Wondering if Pep Guardiola could turn around your struggling Fantasy Premier League team? Now is your chance to find out.
Players of the online game are going to see one of the biggest rule changes ever, with managers being added to the game for the first time.
It means that for those keen to see how Sean Dyche might fare managing Erling Haaland and Mo Salah – well, this might be as close as we’re ever going to get!
The modification will come in during the season, making it a change that players will need to know about now if they stand to be in with a chance of glory in the 2024/25 season.
Game designers have said the manager option is one of the “chips” available to players that can offer a wildcard to transform a struggling team.
A spokesman said: “Introducing the assistant manager chip. Behind every great team is a great manager. Now it’s your turn to bring one into the squad.”
Here is how it all works.
What are the new rules?
The feature will be added from gameweek 24, which is from February 1.
Players will choose from any of the Premier League’s 20 gaffers in addition to their current squad selections. Managers can be added for three consecutive game weeks.
You do not have to choose a manager at all but, like with the other chips, there is nothing to lose and you really might as well.
You will have a manager in your squad for three weeks only. But much like in real life, you can replace them!
How are points scored?
Six points are added to your team for every win and three for a draw accrued by the manager in real life. There is a bonus point for every goal scored and every clean sheet.
If your manager’s team gets a result against a team that is five or more places above them in the table, you can get a bonus 10 points for a win and five for a draw.
If you choose Kieran McKenna and Ipswich beat Manchester City 3-0 then your time will score six for a win, three points for the three goals, one for the clean sheet, and a 10-point bonus – meaning you would take a tidy 20 points from this one.
Which managers can I choose?
You can choose any of the Premier League gaffers. These are currently:
Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Unai Emery - Aston Villa
Andoni Iraola - Bournemouth
Thomas Frank - Brentford
Fabian Hürzeler - Brighton & Hove Albion
Enzo Maresca - Chelsea
Oliver Glasner - Crystal Palace
Sean Dyche - Everton
Marco Silva - Fulham
Kieran McKenna - Ipswich
Ruud van Nistelrooij - Leicester
Arne Slot - Liverpool
Pep Guardiola - Manchester City
Ruben Amorim - Manchester United
Eddie Howe - Newcastle United
Nuno Espírito Santo - Nottingham Forest
Russell Martin - Southampton
Ange Postecoglou - Tottenham Hotspur
Julen Lopetegui - West Ham United
Gary O'Neil - Wolverhampton Wanderers
The manager will count towards the overall number of team members in a squad – of which, players have a maximum of three to select.
For example, if you already have Leicester City’s Harry Winks, Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka but you really want Ruud van Nistelrooij as your manager, you will have to transfer one.
How much do managers cost?
Each manager has a price between £0.5m and £1.5m. This will not change.
The manager cost is included within your total budget.
It has not yet been stated how much each manager will cost.
What else do I need to know
Once the chip is activated, choosing your assistant manager does not cost a free transfer, the rules state.
“But, if you want to change your manager during this three-gameweek period, it will cost a transfer in exactly the same way as players,” a statement adds.
“Remember, you can only play one chip in a Gameweek. So, if you activate the assistant manager chip in Gameweek 24, you won't be able to use another chip until Gameweek 27.
“If a manager leaves their club, Fantasy managers who own or bring in that assistant manager will still score based on the original club’s performance.”
What other chips are there?
As stated, you can only use the assistant manager for three match weeks.
Wildcard: You can make as many transfers as you want in one week. You get two of these per season.
Bench Boost: Your bench players score double points for one week. You get one of these per season.
Triple Captain: Your captain scores triple points for one week. You get one of these per season.
Free Hit: Make as many transfers as you want for one week, then your team goes back to normal the next week. You get one of these per season.
