X11 season 45 - de rigueur Mortis

[evilC]

Hello chaps. Just to let you know that I - in my capacity as (former) manager of Bene Gesserit - hot a series of mails, last night, mentioning that the team had been inactivated, then reactivated, then that the new season was about to start. Is this normal, when you've declared yourself gone? Does it mean that BG still don't have a taker, after all this time? That's a shame, if so - they were alright, I thought.

[Etienne]

Yep, that's what it means. With the player base contracting, it's unsurprising that teams that aren't extremely promising don't get picked up.

[Sits]

Hallo Clive! Yes I had to reactivate you to trigger the season with 50 teams not 49, then sacked you again.

Of course if you wanted to come back...

[Sits]

Meanwhile, the expected terrible CR at Noirs de Bigorre. But in the absence of playing for anything I'd already scouted the five new players who will help Los Cramados into the Pro Zone. I have enough cash from the late-season fire sale to be confident of getting all five.

[Various Artist]

Had an atrocious time earlier in the day as Viking North Utsire crashed to a terrible – nay embarrassing – 3rd-round Ultimate League Cup exit to a Division 5 side.

Only realised midway through writing this up in last night's weekly PR that, it only being the 3rd round, there's a second leg. Had spent the weekend thinking we'd already gone out, instead of which we have another bite of the cherry next Friday with which to attempt to rectify our 2-1 deficit. D'oh.

[SouthdownRebel]

Well, better that than thinking there's a second leg when there isn't I suppose.

Tobermory's CR was alright but no great shakes - no double jumps but all the under 25s gained a skill bar. Average age up top just became a problem though as Ben Wyvis is now 35/10. Despite his scoring record of a goal every three games he needs to be replaced. However I'm half tempted to give the spot permanently to Corrie Mhor. Not sure we'd survive in the top flight with an 8 skill striker but it's the best route for the long term.

[Various Artist]

Aye, I'm glad VNU are still in the Cup right now, but annoyed that I won't have started to fix the form of any of the players who ended up on red arrows after Friday's defeat. I figured that since we have nothing on this coming Friday, there was no point in training until after today's match as some of those might fix themselves today so I could save a few econs – setting the rest to train tonight as they'd still be done before our 'following' fixture... next Monday, as I thought. Of course, we not only have a game on Friday after all, but a mediocre performance today meant a million econs spunked on training – albeit a couple of those red arrows did indeed turn green by themselves.

Re Tobermory's strikers, I think you can see how much of a struggle Tiree's 'strikeforce' have had in the top flight this season without any veterans up front, so I wouldn't recommend ditching Wyvis just yet necessarily. I found we were aided to a surprising degree by having Jürgen Bight even as a 35/10 in his farewell season, whereas getting all the game-time in the world hasn't helped young Bailey and Leuchars in either the DV or scoring stakes since, though fellow youthful forward Sean Malin's HT cone has at least done wonders keeping his form and DV up in comparison.

[SouthdownRebel]

The problem there is I'd either have to switch to 4-4-2 or play Lachlan Laphroaig (21/8) as a starter in a 4-5-1. Or I could go 3-5-2 and play Wyvis and Mhor together, but that risks leaving us short at the back. Perhaps better would be to vary the system to suit the opponent and keep all of those options open.

[Antepli Ejderha]

AE, there is indeed a rule that players who have history at any other teams within a private league – i.e. those who've moved on direct transfers – can't have their names changed. It's somewhat analogous to how they keep their names for life in the official leagues, though must be annoying to have sprung on you like this I appreciate.
Is there some theming going on with these new monikers you've picked, by the way? I'm intrigued as they're not typical 'Zeugma' names (i.e. Turkish, basically) and don't sound like they've been plucked randomly from thin air, but I don't actually recognise any from anywhere

Thanks for answering that VA, I guessed there was something that prevented them being changed. It's not a problem at all.

As for the names I thought that Kilgore Trout was quite well known and would give it away. They are all characters in books by Kurt Vonnegut.

[Various Artist]

Ahh, that's it then AE. Please forgive my ignorance, I'm so narrowly read I'm practically illiterate.

SdR, that may indeed be the most viable plan. For what it's worth, I've had very decent results with 4-4-2 at Mars Rovers in the J4GL in the past couple of seasons – I think it was the default when I took over and I didn't intend to keep with it, but since it worked best with the squad I had (or, at least, retained, after selling off a fair few soon after I took over) I've stuck with it with surprisingly considerable success. I'm actually wondering by now if it's worth experimenting more with elsewhere.

[Sits]

If I can throw in my two pennies' worth, I find if your midfield compensates the age and skill you can manage with junior forwards if you play 451 all the time. However the midfield has to create more chances than the usual lineup to make up for a poorer conversion rate.

All sounds a bit hard doesn't it? But that's the little alleyway I've chosen to go down.

[Wouter D]

Märkische Mädels have bought a new midfielder, which completes our buying for the new season. We currently have eight midfielders and forwards under the age of thirty. Six of those have nine as favorite number, and the other two go for ten. We are lucky that none of them are divas.

[Sits]

Noirs de Bigorre have four of their five targets, including way too much on a 16/4 Horse defender. Just a 17/4 Headers midfielder to go.

It will not surprise readers to know I have blown most of the warchest accumulated selling legends, but it ain't half fun.

And VA may be pleased to know Noirs are sporting "change" kits both home and away for the silly season.

[Sits]

VA might be interested to see Cumberland Whites' first post-season opponents.

[Wouter D]

Semi finals tomorrow! Iko Ka Kansai are ready for it.

[SouthdownRebel]

Tensions are running high at Hornville. I swear this season is taking years off my life expectancy.

[Auntie Beryl]

Turd Division are top 2 in D3 of OTF, and I have no understanding of why that might be. I've started training again, maybe that helps?

Going through one of those phases where most of my teams (apart from Inchoate Indolents in Major League X11, who I should have given up on ages ago but would guilty for doing so given the yuge OTF contingent on there) are on the upswing. I'll savour these moments because I know fair well there will be a point where it's like wading through treacle.

Turd Derision (Golden League 5.13): early days, challenging for top two, feel a good cup run in the air
Clash City Rockers (Brythonnic): after "managed decline" having inherited a storied club if not squad, feel we've stabilised and could do a job this year. League yet to kick off
Empire State Humans (Human League 3): we totally spaffed promotion after our only GK got injured after the deadline and we threw away promotion after, again, trying to catch a falling knife with a previously successful aged squad. Also pre-season, we have a chance.
Inchoate Indolents (Major League GLX B): bottom and no sign of an uptick. Trying to focus on youth but the DVs ain't coming. A couple of recent draws against teams vying for promotion are the only positives. Where from here?
Penwith Players (Heineken Championship 13): having risen from HC17 to 13 in short order, the Players have hit an impasse. However, this is the best shot yet: we're fourth after fourteen of 22. The glitch in the matrix is that our three losses were to the teams above us in the table. Still, three points off promotion as I type.
Turd Division (OTF 3): blimey. Second after 11 of 20 and five clear of Die Ambosse in fourth, who have the measure of us and we play next. Have cantered clear due to the back-to-back matches with the zombified and much missed EvilC team Strathcarnage. We only just won in the away game, which tells a story.

I know I don't update here often, here or there, but just wanted to say you lot are a huge part of my carrying on with X11. And all the Glacier/cheating nonsense? Post me walking out on the crooked leagues, I never go near the scribble. Fair dos to those that do, but a forum half full of wankers is half the forum this is.

[Various Artist]

a forum half full of wankers is half the forum this is.

Does that make us a forum completely full of wankers then, AB?

Thanks for the kind words anyway – and yes, the OTF crowd are still the beating heart of my X11 enjoyment too, needless to say. Keep up the good work AB, and yes training will always, always help. Good luck for the belated Brythonnic kickoff in a couple of hours' time.


Thanks Sits for the Caledonian Road heads-up above, by the way! I see they're already wearing VA Sports as it happens, but just dropped their manager a line to let him know there's Tube-branded kits available in case he fancies some thematically-appropriate wear for them. Having not looked at Custom Shirts for a while, have just discovered I'm now #4 designer in the game, which is nice to know too.

[Auntie Beryl]

Does that make us a forum completely full of wankers then, AB?

Now you know I didn't mean it that way... but reading it back that's a possible interpretation... [stows away for future use at work]

[Sits]

Great to see you Auntie. What you said about the OTFers and X11. I'm in a couple of leagues OTFers are not, but to be honest I'm sort of hoping to use the knowledge I've gained from the OTF Collective to win the bloody things, in time.

Keep at it. True, sometimes it's a drag. But sometimes it's great, and the OTF craic always is.

[SouthdownRebel]

What Sits said, good to hear from you on here AB.

[Sits]

Cumberland Whites pre-CR, Combo League. All players must have at least two visible SQs. The bank balance will tell why, after two seasons in charge I haven't been able to do much buying at all. Fortunately the team had been sufficiently neglected I've won both divisions the team has contested so far, although the league is only in Season 11. Apologies for the humongous image:

[Sits]

Did I mention Lincolnshire Curly Coats' record Golden League Cup aggregate this week? 16-0, mitigated by the fact it was against a zombie.

[Antepli Ejderha]

The new season in the Xpert Zone has been created, I've not looked at my division yet. I've just received my boost so my excitement at the bargain of my recent purchase has been put into perspective.

http://www.xperteleven.com/player.as...615689161&dh=2

[Sean of the Shed]

Traktor Volgograd have been placed in the same division as Mersey Iron Works, so that will be a workers team derby as well as an OTF derby.