Picks Done, Round 1 Underway........
Here we go again then. Another Season of Madness beckons.
Tonight, Sheffield Wednesday kick off against Southampton as Game 1 of the League Competition decides if points will be won or lost. I'm sure you'll have an eye on that. What you're probably not as aware of is the games tonight between Arbroath (3) and Dundee United (16) and Standard Liege and Union Saint-Gilloise (3), games which affect Picks made.
The competition is the same as last season, if you're 'All-In' then you're competing in the League, the Picks, The Grand Prix Trophy (up until Boxing Day) and the Last Team Standing Competition, running from New Years Day until the end of the season.
All offer cash prizes, to the winners, and in the case of The Picks, 3 prizes will go to random places in the table based on the occurrences of match outcomes during the season.
In addition, you will compete in the Head2Head Leagues (no cash just kudos).
Your 12 Guesses/Predictions each round will decide the outcome of all of these contests (as well as the 67 Picks you made before a ball was kicked). There's nothing more to do (well not for you anyway!!!)
Here are the Rounds for this season. For the first time I've added a few mid-week cup rounds, to spice things up a little.
I thought before we got going, I'd spend a little bit of time looking at what we decided to 'Pick' and see if it gives any clue as to what we think will happen this time round, although what do we know.
I also thought, as we've a few new teams joined this time round, I'd shed some light on the various competitions, and share a few links here so you can check everything has been recorded correctly.
There was an element of 'human' intervention in logging everything this time round.
Mostly when the Premier League games are being played, I'm watching, and sat with the laptop, and as the goals go in, and even more now as the 80 odd Premier League players we've selected score, assist, foul, save or get subbed, I will attempt to keep up.
I do live in France, and watch on internet links though, that sometimes are 20/30 seconds delayed (even BBC & Sky), so bear with.
All the updated scores, once entered, track changes on the Live Update page. This will start with tonights games.
The 12 games from the Current League Round will be on the page, as well as the points for getting the score right, the right result margin, or right result, and the cost for getting it 'Wrong'. Not just wrong bankers this season, for getting it 'Wrong', 'Wrong'. If you said Saints will win tonight and they lose, it's likely to cost you a couple of points.
The top half of the League, the top half of the Picks and the top half of the Grand Prix Trophy also appear on this page, with a link to the full table if you can't see yourself in this half, because let's face it, you're doing 'shite'.
Below these tables are the H2H Fixtures and tables for each division.
Everyone goes H2H against everyone else in their division, promotion and relegation will happen at the end of the 16 Round cycle, meaning we will fit three seasons into 23/24.
Just for fun, no cash awarded, no need to make any additional entries. Your 'goals' each round are calculated based on an algorithm generated to assess your capabilities and skills in the current round (the points are divided by 10 give or take). You get 7 points for a win, 3 for a draw, and uptown 5 bonus points based on your score in the round. Trust Me, it works itself out in the end.
Once the current Round goes 'Live', all the Guesswork is viewable on the Guesswork page on the website.
Before we're Live you can use the page to check if your guesses have been received this end if you've submitted them. Confirmation will also appear on the League Table if you look there.
It takes a few seconds for the site to register that your guesses have been logged, and it will show that they are "IN".
If I've not received them, then you'll still show as "X"
Once we go Live, everyones guesses will show on the website.
I will also post a PDF on the WhatsApp group of all the Guesswork.
The Guesswork page then keeps tabs of the Round, highlighting correct scores and results, and correct Bankers and more frequently, wrong ones!!
Starting in Round 1, and running until Boxing Day (Round 26), will be the Grand Prix Trophy. It works like F1, points are awarded for the top 10 places each round, and then the team with themes at the end wins the competition, and the cash.
The points counted each round are a little different to the League Points though, as they are based on Pure Points only, ignoring any increases or decreases brought about by good or bad bankers.
You're automatically entered, by submitting the guesses for the games, no need to do anything more.
I've some tidying up to do before the Premier League gets under way, but you can find everything relating to the Picks from the this page on the website. There are links to the Squads you have Picked, or had Picked for you.
As teams get knocked out of the cups, they will be shaded out, so it becomes a little more obvious who has what. It's likely that around a third of the Carabao Picks could disappear before the Premier League starts next week!!
I mentioned earlier there were 67 different entries for the Picks. I thought I might just highlight a few obvious, less obvious, and some that I think might stand out a little.
I like a stat, so here's a few stats to be getting along with.
Only 2 teams across the Premier, Championship, League 1 and League 2 didn't get a pick. They are Shrewsbury & Walsall.
Manchester City (37), Chelsea (34) and Liverpool (22) were the biggest picks in the Premier League, whilst Fulham (1), Bournemouth (3) and Brighton, Brentford, Villa & Spurs (4) registered lowest.
Leicester (23), Norwich (22) and Ipswich (19) are fancied in the Championship, Millwall have 2 followers, West Brom and Preston 3.
Derby (17), Bristol Rovers (12), Wrexham (21) and MK Dons (11) are the highest picks further down, with Chesterfield (17) 10 picks clear of the next most fancied Bromley, with 7.
Celtic have 34 votes, the rest of Scotland is evenly split, Arsenal (18) & Chelsea (16) Women are neck and neck.
Bayern Munich (28), PSG (31), Real Madrid (27) & Juventus & Inter (15) are most popular, with Benfica (24), Ajax (22) & FC Porto (13) the picks of the mixed table.
Casemiro has 36 Picks, but these are spread across Wild Card and Bookings (LOL). Romero has 17 Picks in the Dirty Section alone.
Haarland has 22 picks in the Forwards, Maddison has 24 in the Wild Cards, and TAA has 22. Martinez is top pick Goalie with 22
These might be some interesting picks to watch out for; De Bruyne (4), Grealish & Foden (1), Alexander Isak & Miguel Almiron (1), Raheem Stirling (1), and watch the back pages, as we've all decided he's going, Harry Kane has 0 Picks
In the domestic cups, Celtic, Chelsea, PSG, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Wrexham, Manchester City and Leicester all collected 14 or more votes.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Spurs, Leicester & Notts County are stand out picks in the Cararbao.
It's Manchester City (32), AC Milan (21) & Real Madrid (19) in Champions League, Liverpool (41), Villa (24) & Roma (18) in the Europa thingies.
Last, but by no means least, the Prize Money. I will be frantically chasing all the cash in during the next few days, I know most have sent in already, and then getting money sent across as a donation for Help For Heroes.
Thanks again here to Martyn and Channy, who manage to boost the donations to the levels we finally achieve.
With all the expected money from those entering the Picks, and the 'All-In' it's looking like we will get in excess of £850 donated. Thank You
And there's plenty to play for.
All the details are on the Prize Money link on the website, and the places update as quickly as I can type the scores in.
That's it for now.
Here's to a great season
Enjoy, oh and
COYS