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If you have an NT player or U21 player; firstly congratulations on your extra merchandising revenue and experience for your player; secondly, please do what you can to keep your player in good shape this season to maximise their play time for the NT.

For the NT we have a good set of players to pick from, if your player wasn't chosen for the NT and they are younger, please do contact if you plan on training. There are a few players that were close, but there is a lot of quality in our team and it is harder than you would think to get into it. I'm hopeful if we get the luck of the dice with gameshape this season to progress the NT further.

Hope my posting my opinion here doesn't put anyone's nose out of joint (though I welcome disagreement), but as someone who generally considers himself one of the better managers of game shape I thought I'd stick my oar in.

Game shape isn't random. It appears so but there's a mathematical formula at the centre of it which, though it has a random element to it, means it can be influenced by intelligent management.

Some people (I was one of the first to propose this if I remember correctly) believe that game shape is governed by the last 3 weeks minutes. I based this on the difficulty of getting game shape right in the first week, no matter what the number of minutes. For example I remember one of our most important players on the NT getting almost perfect minutes the first week (low 60s I think) and actually dropping to 6.

For several seasons (including my double winning season) I've not believed this. I now believe the most important number in the formula is the starting game shape. When this is 7 there is more of a random element involved and so changes can seem more variable. Once you have achieved 9 game shape, then I believe there is less movement, even when there are what would normally be considered too many or too few minutes.

Coach Parrot believes, and I trust his figures, that generally 60 minutes are ideal for most players. For players with 8 or 9 stamina you can add a few minutes to that figure but I doubt if that would be as high as 10%.

Hope this helps.

I am playing from season 17 and based on experience (i do not put much attention anymore) 65 to 72 minutes would be optimum.

I also believe that gs is connected with stamina (higher stamina player can play longer per week with gs less affected)

Kim for MVP (btw what SS does he need to become starter).





Last edited by Grandma at 07/28/2018 05:15:16

First u21 game starting in ooh about 10-15 minutes by the time I've posted this.

I've only called up 11 initially to allow for game shape / training improvements, there's a lot of players fairly evenly matched and I don't want to end up with the wrong one in the squad so I hope if you own of those players who were in and around the team/squad for recent scrimmages you're not too discouraged. I've still got 7 spots to use from next week on :)

We're playing Sweden who beat us fairly handily in the scrimmage last week, but it should at least be a closer game today I expect. C'mon captain Danson's boys. I expect what, at least 30/15 from the captain today? Seems reasonable, heh. I won't be in chat initially but should make at least some of the 2nd half.

Report up later? Maybe...

England 140 - 68 Armenia

A nice warm up... Hard to give a write up as this was always going to be one sided, but +72 PD is a nice start. No other game will be this easy sadly.

Great result! Finally got one of my trainees into a NT, emotional moment....

He needs a bit of work to play PF I think, which I will focus on. Good to see him sending a couple of shots back though. Not in his house.

A one point 96-95 win, exactly as I planned it! (whew)

Yeah, err, that was a bit close! I feel like I've had a few of those in past few seasons where they've just gone my way...Watched most of the 2nd half, really decent contest. I'm a bit surprised Sweden used less effort than me, especially as like us they have their easier of the 2 seeding games 2nd, but given their scrimmage win, and the fact they only lost by 1 I'd say it was good management by Decke really. Just bad luck.

I'm not used to having a team that's that efficient offensively, basically 50% on our FG shots taken, and generated so many FT attempts as well. The only downsides I can really find are the (starting) guards being a combined 6-16 from the line, and Needham being 0-5 FGwise.

Also @ Grandma, what does Kim need to do to start? Apparently nothing. He useful just as he is ;)

Danson didn't quite get 30/15, but 24 and 11 will do just fine for an MVP award. Farr 2nd as he was quiet but efficient in the boxscore, held their C to 10 pts on 13 shots and 3 TOs as well. Despite the FT woes McKee gets 3rd place for better defence than Bujalska (disclaimer: I know SG is an easier position to defend than SF, especially at u21 level)

Actually, on the SFs, I think that's kind've the strength of our team currently. Between Needham, Bujalska, Sobiechowska and Graves I can do different things depending on opponent/tactic, etc. I doubt anyone beyond those 4 get minutes there this season.

At home to Azerbaijan next week should be an easy enough victory, then we'll see what the draw throws out after that.

Great win mate!

Great result congratz.
TBH I had almost a heart attack when GE draw Kim for a def foul when regulation ended, thanks BB God for two misses.

Kim another green arrow in OD plus the best GS.

He is starting next week:)

Nicely done!!