T.N.T. 355 Posted January 18, 2014 Here we are in mid January, some two months before the season gets under way and virtually all the team places are filled in the Elite League with just 50 places available to riders in the main body of teams as reserves are now NL riders. Some think a powerful top three like Kings Lynn is the best way to go while some may feel the all round strength of a team like Birmingham or Leicester may reap the benefits more ....... but HOW WOULD YOU DO IT ? Here are the 50 (well almost) riders that are set to start the 2014 Elite League season. With a 32 point limit and no restrictions, which FIVE riders do you think would make up the strongest team for the forthcoming season ? 9.20 Tai Woffinden (Wolverhampton) 9.13 Neils K Iversen (Kings Lynn) 9.07 Darcy Ward (Poole) 8.64 Matej Zagar (Belle Vue) 8.45 Kenneth Bjerre (Kings Lynn) 8.34 Hans Andersen (Coventry) 8.25 Peter Kildemand (Swindon) 8.21 Troy Batchelor (Swindon) 8.12 Bjarne Pedersen (Eastbourne) 8.09 Peter Karlsson (Lakeside) 7.63 Davey Watt (Lakeside) 7.46 Daniel King (Birmingham) 7.40 Craig Cook (Belle Vue) 7.30 Jason Doyle (Leicester) 7.19 Scott Nicholls (Belle Vue) 7.13 Jonas Kylmakorpi (Eastbourne) 7.09 Prez Pawlicki* (Poole) 7.00 Piotr Pawlicki (Wolverhampton) 6.95 Maciej Janowski (Poole) 6.94 Mads Korneliussen (Leicester) 6.84 Rory Schlein (Kings Lynn) 6.82 Chris Harris (Coventry) 6.47 Ben Barker (Birmingham) 6.39 Edward Kennett (Birmingham) 6.34 Cameron Woodward (Eastbourne) 6.30 Lewis Bridger (Lakeside) 6.19 Patrik Hougaard (Leicester) 6.14 Adam Skornicki (Birmingham) 5.90 Nick Morris (Swindon) 5.83 Kenneth Hansen (Coventry) 5.78 Ty Proctor (Wolverhampton) 5.71 Ryan Fisher (Coventry) 5.70 Lukas Dryml* (Leicester) 5.64 Richie Worrall (Belle Vue) 5.61 Peter Ljung (Leicester) 5.35 Ricky Wells (Wolverhampton) 5.27 Daniel Nermark* (Birmingham) 5.18 Kim Nilsson (Eastbourne) 5.17 Simon Gustafsson (Swindon) 5.05 Mikkel Bech (Lakeside) 5.00 Mikkel Michelsen (Eastbourne) 4.80 Richard Lawson (Lakeside) 4.80 Timo Lahti* (Birmingham) 4.61 Jacob Thorssell (Wolverhampton) 4.50 Nico Covatti* (Birmingham) 4.48 Josh Grajczonek (Poole) 4.28 Kyle Howarth (Coventry) 4.24 Nicolai Klindt (Swindon) 4.00 Vaclav Milik (Poole) 3.51 Niklas Porsing (Kings Lynn) 3.00 Michael Palm Toft* (Belle Vue) 3.00 Robert Lambert (Kings Lynn) * not signed ...... but possible ? You could go top heavy like ... 9.20 Tai Woffinden 8.64 Matej Zagar 5.05 Mikkel Bech 5.00 Mikkel Michelsen 4.00 Vaclav Milik or good all round like .... 7.40 Craig Cook 6.82 Chris Harris 6.30 Lewis Bridger 5.78 Ty Proctor 5.61 Peter Ljung Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waiheke1 4,295 Posted January 18, 2014 Nki Piotr pawlicki Magic Morris Lambert Or Nki Bjerre Doyle Milik Lambert Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T.N.T. 355 Posted January 18, 2014 Pleased and suprised Wolves ended up with Piotr Pawlicki and think he can match his assessed average, but my intial thoughts on how the Wolves team would have been last November was something like ... 9.20 Tai Woffinden, 5.78 Ty Proctor and 4.61 Jacob Thorssell with 7.19 Scott Nicholls and 5.17 Simon Gustafsson - or - 7.30 Jason Doyle and 5.05 Mikkel Bech However building a team that would take some stopping with ridrs that have modest averages, I would think this 5 would be as strong as you can get 9.20 Tai Woffinden 6.82 Chris Harris 5.61 Peter Ljung 5.05 Mikkel Bech 5.00 Mikkel Michelsen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waiheke1 4,295 Posted January 18, 2014 Nki Hans Andersen Morris Ljung Lambert 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woz01 3,589 Posted January 18, 2014 Zagar 8.64 Schlein 6.84 Harris 6.82 Bech 5.05 Grajczonek 4.48 31.83 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattK 3,447 Posted January 18, 2014 It's impossible to tell without know the new heat format and associated rules. However, I think the top heavy teams will come out best. Matej Zagar (8.64) Hans Andersen (8.34) Rory Schlein (6.84) Mikkel Bech (5.05) Lambert (3.00) 31.87 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skidder1 7,632 Posted January 18, 2014 Good topic TNT - but wait for a certain poster to tell you the averages are incorrect (BWitcher!!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ColinMills 1,728 Posted January 18, 2014 id always go top heavy, history shows "all round strength" is never strong! gollob/rickardsson ward/holder etc will always keep you in any match Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T.N.T. 355 Posted January 19, 2014 (edited) Its good to have top riders but all round strength has won the day before. Covenry 2010, Swindon 2013 etc never had one 9+ rider in the team but were strong in depth. Sadly I think this season will be vey much reliant on the reserves and any team that dominates in that department will be in the play offs. Kings Lynn have both, but do they have the second strings in Porsing and Lambert ? Do any Coventry fans think a team of Nicholls 7.19, Harris 6.82, Barker 6.47, Fisher 5.71 and Ljung 5.61 would be stronger than the team they have ? That is a more balanced team and looks better balanced than including Andersen, Hansen and Howarth. If top heavy does work, Wolves could have had a strong team in Woffinden, Lindgren, Proctor, Thorssell and Ashley Birks with Morris and Jacobs. Brilliant top two, Proctor to carry on from last season and decent second strings in Jacob and Ashley and two top 10 draft reserves. Edited January 19, 2014 by T.N.T. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woz01 3,589 Posted January 19, 2014 Its good to have top riders but all round strength has won the day before. Covenry 2010, Swindon 2013 etc never had one 9+ rider in the team but were strong in depth. Sadly I think this season will be vey much reliant on the reserves and any team that dominates in that department will be in the play offs. Kings Lynn have both, but do they have the second strings in Porsing and Lambert ? Do any Coventry fans think a team of Nicholls 7.19, Harris 6.82, Barker 6.47, Fisher 5.71 and Ljung 5.61 would be stronger than the team they have ? That is a more balanced team and looks better balanced than including Andersen, Hansen and Howarth. If top heavy does work, Wolves could have had a strong team in Woffinden, Lindgren, Proctor, Thorssell and Ashley Birks with Morris and Jacobs. Brilliant top two, Proctor to carry on from last season and decent second strings in Jacob and Ashley and two top 10 draft reserves. I think Id prefer the team we have to be honest, an out and out number one is needed and Nicholls isnt that. Howarth is a rider on the up and should continue the improvement shown while at Swindon. Hansen is a Brandon specialist who I think will be heat leader material at home. I would have liked Ljung, it seems a bargain average to me but im more than happy with the assembled side. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
g13webb 4,254 Posted January 19, 2014 I find it interesting, reading people ideas of teams and how they think the season will pan out. My personal feelings are strong Heat leaders will always keep you in touch and you then have a chance of success. It must be sole destroying for a team when top man is being beaten. This year, the Reserves have a important part to play, in so much, they are riding their own agenda and will not be asked to compete against the top riders. You could say there will be two competitions running simultaneously in the same meeting, each having an input to the overall result. So in this situation, yes, we need strong heat leaders, and good reserves, but the jewels in the crown could be the Second strings, who will no doubt ride against, both the top men and the reserves. These positions could become the most important in the team, obviously, depending on the heat format. I find it quite alarming, that the heat format has not been released yet, putting tremendous pressure on team managers, who have had to permutate a team to succeed when they don't know the format of the competition. This should have been sorted out long ago.... It appears Mr Matt Ford is one of the last managers to finalise his team. No doubt, he is keeping his options open, for when the format is announced, so he can finalise his plans to best suit that of the format. Seems like a sensible thing to do, I'd say. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skidder1 7,632 Posted January 19, 2014 I find it interesting, reading people ideas of teams and how they think the season will pan out. My personal feelings are strong Heat leaders will always keep you in touch and you then have a chance of success. It must be sole destroying for a team when top man is being beaten. This year, the Reserves have a important part to play, in so much, they are riding their own agenda and will not be asked to compete against the top riders. You could say there will be two competitions running simultaneously in the same meeting, each having an input to the overall result. So in this situation, yes, we need strong heat leaders, and good reserves, but the jewels in the crown could be the Second strings, who will no doubt ride against, both the top men and the reserves. These positions could become the most important in the team, obviously, depending on the heat format. I find it quite alarming, that the heat format has not been released yet, putting tremendous pressure on team managers, who have had to permutate a team to succeed when they don't know the format of the competition. This should have been sorted out long ago.... It appears Mr Matt Ford is one of the last managers to finalise his team. No doubt, he is keeping his options open, for when the format is announced, so he can finalise his plans to best suit that of the format. Seems like a sensible thing to do, I'd say. Promoters do know what the race format is to be. Designs for matchday programmes and race cards are already underway - at some clubs - for the new season, so I'm sure that's not the reason for MF to delay the final announcement! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodgy 976 Posted January 19, 2014 Promoters do know what the race format is to be. Why are they taking so long to communicate it. Concerned there may be an influx of returned season tickets. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skidder1 7,632 Posted January 19, 2014 Why are they taking so long to communicate it. Concerned there may be an influx of returned season tickets. Whats the rush, there are no meetings for a couple of months yet!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodgy 976 Posted January 19, 2014 Whats the rush, there are no meetings for a couple of months yet!!! It's a vital part of the package. When making such a radical change it is imperative you consider the knock on impact. That's not how it appears to work with the BSPA, make the decision then face the consequences as and when. The race format is a critical element of the leagues structure. In my opinion a key influencer deciding if it's worth pursuing - I don't want to watch the same riders race each other all night. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
