The importance of a half decent bench?

The Wild Bunch

So lads

Been playing for approximately 7 years to moderate success - never won a private league but consistnantly Top 3 in any I ever entered.

However, I've always adopted the mentality of forking out on the best possible starting XI with 4 of the cheapest subs possible, who I never planned on having to pick as I would always try and make sure my first choice XI were always playing.

This is, of course, a fallacy, and was probably the difference between me placing in the top 3 and winning it, so this season I'm hoping to change it up with rotating subs.

Just wondering how you guys approach it?

Cheers

NoelJ

I usually tend to have one good sub and then 2 cheap players who'll definitely play e.g. I think Wisdom may be one of those cheap players this year.

CSF

For me, the difference between the good players and the decent ones (I'd like to consider myself a good player after the last 2 years I've had) is the ability to spot that there isn't a correct answer to this question.

There will be times throughout the season when you need a balanced squad (key rotation times) and times when you can put together a great team that is going to start and rack up the points and the mere minimum you need from your subs is a guarantee of 90 mins when the time approaches that they may be needed. An example of such a time is when the SAS (Suarez, Aguero, Sturridge) was in its height. Those were must have players at high prices, sacrifices had to be made elsewhere to have these players, especially if you wanted to have Toure and Hazard too, plus your Coleman, Mertesacker.

Right now, it is hard to say what the correct approach because there is no Suarez, there is doubts over Aguero's fitness, Van Persie isn't fit, Toure has pulled a strop, Hazard doesn't get on with Mourinho (or so we're led to believe), and Sanchez is a new addition to the league. If we rate these players and think they're gonna do the business at big cost, we make sacrifices. We have to have cheap subs.

Alternatively if we think the big hitters aren't worth it this year, we need to accept that the players we use instead may not be as consistent as the ones we had last year (is it even possible?) and therefore we need strong players to come in when required and a variety of good players to choose from each week.

jive

Good bench is important. Last season there was players like Ward at Palace coming in with clean sheets or assists, not only that but cheap players will increase in value and that can be important especially when using wildcard after xmas. The most important thing about the bench is that they are guaranteed starters, injuries/suspensions aside, because you will get players being rested from top clubs as well as dealing with suspensions and injuries to your starting 11.

Kent Brockman

I always try to have a bench of cheap players (2 defenders) who will play usually the full 90mins. Regularly end up frustrated with lots of points on the bench though when the lower teams get clean sheets or a defender scores.
Got knocked out of the cup last year when my opponents 3rd sub came on with 12 points!!

ItsChecoTime

I'd always try and make sure my bench are starters for whatever team they play for. Having a decent bench gains importance and comes into use around Christmas time when there are lots of fixtures and players get rested. I remember one particular GW last year when lots of big players (Yaya, Ramsey etc) didn't play and people with decent benches were rewarded then

Iused2likebusts

Always aim to have 15 players that play. In and around CL games and Xmas time in particular you will need them.

Paully D

Funnily enough I've come to find my best seasons have been ones where I've maxed out on my starters and had a rubbish bench. It was probably just a coincidence as those were the years when I first started playing the game, but it was the case.

A weak bench also takes away from the frustration of having difficult choices to make. Take this team for example. It's a solid squad overall, bang on £100m, including a good bench. Perhaps there's a better way to divide out the funds, but for the purposes of the decent bench argument:

Krul/Mannone

Terry Evans [Taylor, Huth, Chester]

Ramsey Hazard Eriksen Sigurdsson De Jong

Rooney Dzeko £6m striker

Every week you'd be left benching one of: Krul/Mannone, Taylor/Huth/Chester and deciding whether to go 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 meaning you're dropping one of presumably Sigurdsson/De Jong/£6m striker each week. Now, I think it's inevitable that there's going to be a canny number of gameweeks where you'd be driven up the wall with your bench players running up a decent score while the starters falter. That's one of the most frustrating aspects of the entire game IMO.

Of course the other side of the coin has been well covered in earlier posts. The big teams will sometimes rest their main players, especially in the middle of a busy fixture programme, often at home to weaker teams where they are more likely to get away with doing so without the result suffering. Unfortunately for us FPL players, these are also the games where said main players are likely to score big points. The lack of a bench can really come back to haunt you then.

roryc

Iused2likebusts wrote: »

Always aim to have 15 players that play. In and around CL games and Xmas time in particular you will need them.

The annoying this was that last season this wasn't important. People who didn't plan ahead didn't get crucified for it, as many of us who prepared well in advance hoped they would... Its usually vital to have 15 starters in your squad. Sub keeper is the only one you can safely have a non-starter.

The Wild Bunch

Gonna go with a first choice goal keeping sub and rotate, probably Krul-Foster

Lemlin

I always play 3-4-3 and go with a cheap 4.5 to 5 mil midfielder who rarely plays.

My back five consists of two premium, two 4.5 to 5 mil to rotate and a 4 mil filler.

Having 3 subs that play is vital IMO.

8-10

Lemlin wrote: »

I always play 3-4-3 and go with a cheap 4.5 to 5 mil midfielder who rarely plays.

Remember Shane Ferguson?

Benimar

I'd be very much in the '15 players that play' camp.

Yes, it can be frustrating leaving points on the bench, but isn't that the 'management' aspect that gives the game the level of interest it has. I like having to make choices each week, sometimes they go wrong (benching Coleman Wk 1 last year) but other times they go right and I feel like a genius

If you leave points on the bench you just ask yourself 'would I make the same decision again' and if the answer is yes, you made the logical decision but got unlucky. If the answer is no, learn from it! I hate the 'should have started 4m defender away at Man City' after he scores 12 points. No you shouldn't have! He just got lucky!

Obviously, it would be great having 11 quality players starting every week, but what about the 'random rotation' that some real managers indulge in? I'd rather have a 2 point sub coming in than have to play with 10 when Jose rests Hazard before a CL game.

On a final point, it avoids being 'forced' into a transfer. If a player gets suspended for a game and you have no bench, we all know you are hitting the transfer button!

Lemlin

8-10 wrote: »

Remember Shane Ferguson?

I never had him. I'd never pick a player who definitely doesn't play to save .5 million.

By saying "rarely plays", I meant I will rarely play the 4.5 mid. He will be a starter for his team.

Liam O

Ferguson cost a lot of people big that season IIRC, weren't there a lot of cancelled games and such?

roryc

I had Ferguson and he never cost me points iirc. Think I dumped him after Christmas

8-10

I never had him but I can see how he was useful