Fantasy Football Preview Week 18

Woah we’re halfway there. Gameweek 18 of a 36 game campaign

47 points when the average was 38, not bad but I won’t be getting a parade on Patrick Street cos of it.

I’m still 101 points of the top of our league

Vindication

Picking Nani as captain over Nasri was the only thing really, that could count as managerial insight

D’oh

I swear I saved my changes but somehow Coleman was my 14^th man at the weekend, his 7 points was a better haul than 8 of his team mates

Hunch / Drama / Dramatic Narrative before Sky Have Spotted it

Chelsea – United is where all the drama will be if you believe only things Sky tells you. All I see is a low scoring game with players scoring points which will take potential points off other members of your team (I still need to work out a better phrase for that!)

Stoke playing Arsenal, is the first time they’ve met since ‘that tackle”, let’s see what happens in the Emirates.

Also will the great freeze take any games off us? Blackpool are due to be at home to Spurs, but they have no undersoil heating. I only have one Spurs player, and no Blackpool ones. But I will be checking early in the morning

Transfers

Got 2.1 million in the bank, not gonna make a transfer this week so I have two next week. Interestingly I head today that the guy who is leading this game overall has only made 12 transfers all week, goes to show that making good decisions once beats weekly tinkering.

That is based on the assumption that no games have been postponed

Theory/Selection

Two simple ones, I don’t fancy Everton doing well at Man City (Everton can barely score a goal, Man City don’t seem to concede much), so I’ve put both Distin and Coleman on the bench, and also I don’t think Bolton will do well at Sunderland, but I have to play one of my two trotters so went with Elamander in my 11 over Lee.

My Team this week

 

Keeping An Eye On

Foster and Gordon are fighting for my second GK spot like X-Factor finalists, both averaging 4points a game

Captains Corner with Phergal

On way to me, will post in comments section

Fantasy Football Preview Week 17

How are you? I had a great weekend! on a social level. Fantasy Football wise it was a bollix, going to once again to prove a good real life affects your internet life, I won’t be making that mistake again!

I left for a festival on Fri morning, so couldn’t change my captain from Nani after the Man Utd/Blackpool game got cancelled. And as a result my team was 6 points below the average score this week (average score was 43 points). And speaking of captaincy, I had the setting wrong so it went to Ashley Cole as a back up captain rather than Nasri, which cost me 28 points!!!! Fawking hell.

I am now back in 49^th place, and a whacking 101 points off the top of the table. What a disaster. I need a Christmas miracle

I only had 8 players play at all. What a kick in the love sack,

Vindication

NOTHING

D’oh

The cancelled game and me being not near a computer.

Hunch / Drama / Dramatic Narrative before Sky Have Spotted it

This weekend’s marquee fixtures are Chelsea v Spurs and Man Utd v Arsenal, which is the start of a raft of big games in next few game weeks. This is also the start of counter productive team selections for instance having Vidic and Chanukah, means if one does their job well (i.e. keep a clean sheet or score a goal respectively), While one will get 6 points the other will only get 2 points, and therefore only average 4 points which is not a good haul, and then multiply that through your team. This is where making actual calls comes into it, as opposed to just banking on the leaders. This is where I will hopefully catch up on the leaders in this league.

History has shown us that Arsenal usually fold against Man Utd & Chelsea, such as the champions league game a few seasons back at the Emirates. But to be objective the Arsenal team is not really that young compared/inexperienced to the Man Utd. This wont’ be a whitewash either way I’d say.

Similarly the Chelsea V Spurs match won’t be good for defenders so front-load those teams. I think Defoe is going to have a blast this weekend, but am reluctant to sign him.

Newcastle Meltdown? Is this on the cards? As an Irishman I want them to fail now just to show them.

But judging by Andy Carroll’s Twitter today, they’ve already moved on to liking the new manager.

 

England Goalkeeper Face Off – Remember that mistake against the USA by the English goalkeeper, Rob Green? And now his long term replacement Joe Hart? Who’ll have more to prove at the Man City v West Ham match?

Transfers

Got two transfers this week, had intended to get rid of Cole and Alex from Chelsea, but got talked into keeping Cole by Mike, one of the leaders of our league.

I want Baines but am wary of having 3 Everton defenders. Joe.ie is suggesting Liverpool are gonan come into some good form from Torres and Skyrtel. I will go with the former, and sell Alex who is out till Feb anyway, and drop Varney (Blackpool have 4 tricky fixtures coming up) and bring in Bent, Sunderland have 4 winnable matches in next 6 games as well as a game with Man Utd (who he has history of scoring against). Bent is undroppable at Sunderland so that’s a good thing to be sure of.

I will keep Van der Vaart, even though he’s injured.

I wanted to get rid of Nolan too this week as he has a knock but I’ll stick with him.

So in short

Alex out – Skyrtel In

Varney out – Bent in

Left in Bank 2.1 Million

Theory/Selection

Everton at home to struggling Wigan, so will play both those defenders. So I’ll drop Ashley Cole since he’s away at Spurs and that must have goals at both ends. And even though I just bought him I’ll not play Skyrtel, so I can play Bent at Fuham (maybe that match will be a nil all draw, but I can see Newcastle scoring as a better chance). But since Nolan is maybe not gonna play, Skyrtel is my first sub.

Will go with Hart over Jasskegglan, simply cos I just can’t trust Bolton anymore and Man City’s tight defence should be okay against the toofless attack of West Ham.

Re: Captaincy it’s Nani v Nasri, and I’ll go with the former simply cos he’s at home. No real academic insight there.

My Team this week

 

Keeping An Eye On

Goalkeepers, time to move Jagjhgjfasyibn at Bolton on soon. It’ll be between Foster and Gordon I reckon.

Captains Corner with Phergal

man city away to west ham probably looks like the best fixture on paper, but alas the volatile tevez is suspended this weekend. perhaps balotelli then for those who have him. still no midfielders are standing out from a FF perspective.

Everton look good at home to wigan, cahill is the man here, on wicked form, doesn't seem to get outlandish scores but a goal or assist against weak opposition is likely.

two big match ups this week, spurs at home to chelsea first and with chelsea continuing their dire form midweek in europe and with VDV out for spurs it feels like a 1-0 or 1-1 result, so avoid for captain choices.

the always entertaining arsenal united could produce a few goals, both vying for top spot. Nani and berbie as usual. Fab is likely out for this one, but nasri seems to stepping up to fill his boots recently so is a decent pick also.

although my head this week says cahill, i'm going with elmander myself, at home to blackburn and "due a goal" as they say.

gamble picks? bale or foster.

Fantasy Football Preview Week 16

Short one this week, as I am sitting in a cold room in London at 1am and I need to get up at 7am to get to a laundrette and then Bristol. Long story.

Anway, I got scored 11 points more than the average last week, YEAH!!!! The average was only 44 points, BOOOO! Five players got 6 points or more, YEAAAH!!!! Six got two points or less, BOOO!

I’m getting really pissed off with how my considered decisions keep backfiring, but hopefully toward ends of the season, I’ll get bursts of luck in my favour. Which I need cos I’m 86 points off the top of the leader board.

Vindication

Nani as captain got me 24 points, but that’s hardly like I invented mercury is it? Nothing else really paid off, other than not playing Nolan I suppose.

D’oh

Where do I start, Rafael Van Der Vaart limping off and being injured for a month? Everton conceding 4 goals?

Hunch / Drama / Dramatic Narrative before Sky Have Spotted it

There’s nothing huge on the horizon this week I feel. As I type it’s Thursday night/Friday morning, perhaps there’ll be a burst of match cancelled, but you’d like to hope all the premier league grounds have correct pitch heating now. I’ll be away from my computer from tomorrow morning on, so I’ll have to make decisions on this not happening.

Maybe Everton will have a lot to proof at Chelsea, but the pensioners will too? It’s not gonna be nil all, that’s all I’ll guess.

Somewhere else in London, Fulham host Arsenal. Mark Hughes and Wenger have previous, with the latter criticising the formers tactics. Let’s see what happens. Also don’t forget that Fulham’s keeper Schwartzer who Arsenal were apparently ready to sign at during the summer just signed a new contract with Fulham. Is he going to show what they missed out on?

To be honest I’m expecting a hotchpotch of a weekend

Transfers

Won’t make any transfers and will rollover to next weekend.

Theory/Selection

Have a lot of players against other players in my team, have two Everton defenders and two Chelsea defenders, so contrary to my previous statement, I will pray for a nil all draw. Those 24 points would be pure handy. Actually I’ll drop Coleman for fear of Everton having another trouncing.

I don’t see it happening, but perhaps Bolton will score a freekick or something via Lee onto Elamander, I doubt they’ll keep a clean sheet, so I’ll go with Hart in goal.

My Team this week

 

Keeping An Eye On

Noone this week, let’s see if someone comes to light when I’m hungoveredly scouring the newspapers on Monday as I return from ATP in Minehead. Whoop Whoop.

Captains Corner with Phergal

very tricky one this weekend, dire weather threatens a whole lot of matches this weekend so pay careful attention to news reports and your emergency captain options. blackpool have said they are confident the match against united will go ahead and this is the strongest match for a captaincy this week. nani is the top pick as usual and berbie, but gamblers might want to give rooney the nod, surely (don't call me shirley, RIP leslie) he can score here.

city and bolton looks a good game for goals, tevez is my own pick here and elmander is a decent pick also.

not a huge amount of other decnt fixtures, perhaps arsenal at home to fulham, nasri and perhaps cham. i like blackburn at home to wolves, Gamst pederson or maybe samba are nice options.