insight from Steve.

Also got me thinking if any "lassie" named female players in Sesl.

David sent out feelers early May and we quickly came to a deal - 950k and 10 TP for a fully trained MF by MSA.. This ended up being perfect for Alloa. First off a straight 500k profit. Normally training up 0/5 apprentices is detrimental to your team but I was going to play early cross and in a couple of weeks had traded away a 2/19 MF and 4/25 MF for a 2/18 DF, 4/19 WG and 580k.

In early cross the MFs together would have given me 22 DEF and 22 OFF. The WG gives me 37.05 OFF and the DF 10.8 GP, 18 DEF and 3.6 OFF. Alloa is stronger even without the cash.

And the 0/5 MF would be my second strongest MF after match 4. We did have two decent DMs but they played in defence in the 6 man rotation. 

As I said to David: "This will be a future blog post.

"But the main benefit is in TPs. As this season is just one to save cash, as I doubt we can get promoted, the plan was to use up 4 extra slots in the Cecil Cup, then 1 TP per match until the penultimate weekend [of the season], saving 2 games in case of injuries or suspensions. By MSA both WGs would be SL 29, my Bosman SL 19 and 2 TP on an apprentice - in that order. Post MSA I'd have 19 games (I always assume no extra cup games) and 17 TP to use on them.

"With your guy I have 10 extra slots to fill. Now the plan is to use TP on the Bosman in league match 1, both WGs from [league] matches 1 to 6 and one WG in league match 7 [with 2 each in the Cecil Cup first round]. Without your player I'd only have WG 29 and WG 22 at this point, and Bosman 18. With your player I have WGs 29 and 29 and Bosman 19 [for actual match 10]

"Your player will get TP from [league] matches 7 to 14 (15 and 16 spare in case of injuries/suspensions) with the other 2 somewhere from [league] matches 1 to 6, probably sooner as he joins the first team after 2 TP applied."

All the Cecil Cup run did was give me one free slot (I've used 13 rather then 14 planned) but Levitt got his 10th TP in league match 12 [match 20] and now I have 4 matches before MSA for my apprentice.

Team	Junk	JvJ
NAI	5	3
ALB	4	1
HIB	4	0
ARB	3	2
DUM	3	1
ANN	2	2
FRA	2	0
EF	2	0
MOT	2	0
ELG	2	0
HEA	2	0
SRA	1	1
CLY	1	0
STE	1	0
LIV	0	0
DEE	0	0

A new sole leader: NAI tops the table.
ALB and HIB stay in reach.
ARB must have felt cheated. They had to face TWO competive 60+ lineups this week (almost unprecedented) - and dropped to #4.

NAI's lead is certainly deserved.
Their match vs DUM was a JvJ classic: 44/39: all Stall from both teams and ZERO shots, let alone goals!
GO NAI - and DUM!

SRA gets their 1st JvJ and leave the bottom 3. 
Only LIV and DEE are still waiting for their 1st junk.

Not much news here, only HIB closes in on ARB.

Wonder why more teams in Div 3 don't embrace the initiative of training up cheaper costing apprentices and selling for large profit to Div 1.

Same again next season.....

.... unless PT get promoted.  Then price goes up a few hundred K! 

Not so much brave as probably suicidal. But I needed to replace my column of age 4/25s and even if I got lucky and finished say 3rd or 4th (1st has never been an option) aging would cripple us. Changes had to be before MSA and the 2 lads (Raymond and Steve) did their bit. Now to sit back and see what happens - still got 1 x age 4/25 forward to replace - probably for cash only though as we are SKINT! 😉🤔👍👍

BRE sends Ryan Ferguson (1/17 DF) to HIB for 3 CP, Erich Schaedler (2/20 DF)

Quite brave- and clever- for HIB to bring in 2 fully trained age zero's.

To Raymond (PT) and Steve (ALO) for taking on training a lad for us, and supplying them well before the agreed date. Although the new lads will drop our Top 17 rating - in fact we have dropped into the relegation automatic places, but at least we have brought in some lads we can shape up next season.

We also accepted an offer from John (LIV) as we continue our plans to lower our age overall.

Again, thanks to all 3 lads. 👍👍

The rest of the season should be interesting. 😉😉

The following teams receive Prediction League through Round 5 28th June 2025:
COW(34) EDI(34) MOT(34)

LIV sends 5 TP to HIB for Elie Youan (4/25 FW)

ALO sends Dylan Levitt (0/17 MF) to HIB for 950k, 10 TP

PT sends Martin Boyle (0/17 FW) to HIB for 950k, 5 CP, 5 TP

This was a high-scoring round, with the 27 entrants averaging 6.11 and scores ranging from 4 to 8.  Seven of the eight results were correctly predcted by over 50% of entrants, the exception being the draw between Kilmarnock and Raith Rovers.  Everyone predicted Greenock's home win over St Johnstone.

Three teams scored eight points, so congratulations to Alan at Cowdenbeath, William at Edinburgh and Andrew at Motherwell - 34k each for their clubs.

It's a two horse race as we reach the halfway point.  Can anyone close the gap on Cowdenbeath and Motherwell?

We have a gap of four weeks before the next round on July 26th.  I'll post the entry form in plenty of time for that.

@Colin, see the PET vote - that's our stance as well. It's useful, but not to us. 

Enjoyed reading the insights on One Touch Football from ALO MOT et al.

I am sat in the fence on OTF 5 in the bank.

Not convinced OTF benefits much on my Normal team tactics, but happy to hedge my bets on OTF 5 regardless.

Mind made up - no changing it. No u-turn. Here is my answer...

The following teams receive Physio Boost through Johnny Punter :
ARB(-80)

As Bucks Fizz sang - time to make your mind up

Regarding the Poll - I don't think the voting options match the question.

I think OTF is effective but I do not use it as I play EC but by not using OTF, that does not make it ineffective.

So my response to the question does not really match the two options available. I could have selected other - I know.

ALB sends 500k to EDI for Joseph Jacobssen (4/25 MF)

Pro: OTF doesn't suffer from EL or DP. Not sure why  I forgot that and that's a major plus.

Only note I would have on your spot on post, Steve, is that I normally would multiply the effects of CP on a player by 2/3, since they typically play 2 out of every 3 matches while OTF adds to your stats 3/3 matches.

If you play Ball Control you need OTF. Most (OK 3) tactics have OFF OTF + DEF OTF adding up to 2. So OTF of 10 gives you 10 OFF and 10 DEF if playing N. With P all 20 goes on OFF and with S it all goes on DEF. With O it's 15 on DEF and nothing on OFF. E and L don't use OTF.

OTF is good for C with 20 on OFF and 15 on DEF. Why don't more teams use C? See my future post as to why you should consider it.

On B it's 20 on OFF and 7.5 on DEF. And then there's the MF bonus which, for OTF of 10 gives you 6.25 of each for every MF you have more than them. Against most E and L teams that's 18.75 for a total of 65 OFF+DEF (this is balanced by GP and DEF being low for DFs compared to N).

But if you don't like B (hard to keep enough high SL players) or E/L (a bit weak defensively it seems) what are the pros and cons for OTF over CP on players?

Pros: 2 CP doesn't cost you an extra slot at 25k. It only costs 6 CP to maintain 10 OTF and can be done in 3 matches. It doesn't age mid-season - if you are not using CP on OTF it's likely you're using it on and age 3 or 4 player. Come mid-season they lose 3 or 4 SL, probably, so you have to add more to get back to the same level. A good Age 3 player will lose 4 or 5 SL at the end of the season making it 8 over all. OTF only loses 6 CP worth.

Cons: Playing N, 2 CP on a DF will give you 1 (or 1.2) GP, 2 DEF and 0.5 (or 0.4) OFF. 2 CP on a MF will give you 1 DEF and 1.5 OFF, on a WG maybe 2.8 OFF and a FW 2 OFF. The FW is the only one that isn't an improvement here but he'll get more shots and a better chance of scoring.

ALB sends 86k to ALO for 1 TP

19 teams have 4 OTF or higher so far,

so plenty teams still like it.

The following teams receive an MVP bonus after match 20:
Hibernian - MVP #4: 1 CP (WdW)
Fraserburgh - MVP #1: 1 TP + 25k (WwW)
Saint Johnstone - MVP #4: 1 CP (WwD)
Hamilton Accies - MVP #3: 1 TP (WwW)
Forfar Athletic - MVP #4: 1 CP (WWw)

I have just been looking at the latest 'Ask The Managers Vote' re OTF and it would seem that the majority do not favour it unless using BC. Considering the recent discussion relating to Ball Control which was hardly in favour of. the overwhelming concensus appears to be anti OTF and also questionable regarding BC. Taking the feeling about the two subjects together would suggest that some change is called for.....or am i misreading the results ?

The following teams receive an MVP bonus after match 19:
Hearts - MVP #1: 1 TP + 25k (DwW)
Queen of the South - MVP #3: 1 TP (wdW)
Raith Rovers - MVP #2: 1 TP + 25k (dWW)
Stirling - MVP #1: 1 TP + 25k (dWw)
Cove Rangers - MVP #5: 25k (WWw)
Alloa Athletic - MVP #2: 1 TP + 25k (Wdw)

+8 EL for 80k for Jonathon Punter

Johnny Punter

SW

3

18

-9

The following teams receive Participation Bonus through Participation Thru June 22nd:
ALO(50) ANN(50) ARB(10) COV(10) DEV(10) DUM(50) DEE(50) DUU(10) EF(50) EDI(35) FAL(20) FRA(10) HEA(20) HIB(50) LIV(10) MOT(50) PT(30) PET(25) QOS(10) RR(25) RAN(10) ROS(20) STJ(10) SM(20) STI(15) SRA(50)

There will be an abundance of pies for the travelling support as SRA are riding high and DUM are, well, not. As such, most Dumbartonians are chosing to watch paint dry on a Saturday afternoon than attend the footy. I say footy but... well, there will be plenty of silky soccer on display from the away team who have been showing the diddy teams (DUM included) how it's done.

Our only chance is that SRA are distracted by our lucky mascot, Spotted Jim the pigeon. To be fair, Jim is not having much of a season with just two wins under his wing so far.

It's the Prediction League...

So this must be a reminder!

Dumbarton FC are stumbling into their next league match against Stranraer like a drunk into a kebab shop at 2 a.m.—hopeful, confused, and probably going to regret it. With just one win in their last 10 games (and even that looked like an administrative error), the Sons have been about as sturdy as a flatpack chair assembled blindfolded.

They’ve shipped 25 goals and scored only 11, most of those in one weirdly competent performance against Stenhousemuir, who were presumably distracted by a pigeon on the pitch. Dumbarton’s defence has more holes than a sponge in a gunfight, and their attack wouldn’t scare a toddler in shin pads.

Now they welcome Stranraer, a side surely licking their lips at the chance to face such obliging hosts. If DUM continue this form, SRA could play in slippers and still come away with three points and a souvenir pie.

The following teams receive Cup Draw Participation through SuperStar Draw attendance bonus:
ALO(50) ANN(100) EDI(50) HIB(50) INV(50) MOT(50) SRA(50)

Team	Junk	JvJ
ARB	3	2
NAI	3	2
ALB	3	1
HIB	3	0
FRA	2	0
EF	2	0
MOT	2	0
ANN	1	1
ELG	1	0
DUM	1	0
CLY	1	0
STE	1	0
HEA	1	0
SRA	0	0
LIV	0	0
DEE	0	0

Plenty of junk this week,
Apparently the late rounds of the CECIL Cup show their impact.

The leaders ARB and NAI remain on top, yet ALB and HIB are closing in - all with 3 junks against.

Only 3 teams at the bottom remain "junkless": SRA, LIV and DEE.

ARB and HIB remain on top as everybody's darling, but HEA closes in with impressive 56/46% this week.

The bottom 3 "most hated" shuffle a bit around - ANN even plays a JvJ vs (of course) ARB - but they stay in safe distance from the rest.

You might wonder, what ANN/DEE/LIV have done to deserve this?

STJ sends George Reid (4/13 FW) to BER for 100k

We all get 40 TP free and most teams don't need to train up two age 0 and two 1 players. And the market gets flooded with MVPs and auctions.

However we all want more than 40 CP and pre-season they'll cost you 100k each.

Back in the day we only got 35 TP and it's value was about 115k with CP at 80k. Regular trades were 2 TP for 3 CP. Then Commish decided to promote youth players with the 40 TP. 

I managed to get the trade altered so 2 CP would get you 3 TP and it hasn't changed that much since.

It's a mystery why TP isn't worth more than CP.

Younger players getting TP lose Skill Level slower - we all know that.

Cheers! We'll await our season..... 

Here's the info ...

• All teams in each division (separate draw for each) will go into the draw and 1 winner from Div 1, 2 winners from Div 2 and 3 winners from Div 3 will be choosen a random via the wheel (https://wheelofnames.com/)
• A team can only win once, so 6 winning teams across all divisions.
• The winning teams can upgrade any age 0 apprentice (purchased either via the usual route in transactions (inc. oldies trade-in buys) or via Auction wins) to an SL 10 player.
• The Super Star upgrade cannot be traded (the player could be as per normal rules) so if a team doesn't buy an age 0 they'll just lose it.
• Upgrades need to requested before the first game following MSA at the latest. Again, if it’s not used by then, it’s lost.

Can someone remind me how the Superstar upgrade works? Aware it's now done for this season

Great initiative Daniel.

With these 6 players, plus the oldie cash-in for apprentices, could we see TP prices trading higher than CP soon?

CEL & FW Jota have also cashed in ... that concludes SuperStar upgrades for this season!

D1: ARB

D2: RR & CEL

D3: BRE, ROS & PT

I'm delighted my situation is earning some managers nice participation cash (me included).

Right, here it is! I would not be playing this or any other game if all I had to do was stick a team out and hope. I use up ELs to the limit and don't run from them, and play the way I do - BECAUSE I ENJOY IT! 
I have won the first division- it was fine but not earth shattering and so I play to earn cash to keep bringing in new (to me at least) and compete.

Very likely I'll lose games as of now and drop down the division, but I have already made plans coming together at MSA to ensure we won't be relegated - even if we did go down everybody knows I'd still be happy. 
I don't contribute to the suggestion I'm mad just because I have a high DPs and 4 suspensions - c'est la vie and we get on with it. This weekend Annan and Dundee (for different reasons) will want the points. Likely they'll get them, but I'll not be deliberately playing low SLs and ELs to help out, and never have.

Geez - must have earned the cash by now - ps any offers for a 4,25 FW - p/x a Def would be nice.

I am often blown away by how well this game plays.

The formulas Alan Parr the guys initially put in are invariably correct.

When we tinker with them is when problems normally occur ,and I thing Ball Control was just 1 example of many.

The following teams receive an MVP bonus after match 17:
Motherwell - MVP #2: 1 TP + 25k (DWw)
Dundee FC - MVP #3: 1 TP (WWw)

What began as a season of unbridled triumph for Hibernian under the charismatic David Blair has mutated into a Shakespearean tragedy. Once perched loftily atop the league, Hibs now lurch forward like a wounded beast, crippled by a perfect storm of injuries, suspensions, and sheer anarchy.

The squad is in tatters. Goalkeeper Phil Slater valiantly mans the posts while Josef Bursik plays like a man possessed, but in front of them lies a defensive apocalypse. Rocky Bushiri languishes in suspension, Peter Marinello and Jerry Milton are doubtful, while Carl Kennedy teeters dangerously on the brink of disciplinary disaster.

Midfield? A wasteland. John Fraser and Ollie Dennis are banned, John Collins clings to form, while Jordan Orbita is being hailed as the lone glimmering emerald in a sea of despair. Up front, Jimmy O’Rourke limps, Christian Doidge groans, and Elie Youan’s fitness resembles a roulette wheel of fate. Meanwhile, suspended Kieron Bowie watches from the stands as his teammates flounder.

Blair now faces a locker room on the edge of mutiny, tabloids (like this one) baying for blood, and supporters oscillating between despair and delirium. This is not merely a slump — this is Easter Road, a full-blown soap opera. Annan and Dundee must be rubbing their hands together in glee.

I had a firend/ex-colleague who worked in a completely chaotic way.  No time planning, no prioritisation, usually found chatting by the coffee machine or doing a crossword puzzle in the smoking room.  He was a really likeable guy, very sociable and funny.  Of course, he had a job to do, and things would eventually catch up with him until there was a CRISIS!  And suddenly he would spring into action and work like crazy.  This guy just loved a really big mess to sort out, so he deliberately created messes.

I wonder if David's a man who loves a mess to sort out....?

Top 17 is maybe a better guide to squad strength and HIB in top half.

But HIB are leading the way with DP. 
More than DOUBLE any other team bar 2 (GM & STJ)

3 out of 4 of your aggressive players were red carded yesterday. 
Play aggressive with a key high SL FW maybe in an important game,
but HIB playing very average players as aggressive for minimal SL uplift. 

All those 20 and 30 and 40 DP suspensions will catch up with HIB later in season.

HIB having a magnificent season, so the above is only IMHO rather than a criticism. 

Guessing the auction has been included but right now we have the worst T11 in the division, so assuming our stay at the top won't be for long.. 😉😉😉

The following teams receive Prediction League through Round 4 21st June 2025:
EDI(34) FOR(34) LIV(34)

This was a tough round with an average score just under four, and two "impossible" results - Stenhousemuir's win at Albion Rovers and the draw between Annan and Arbroath.  Add to this two more drawn games and it's surprising that three entrants managed as many as six points.

Congratulations to John at Livingston, William at Edinburgh and Willy at Forfar who each earn 34k for their clubs.

Round 5 is next Saturday, 28th June and features the match 19 fixtures from Division 2.  The entry form is on the Notebook - twice - please use the one that says "PLEASE USE THIS ONE".  There's a clue in the title if you're unsure...

Most tactics have MF at 1.25 spread between DEF and OFF but BC has 1.5 (0.75 to each). Increasing the OFF part to 1.25 was way too much. The total for MF contibution to the team was a staggering 2.0. Huge.

Probably 1.0 to OFF would be enough to make BC attractive, but you need the resouces to invest. That would be a total of 1.75 to DEF and OFF. A WG in EC adds 1.75 to OFF but you can only play 2 WGs. In BC you can play 5 MFs. No other position has that much power.

Summer 2013 - was the return of Ball Control as a viable team tactic option.

Ball Control is an openly aggressive tactic that requires a heavy duty midfield, enough DF SL to push the ball into the MF area, and as high an OTF as possible. Even with all that, Ball Control can be awfully wide open at the back. Like Barcelona today, a Ball Control team tries to keep hold of possession, but rather than using clever 1 on 1 skills, they tend to use physical play, and create a Wall of Force across the middle of the field. Also all that MF and DF development doesn’t leave much for FW and GK training and coaching. Ball Control teams could in theory have both a solid defence and a crushing offence, but it seems to require an extra 40+ SL MINIMUM advantage over the opponent to get away with it. The weakness at the back and in goal will likely bring them up short in the final analysis against the best. This is probably the least used tactic of all due to its difficult nature.

SESL season 31 will tweak OFF MF from 0.75 to 1.25 for Ball Control. This brings B closer to P as an attacking option, as P is OFF MF 1 currently. B will be changed to OFF MF 1 to match P at end of S31 review as tweak too strong.

Ball Control DEF OTF is 0.75 and OFF OTF is 2.0 SESL season 36 will be same as season 35 for Ball Control, but the numbers that are on database are noted here to clarify:-

Before I started to use BC, a lot of teams were dropping OTF and just playing EC. Two massive wingers and little or no investment in MF.

I thought I could exploit that with BC and so started to give it a go. My prefered lineup was SW, 2 DF, 5 MF, WG and FW. There is a multiplier for every extra MF you have over the opposition which includes your OTF. Mine was always 10. Against EC, I always had 3 extra MFs.

Not many others were using this tactic at the time for various reason - those reasons are not known to me but I suspect they would include one or more of the following - easier to play EC, no need to invest CP in OTF, not fully understanding how BC works and perhaps a few others.

It was loooong time ago but from memory, I believe Mark (DUU) played BC for a while. Anyway, some discussion was had as to why it was not used and the decision was made to tweak BC to make it more powerful and therefore more viable.

I felt this was a good idea but the tweaks that were made, IMO, made BC too powerful and I said so at the time - even though I was using BC. If I remember correctly, the main tweak was the increase of the mulitiplier used to workout how much extra OFF was created using the combination of extra MFs and OTF.

Even with the new Tactics, not many took up BC, and I found it difficult to maintain a MF of the size required - around 7. It took up a huge amount of CP, 6 for OTF before you add in players. When I was very active on SESL, I just about got by, but when RL got in the way and participation dropped then the ability to buy CP also dropped.

I now find it easier to play EC. Let's face it, playing EC may only fear (other then OLMEC being a dick) is playing against BC and who would do that...

Prime example is our second game from yesterday. Two 4-2-4 teams one EC with wingers the other LB with forwards. We started the game with more than 40 more SL on the pitch but had 1% less shot chance. 
 

I might be missing something but LB just doesn't seem viable. Time for the experiment to end

EDI MF Joseph Jacobssen 4-25 was today added to the Transfer list at his own request....offers of Cash and/or TPs are welcome.

If a tactic is being underused, perhaps the numbers should be tweaked to attract more people to use them.  Ideally all available tactics should be viable, but with disadvantages as well as advantages.  A bit like a game of rock paper scissors only more complicated.

@Colin/DUM:

When DUM were winning Titles and Cups it was with a very powerful BC set up

Were the BC multipliers changed afterwards?
And why did DUM switch to just another EC squad?

With the current numbers I see BC as a niche tactic only.
Given BC's many issues and flaws, I don't see it as a viable option.

Detour:
I actually like the concept of BC - and would like to use it, if it could provide the numbers.
I have played a couple of EEFL systems before, sometimes widely using BC, but they had better multipliers - and the much more flexible EEFL conditional system could handle some of BC's problems much better.

Like Stephen, I am not enthusing over SESL just because we are top of the division - this us NOT where I wanted to be nor expected, and with low ELs and 4 suspensions we will NOT be there next Saturday evening.

My teams play pretty cagey, avoiding a huge loss and I do play low SL lads to increase their output. Red cards etc are part of the game - I accept all - it's fun!!! I play to win but will send in the reserves to save better lads for an upcoming game (don't we all??) But second division football gives me at least 8-12 different opponents each season.. 

PS Where did it say gates in the 1st division were 25k above the others? We played home to DUM (and at the time we were 2nd in the division) and the gate was 88k - meaning it would have been 53k outside the top section. 🙁 

Roll on next weekend !!

Lacking the option to appreciate David's post by pushing a button..

push push push 

I must have played (and reviewed in a games magazine) dozens of games - mainly soccer, but cricket, horse racing, baseball, US football were covered too, both play by mail and online over the past 30 years. Of course none covers every single aspect of the sport inside the game but I have always felt SESL came as close to being a real manager as any.  Mind you in real life most managers can't do transfer but deflect to the accountant for "advice".

However there is lots to get on with in SESL that allows you to plot and plan getting through a season - everybody can't win titles and cups and at the start of a season your goal may be to avoid relegation, but we keep coming back..

Mark has run the show since I was in shorts (it seems) and deserves the credit for running a setup that keeps many faithful managers. He just wishes a few more might contribute to the cost he has to make running it. He isn't saying that - I am. 💰💰. Roll on SESL's 100 season..!! 👍👍👍

I had to check Steve...

Sorry, to report that DEV only has one CECIL Cup Final appearance and it was a defeat in Season 38 to... DUM

Now, now Steve. I didn't say everything but it probably was when you weren't around ;-)

As I'm in a good mood, thought (even though it's midseason) I'd wax a bit lyrical about this game, the site, the effort taken to run it, and the other managers.

I'm sure everyone would second my comments by saying this site fulfills a great lustre we have for fantasy sports, and there really aren't other games out there that do it this well. My wife describes this as fake fantasy football, compared with the other 'real' fantasy footballs I play!

To that point, as this feels irreplaceable to all of us, I'd just like to MSA-praise Marc for all of his work and everyone that has taken on any small effort in the prior years.

Am I saying this because I'm top of Div 2? Maybe. But that means when I'm overtaken in future weeks someone else can write on here about what the site means for them. 

Do we all remember the couple of seasons that it was way too strong? As a team that has always played EC - we do! 

Stating the obvious maybe - but cecil cup games are now Monday & Wednesday.

Cup is a nice break for LIV from a frightful league campaign.

When I was a lad BC lasted a long time......one Million years in fact.....which was about 2 hours long.

DUM winning everything? I think that's when I was away (season 23-32). 

Before I came back I noticed everyone was playing BC as it was too O P (as my kids would say). I think the main problem was MF OFF was set at 1.0 and OTF OFF was also very high.

When DUM were winning Titles and Cups it was with a very powerful BC set up, but as Roy is finding, it is very difficult to keep the level of SL needed in the middle of the park for it be effective over several seasons. I would recommend persevering, if you can, as BC can be very rewarding.

I understand Steves difficulties with building a squad good enough to effectively play Ball controll.

I have always felt that the tactic as it was initially written was very viable, but the way we have it in SESL

is just to difficult to master. In fact Steve and I have a long running debate about it.

Keeping 5 decent MFs as well as a GK and a FW (was not able to get enough decent MAs) was my problem, Roy. It worked for a while but two seasons ago the cracks were showing and we couldn't score goals.

I still think you should mark more, however.

I was away last weekend and had poor wifi so stuck my lines in early.

Today was on purpose to do 1 team line at a time, as I was at home to do the 2nd one. I also hold back if I can as I sail close to the wind on suspensions and sometimes injuries. Today I know that 3 lads will miss the next session, so I immediately put them into the 2nd game so they can be suspended and gain ELs ready for their suspension end. I like doing it this way, as the title flag isn't as important as enjoying the game. If I missed the 2nd game due to a malfunction then I miss out on training and probably 3 points, but it's not the end of the world.

I have put in my team line for 5pm today... but appreciate your message all the same.

The following teams receive an MVP bonus after match 16:
East Fife - MVP #2: 1 TP + 25k (Wdw)
Peterhead - MVP #3: 1 TP (WdW)
Queens Park - MVP #2: 1 TP + 25k (DWw)
Partick Thistle - MVP #2: 1 TP + 25k (WdW)
Inverness - MVP #2: 1 TP + 25k (WdW)
Brechin City - MVP #1: 1 TP + 25k (DwW)

I believe the ability for Div 3 teams to recruit MPP Bosmans is intended to support them in their efforts to rebuild/gain promotion. A Div 1 team paying a small/affordable fee completely negates that.

Bosmans can be traded. Why not offer a division 3 team a trade preseason? I've done it before.

As for numbers and usage - 3 teams have 5 MPPs, Kilmarnock, St Mirren (with 4 DMs) and my Stirling Albion.

My idea which is still a work in progress is to play BC with as many MAs as possible ( I have 5) this was intended to help with goal scoring from midfield. But it'd hard to keep all players with high enough SL to make it work.

Andy & David - only 7 days ago the server was down a few hours.

Running roulette risking not having 2nd match today with a line-up ticked,
that you can tweak if you have time between deadlines.

Brave men?

The following teams receive an MVP bonus after match 15:
Saint Johnstone - MVP #3: 1 TP (wWd)
Hamilton Accies - MVP #2: 1 TP + 25k (wWd)
Cowdenbeath - MVP #1: 1 TP + 25k (Www)
Forfar Athletic - MVP #3: 1 TP (DWw)
Cove Rangers - MVP #4: 1 CP (Wdw)

I just bought an apprentice and thought I would have option to choose a MA (for added cost)

So multipositional players only via auction, or for some teams in Div 3 when picking a Bosman?

Could we pay a "agents" fee or scouting fee to upgrade one player to MPP at start of each season?

Maybe 300k for an age 1, 200k for age 2, and 100k for age 3+ ?

One other advantage, especially for longball/EC teams,of an MA or UT is that the FW can be developed in MF rather than weakening your FW line.   But yes their biggest advantage is shooting strongly from the furthest back they can.

Shooting ability - agreed Andrew. That is the benefit.

So a DM shoots as a MF. Play him in DEF to get the benefit. Played as a MF, no benefit. MA in midfield shoots like a FW but played as a FW - no benefit. Therefore, UT is a defender.

Just my view.

Agree that the positional flexibility is a key benefit of MPPs. I use SDs to easily switch to having 6 defenders when moving to a stall, for example.

But I think the benefit I tend to value more is the shooting boost - having a MF that shoots like a FW or a DF that shoots like a MF. Probably only leads to a couple more goals per season at best, but that's not half bad!

Now, my vaguely related big idea for OLMEC in the 2020s...what about wingbacks? A MPP position that can play WG or DF with no negative effect. I'll admit this would benefit MOT's playstyle greatly, but it would be an interesting twist to bring WGs into the MPP fold that everybody could take advantage of.

Multipositional players in Sesl - are they worth a decent premium?

All but 5 teams in Sesl have them.  And those 5 teams going without are all at the strong side of Sesl strength.

I wondered if the options and usefulness of multipositional players is a significant advantage to roster management.

Looks like you forgot a banker in the prediction league. Hope you see this in time!

PT & their young FW with a name that has to take him far (or perhaps only to be replaced by an apparent mediore nobody) Ablade have also cashed in ...

D1: ARB

D2: RR & CEL

D3: BRE, ROS & PT

... interesting stuff, even  more is that ANN have not faced it ... yet we have focussed on the CECIL and played junk often. I suppose its not my issue that managers waste a lot of energy ... moreover, I will take it as a complement 😊😊

HIB sends 50k, 4 CP to HEA for 6 TP

In my defence, your honour, I thought East Fife had listed ME twice as a rival, not the other way around.

And East Fife are run by that cracking lad, Paul, who also enjoyed doing divisional reviews.. I'll stop there.. 👍👍

I suppose I should be grateful it's only twice...

I've just noticed that Hibernian's listed rivals are East Fife - twice.

What did Paul do, David?

I'd accept those teams who win the season before are omitted for the next season draw.

(Starting next season) 😏

If my tabulation is correct, this is the 6th season we've had the superstar draw, so it is worth a look at how the random draws have shaken out:

Won 3 times:

ARB, COW, PT

Won 2 times:

AI, FAL, FRA, STE, EST, ELG, RR

Won 1 time:

CEL, BRE, ROS, INV, EDI, SRA, QOS, CB, BER, DEE, EF, SM, ALB

Never won:

ABE, ALO, ANN, AYR, CLY, COV, DEV, DUM, DUU, DFA, FOR, GM, HAM, HEA, HIB, KIL, LIV, MON, MOT, NAI, PET, QP, RAN, STJ, STI

Not too surprising of a distribution for random draws over 6 seasons, but there are some interesting details:

• Of the 6 first division draws (the most likely to go to a new team each season), none of them have gone to a team in the "won 1 time" list. ARB has won it 3 times (twice in the first division, once in the second), COW have won it 3 times (once in the first division, twice in the second), FRA have won it twice in the first division, and PT have won it 3 times (once in the first division, twice in the 3rd)
• Teams that have been in the first division all 6 seasons are still more likely to have not won it (68% chance) than to have won it (32% chance by now). 
• Teams that have been in the 3rd division all 6 seasons are more likely to have won it once or more (71% chance) compared to having never won it (29%). Even staying just in the 2nd division would put you as more likely to win it than not (55/45%). So, there are some sides in the 'never won' list that should feel pretty hard done by the random draws!

The following teams receive Participation Bonus through Participation Thru June 15th:
AI(10) ALO(25) ANN(10) ARB(20) CLY(10) DEE(35) EF(50) EDI(15) FAL(15) HEA(20) HIB(50) LIV(10) MOT(50) QOS(10) QP(10) RR(20) ROS(45) STJ(10) SM(10) SRA(40)

To all late arrivals - and / or just recently interested:

1st the legend ...

Junk := # junk lineups played against
Junk vs Junk (JvJ, formerly Junk Duel) := # matches with both teams fielding junk
Avg := average TotalSL% played against

The reason for this table came from when I (and e.g. Andrew/MOT) noticed that their respective schedule partner (i.e. the team we shared most weekly opponents with) faced much weaker lineups.

There was some discussion about it, but in the end I wanted to get real numbers: the clever management table.

The term "clever management" is in honor of Dave/HEA, claiming ...

Clever management may see opposition pick a match they can win and play near their top 11.
For example, say a team like HEA happens to be near top of league, then opposition may focus the high skill players on the other match of the same session sometimes.

Given that the "other" team was DEE, you might guess that I did not quite share Dave's view.

Team	Junk	JvJ
ARB	2	1
NAI	2	1
HIB	2	0
ALB	2	0
FRA	2	0
ELG	1	0
DUM	1	0
EF	1	0
CLY	1	0
STE	1	0
MOT	1	0
SRA	0	0
HEA	0	0
LIV	0	0
DEE	0	0
ANN	0	0

A disappointing week for the leaders - they had to face some actual competition, outrageous!

5 teams are still waiting for their 1st junk opposition.

But actually a rather balanced table.

Arbroath still manages to be everybody's favourite - with relaxing 57%.

The bottom three, LIV/DEE/ANN seem to be stuck with 66%+. I fail to see a common pattern here.

It's Friday

Tomorrow is Saturday

It's the Prediction League

Work got in the way and I could not make the draw. Interestingly, I have never been present for any of the previous draws and have never had a Superstar. Coincidence...?

James' idea of needing an "academy" to get a superstar is actually quite solid.
 Instead of a random roll the superstar would turn into a strategic choice.
 And it would still "support" lower div teams since it is much easier to train up rookies in div3 than in div1.
 
 I'd still prefer getting rid of the superstars, but the academy approach seems like a reasonable compromise.

ARB & BRE youngsters MacIntyre & Ramsey upgraded...

D1: ARB

D2: RR & CEL

D3: BRE, ROS & PT

Maybe there could also be a "sponsorship" for a superstar.  Develop (have?) 3 (4?) or more Age 0, coached to SL17+, at the end of the season  then you can sign a superstar the next, as your academy has shown proficiency and can attract the best.  Creates a dilemma that your free 40TP are then tied up, and you will be unlikely to achieve it year after year.

If it is "have" that might stimulate the market for Age 0 players.

 Another season and St Mirren academy fails to produce a superstar youngster may be time to get some new coaches in.