Updated Scout Picks
The five game countdown begins then, with plenty of time to make that inspired transfer or almighty clanger. I’m not sure which I can help you with - could go either way. Still if you fancy another viewpoint on the players to consider for this weekend’s games, refresh for this weeks picks, then read on for my usual mix of wild speculation with the odd splattering of logic.
Like all good winning teams, lets start by building from the back as usual. Looking at the weekend fixtures, although the United defence will be severely tested and probably breached against Arsenal, there are enough decent options elsewhere for fantasy managers to plunder.
Villa at Derby for example looks a good bet. Yes Villa haven’t been sound defensively all season, but on the back of a 4-0 home win last weekend, O’Neill’s side will go to the bottom club with a great deal of confidence. I can see an away win by a couple of goals and a second consecutive clean sheet for Villa. Laursen is the obvious choice then, although Mellberg, Bouma and Knight all offer cheaper options for reduced goal threat.
Liverpool also look good for a shutout. They face Blackburn at Anfield, buoyant after their Champions League victory over Arsenal. It’s the first of a decent run-in for Rafa’s men and this one seems likely to see a familiar 2-0 scoreline with Carragher the best bet for a reliable clean sheet. Skrtel is an option but elsewhere there’s doubt over Rafa’s selection at the back.
Chelsea trail the United defence by just a single clean sheet and their home game with Wigan looks like a good opportunity to pull this stat level. Hilario is a good option in goal, although Grant is looking to bring a keeper in on emergency loan so there is a slight doubt here. Indeed, with a trip to Goodison on Thursday, there is doubt right across the back four although Terry appears to be the most likely starter.
My picks defence is completed by Shorey, an old favourite of mine, drafted in because I see Reading notching a couple against Fulham and the full-back could well contribute with assists or even a goal. A clean sheet is on the cards, although with Fulham fighting for their Premiership lives, I can see this being a potentially high scoring, tit-for-tat game but hoping Shorey will contribute in attacking terms.
In goal I’ve gone for a new face - Sunderland’s Gordon. Keane’s men haven’t been rock solid defensively but there are stronger in this area at home and they face a City side really struggling for goals. At the very worst, Gordon should rack up a few FPL points from saves even if City do breach the defence.
Moving on, Ronaldo has to start in midfield of course. He’ll have a tough time against Arsenal in what will probably be a tight, tense affair. You still can’t ignore him though because of the damage he can do if you dare to omit him from your lineup.
Alongside this permanent fixture, I’ve gone for a new man in Sunderland’s Andy Reid. He’s been a consistent factor in Sunderland’s upturn in fortunes that has seen them win three consecutive games. Sunderland could well make it four in a row against a City side low on confidence and struggling for goals. Reid will likely be instrumental if Keane’s men do prosper, while in the FPL, bonus is almost a given if three points go Sunderland’s way. Reid has found bonus in the last four games.
Villa’s Barry is another player in fine form who is hard to ignore this week. A trip to Derby should give the Villa skipper the platform to bring in some further fantasy points after his two goals and two assists against Bolton.
The final midfield place is a risk because he may well be under threat of being rested but Chelsea’s Lampard, should he play against Wigan, does promise a big points haul. Wigan’s away form is currently dire and with Chelsea chasing United with the prospect of making up ground should they falter against Wenger’s men, I would expect to see a decent win for Grant’s men here. I see Lampard playing with Grant choosing to rest those around him such as Kalou and Joe Cole. As a result I can easily see Frank notching another goal or two against the Wigan defence.
Up front there are more than a few good options to ponder. Defoe is hard to ignore given his record at Fratton Park and, while Newcastle have improved greatly in recent weeks, there are still doubts about them defensively. If Portsmouth score a goal or two - and I think they’ll need to to beat Newcastle, you can bet that Defoe will figure.
I’ve stuck with Berbatov as his partner. Long-term he offers great potential such are Tottenham’s fixtures over the last five. The home game against Boro promises goals, as does every Spurs home game. I expect Berbatov to figure in the points in this one, with Boro likely to push Spurs all the way
after their fine performance agianst United.
Moving on to alternatives - you may have noticed I’ve snubbed the Liverpool pair of Gerrard and Torres. While my self imposed “two player per club” rule prevented me from selecting both, I decided to opt out of the pair with one eye on the long term. Torres was very close to ousting Defoe up front and while I’m pretty certain he’ll add to his goals tally against Blackburn, he is a risk in terms of rotation for future games, plus he’s priced higher than Defoe of course. That swung it for the Portsmouth man but don’t go away thinking I’m not tipping Torres to fair well this weekend - far from it.
While we’re on the subject of strikers - Villa’s Young, West Ham’s Ashton, Boro’s Alves and Sunderland’s Jones all have decent form and fixtures this weekend and are certainly likely to fair well. Why no Yakubu? I’m just worried about Everton’s goalscoring form. They’ve been struggling for goals and although they face a normally generous Birmingham defence, Moyes’ side are lacking midfield creativity with Arteta and Osman doubts and Pienaar and Cahill already out.
Talking of midfielders, the usual mid-price suspects - Hunt at Reading, Taylor at Bolton and Bullard at Fulham - all look promising. The latter two will be fighting for their lives and if their clubs are to go out fighting, they seem a good bet to profit.
At the back the best alternative to the five defences I’ve selected appears to be Everton at Birmingham. Their backline has been sound all season although they have stuttered of late. Birmingham’s weakness defending set-pieces could make up for a loss of a clean sheet with Lescott the obvious target given his goal haul thus far.
As for FPL Captain - Ronaldo is, as always, the safe option. As this week’s poll indicates, Lampard is a massive temptation. He has the fixture to do the damage but there is still a slight doubt over whether he’ll start the Wigan game with a trip to Everton following so soon after. My bet is that he’ll play but the decision to make him captain should not be taken lightly. The risk of looking beyond Ronaldo is big but if you’re chasing a gap then this is a genuine opportunity to make up ground. There are still four games to go so panic isn’t on the agenda yet but if you’re looking to close a 50+ point gap then Lampard offers a great opportunity this week.
Beyond Lampard, you have the usual Gerrard and Torres options. Bigger risks include Barry, Berbatov and Defoe - all have form and decent fixtures and are certainly options if you don’t fancy the slight gamble on Lampard.
**Apologies for the cross-posting, but this post belongs here**
Mark et al:
Not sure if the same is true for FPL, but in the game I play EVE and CHE have a double game week.
Current linup is:
Tevez, Torres, Rooney
Ronnie, Reid, Johnson, Pineaar
Shite Defenders
Friedel
Swap out a striker?
Drop a striker and Play a 3-5-2? Which MF?
What about dropping Friedel for Hilarious or Gordon(would gain 3-4 on that swap).
Thoughts appreciated.
Surf’s up,
-TheNecromancer
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Reply by Mark on April 11, 2008 6:20 pm:
Tevez, Rooney and Torres looks like a big game of “Champions League Rotation Roulette ” to me TheNec. Those three all seem likely to miss at least one of the last five I would say - certainly might be worth trading in with that in mind. One of those out for Lampard with the double fixture in your game would seem a good bet. Although Che/Eve have no double in the FPL.
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Excellent round up, Mark.
And I’m delighted with your choice of goalkeeper. Gordon has been my No.2 all season and this looks a good time to promote him. And another Balck cat in there as well. Superb job Keane has done!
I think you’re right about Torres. He’ll do well but then it’s time to sell him.
MArk, is Skrtel likely to play in Liverpool’s last 5 games? I guess he stands a good chance with Hypia taking ‘5 days to recover!’ after each game.
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Reply by Mark on April 11, 2008 6:16 pm:
Yeah, I’m surprised at Skrtel. He looked shaky when he first arrived but he’s seemingly established now. You should be spot on - Hyypia’s creaky legs should ensure that Skrtel gets the nod over the last five - he’s not as certain as Carragher but he’s the next best option.
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Mark:
Thanks for the suggestion. Can swing following:
Tevez out (Played 90 min v Roma, no?)
Swap Flash Gordon in for Friedel.
Add Lamps.
I could also upgrade Pineaar (how doubtful?) to the likes of Carrick, Dempsey, Solano, Butt or SWP.
My only hesitation is that the Yahoo! game really rewards saves and I forsee many of those for my ‘merkin keeper v LIV.
What are the chances of Lamps playing both matches? Is the feeling on your side of the pond that CHE still think they can catch ManUer?
Cheers,
-TheNecromancer
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I’m gambling for Lamps as Captain this week to make up some ground on the leaders. Where’s MJ with his helpful cast iron prediction of this weeks teams when you need him? Surely his new mate must work at the Bridge?
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Guys everytime I have not captained Ronaldo he has produced almost 20 points!
However surely he cannot do it against Arsenal? I am considering giving the armband to Lampard this weekend, will he do the business? He could quite easily produce 2 points, or even be on the bench!
Help
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Reply by theMoz on April 11, 2008 6:52 pm:
He won’t be on the bench - only played 9 mins on Weds.
I expect he’ll score from a penalty this week!!
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one of my close friend again at bridge and old trafford told me tht both ronaldo and lampard are on bench…
Plz for GOD sake dont make RONALDO as captain… give us some chance..
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Reply by waggy on April 13, 2008 6:51 am:
Please stop it fella, it got boring pretty fast.
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Thanx Mark for early scout picks this week, great for the time zone I live in, can sleep early now
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Hi Mark,
I have both Lampard and Cole, so think I’ll be transferring Cole out this week. I am number 1 in my league by 100+ points, but number 2 has Cole as well. If I get rid of him and he plays and does well he’ll come closer. Do you think swapping out Cole for Barry is a good idea then?
I could also swap Yakubu for Young, but then I’d be stuck with 2 Chelsea liabilities (and Gerrard).
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Reply by TheNecromancer on April 11, 2008 8:51 pm:
Not that you asked me, but I think Barry for Cole would be a good move.
Cheers,
TheNecromancer
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Reply by Alex on April 11, 2008 9:40 pm:
I just have a feeling Barry’s the kind of player that doesn’t consistently score well. He’ll get a massive amount of points for one GW, then will go on to score 3, maybe 5 a week for a while again.
Young has been more consistent points-wise.
But since you’re the only person to respond, I will go with your opinion so I can blame you if it all goes sour. Thanks.
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Reply by TheNecromancer on April 11, 2008 9:51 pm:
I didn’t realize it was an either/or question.
In the game I play, Young is a much better value than Barry, so that would be my preference. There’s been a line of thought here that there is no one available to “feed the Yak”, so to speak; and he is one striker who needs someone else to do the heavy lifting.
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Reply by Alex on April 11, 2008 10:01 pm:
Yeah, that’s been my thought process as well. I only got Yakubu in last week and of course it didn’t pay off. But I also don’t think it’s wise to hang onto both Lamps and Cole with the Champions League rotation threat and then this week the Everton game. And double tranfers never pay off for me, that’s why it’s kind of an either/or thing.
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Reply by yer dad on April 11, 2008 10:30 pm:
Well, if I can’t nest below that level I will nest here. I have given ‘The Yak’ the Spanish Archer for Young and I always get it right, well sometimes, ask Luke. If your 100+ points ahead Alex you can afford to get Cole for Barry and he has a great run in. Let your number 2 take the risks
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Reply by TheNecromancer on April 11, 2008 10:35 pm:
Great, dad’s awake. Hide the beer.
Dad: if you will please weigh in on my mediocre midfield conundrum discussed below.
Board is waxed and tide’s on its way in!
-TheN
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Reply by puffinboy on April 11, 2008 10:45 pm:
puffins nest below any level
Reply by Alex on April 12, 2008 9:55 am:
Urr yeah well, I went the other way ’round.
Barry for Cole.
Enough of this resting players shite.
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I think Bikey is an excellent shout for defense this week- His recent run of games hasn’t been too bad and his home record isn’t too bad either! I think he’ll probably score a couple! Cheap as chips as well.
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I desperately need your help mark!
My team at the moment is james, knight, carvalho, nosworthy, lescott, ronaldo, lampard, j cole, berbatov, young, yakubu and i have subs as brown, pienaar and huddlestone. im leaving huddlestone on the bench despite spurs facing boro because he probably wont start, but im not sure which two from lescott, yakubu and brown to play!
also, i havnt used my free transfer yet so who do you recommend i get? i was considering selling yakubu, lescott and pienaar but i dont know who to buy for this gameweek! oster perhaps? thanks!!!!
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My team:
Green
Mellberg - Carvalho - Shorey
Lampard - Ronaldo(C) - Barry - Huddlestone - Taylor
Rooney - Tevez
Bench:
Kirkland
Neville
Murphy
Taylor
Neville or Murphy as the first substitute?
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Reply by Sam (Team Sam) on April 11, 2008 10:35 pm:
Murphy
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Anyone know how serious the injury is Pienaar is?
Would Malouda or Edwards (SUN) be a safer bet?
-TheN
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Alex:
Seeing as you are the only one awake, do you know anything about Pienaar’s injury., Mark lists him as a doubt, but he has a double game week in my league and I would hate to drop him. However, CHE also have a double gameweek so I could swap him straight for Malouda.
Your thoughts?
-TheN
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Reply by Alex on April 11, 2008 10:22 pm:
Haha! Yes, I’m the only one awake…that’s when the desperate turn to ME…and it’s an hour later here, imagine that (although I’m fairly certain the others are out boozing, not necessarily asleep).
Pienaar this week is what you least want to hear: undergoing a late fitness test. Meaning nobody, including the club doctor, knows right now if he’ll play.
But the way Everton have been playing lately even if they play a double they don’t really appeal. Double gameweeks could be 2+2 points easily, so don’t get lured in by that one.
But Malouda? Is that a player you want long-term? He hasn’t gotten much gametime the last…oh…8 gameweeks or so…
Sure, he will feature more with other rested for Champions League fixtures, but there are better options out there.
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Reply by TheNecromancer on April 11, 2008 10:30 pm:
Hahaha.
I am actually GMT-8 hrs and leaving soon for a run to the coast for some surfing. Dunno if I will log on later, so I need to straighten out my lineup pronto.
Malouda is not even a short term signing. Just did a little lineup shuffling and need to put in a mid-priced MF such as Carrick, Malouda Dempsey, Solano, Butt or SWP.
Cretainly open to suggestions.
Cheers,
TheNecromancer
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Reply by yer dad on April 11, 2008 10:44 pm:
I have to go with Butt Necro even thou he is away from home this weekend. He was yer dads scout pick last week and will stay in this week as he is having his second wind and gets the bonus points. SWP?? Is he still playing??
Some great surf up North this weekend. I might even get the bbq out of the coal shed this weekend and blow up the pool. Who needs Californeeiiiaaaaaa.
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Reply by Alex on April 11, 2008 10:45 pm:
Out of that bunch I’d go for Butt, but Barton’s also a good bet. I take it you already have Barry then?
Surfing…meanwhile I’m still stuck at work. Friday nights are exhausting and this fantasy heel doesn’t help.
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Reply by TheNecromancer on April 11, 2008 11:03 pm:
OK, I’ll jump on your Butt bandwagon (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Barton and Barry cost too much.
Mark sez SWP to start for CHE (who have a double gameweek in Yahoo! league).
Dad, bring your wetsuit. Currently air temp is 83F with water temps in the 60s. Swells from the Soutwest up to 7ft.
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Reply by yer dad on April 11, 2008 11:13 pm:
The Messiah has been known to pick Barton Necro. Last time I seen Ian Wrights son he was playing with his W11 on tv.
Exactly the same weather as up north Necro. Have a surf, then a few cups of coffee, throw in a bagel and then you will know if Butt is the right the move
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Reply by Alex on April 11, 2008 11:15 pm:
It’s definitely the right name.
Oh, the punning I have done this season alone…
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Reply by TheNecromancer on April 11, 2008 11:20 pm:
Butt it is, always trust your dad.
Already much too much coffee.
Just received my 4th text from the “Dudes” asking WTF I am doing. Being good, blue blooded ‘merkins, you can guess the crap I would catch if they knew I was debating whether to add a guy named Butt to my fantasy soccer team.
Heading back into deep cover,
-TheNecromancer
PS Enjoy your weenie roast!
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Reply by Alex on April 11, 2008 11:23 pm:
Whereas here you’ll just get crap over calling it soccer…
Reply by TheNecromancer on April 11, 2008 11:41 pm:
precisely.
All y’all are tres gentile
or is it troppo simpatico?
hey alex u sounds like a savvy man..
need a tip from you if you don’t mind or anyone else who can help…
you think its ok to bench Clichy and A’O brian.. or should i bench Jenas, Evra or P.Neville
Avanti
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Reply by puffinboy on April 11, 2008 10:47 pm:
Alex is my bride-to-be, how dare you!
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Reply by yer dad on April 11, 2008 10:51 pm:
You still clinging on to page 1 Martin. Have you had the balls of steel to sell Santa cruz for young??
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Reply by puffinboy on April 12, 2008 8:20 am:
I kept Santa and offloaded Tevez for Jones, Nigel. Also, in a lovely bit of closing-the-stable-door business, I brought in Barry.
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Reply by yer dad on April 12, 2008 8:52 am:
As long as your not nesting on the bottom of page 1 by the end of the day Martin, I will trust in your signings. I also jumped on the Barry bandwagon expecting another 20 pointer from him today or I might have to settled for his usual 2 points.
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Reply by Alex on April 11, 2008 11:16 pm:
Ta pumpkin.
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Reply by Alex on April 11, 2008 10:52 pm:
Savvy woman actually, but who’s paying attention at this time of night…
I’m not really the right person to ask bench questions, seeing as that’s where I usually bleed points. The bench curse has hit me pretty hard on several occassions.
But out of that bunch that’s also who I would bench. Man U have a bigger shot at a clean sheet than Arsenal, though I don’t see either getting one. Jenas at home to Middlesbrough I’d definitely play as well as Neville. Their defence seem to be losing their touch, but Brum aren’t exactly knocking them in anymore either (well, not in away games anyway).
Still a little undecided on Clichy though.
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Reply by yer dad on April 11, 2008 11:06 pm:
Yep, yer dad agrees with the bench curse. It looks like bench warmers are coming into to play lately and having a decent 1st/2nd choice is a factor to consider for the final run in.
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Reply by Brian Jiggs on April 12, 2008 8:15 am:
Ooops thanks anyways Ms Alex
another lil question pour toi..next gameweek hows aboout bringing van persil or theo walnut?
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Mark,
Why do you think Cole will be rested and Lamps won’t?
Cole already got a rest in the last game, whereas Lamps played…
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I’m lagging behind on my selection decisions this week, but I agree with :
The potential defensive strengths of Aston Villa, Sunderland and Chelsea this week.
The usefuless (or not) of Torres after this week’s Blackburn game: he’ll be wasting away on a bench with Rafa’s penchant for rotating him with Crouch.
Defoe, Berbatov and Torres (all in my forward line) have got potential points written over them this week. Deserting Ronaldo has cost me dear lately but the Arsenal game will (despite their recent frailties) not be a foregone conclusion, although I think United will win.
Although he was on the absent list last week with my captain’s arm band, I fancy Defoe for capatain this week and Pompey to win a goal-laden game with Newcastle 3-1.
I think Liverpool’s game with Blackburn may not possess a clear win for Pool or a cleansheet. I fancy Blackburn to take the lead as Liverpool have shown lately that they can be slow off the starting blocks; Liverpool can grab an equaliser: I’ll go with 1-1.
Carvalho/Cole/Huddlestone have all been on the rotational wheel lately much to my disgust - I have to replace Flamini as well and I share the sentiments of a few people by saying that Andy Reid seems to fit the bill.
I’m going to look for another cheap midfelder to replace Huddlestone and risk a 4 point hit…
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Reply by jim on April 12, 2008 6:44 am:
Hi Leighton
Sky Sports says Huddlestone may play.
Might be worth one more week?
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Just thought I’d let Yer Dad know of a few reasons to go to his local bookies today. Perhaps you can offload some of the shillings out of your pension on these tentative bets:
Tottenham to draw with Middlesborough (14/5)
Sunderland to beat Man City 2-0 (10-1)
Santa Cruz to score first v Liverpool and the game to end 1-1 (50-1).
PS. Puffinboy, I have checked out the exchanges as well, even though I am the traditional betting shop in the street man.
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Reply by yer dad on April 12, 2008 8:43 am:
Cheers Leighton
I will dip into the shilling jar under the stairs to put 1 or 2 of your bookie busting bets on.
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Reply by puffinboy on April 12, 2008 5:19 pm:
1 out of 2, not too shabby.
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Reply by sam on April 12, 2008 5:46 pm:
ye would be 9 quid better off if you had a fiver on them both
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ive just taken a 4 point hit by selling lescott and yakubu for skertl and defoe! hope it pays off…
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It’s a 4 point hit for me this week.
Reid in for Flamini.
Barry in for Joe Cole.
My team is:
James
Carvalho/Brown/Nosworthy/Knight
Barry/Reid/Ronaldo
Torres/Defoe(C)/Berbatov
Subs: Neville, P./Butt/Huddlestone
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Not sure where the clean sheets will come form this week.
Sunderland and Chelsea and possibly Aston Villa this week.
Pienaar to play? dodgy - he may get a few mins towards the end and get 1 point.
I really need some help here, guys. PLEASE
My defence is Nosworthy, O’Brien, Geremi, Jagielka and Clichy.
Apart from Nosworthy I feel very shaky. But I just have a feeling Bolton may just hold out against West Ham. But will Portsmouth hammer Newcastle? But surely Newcastle will score and Geremi seems to be in form. as for Jagielka……. And Clichy for the bench - but does class shine through….
I have already done 1 sub.
Suggestions greatfully received - is someone worth bringing in for a 4 point hit?
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Reply by Leighton on April 12, 2008 8:45 am:
theMoz,
Geremi may not keep a cleansheet but has got vast assist-potential.
An Aston Villa defender in (for the long-run or should I say run-in), e.g. Bouma or Knight in for Jagielka would be my shout.
Villa should keep a cleansheet v Derby, then they have Birmingham at home, Everton away (who don’t score many), Wigan at home and West Ham away - not a bad set of fixtures and Villa, after their wobbly spell, will want to go out on a high.
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Reply by theMoz on April 12, 2008 10:04 am:
thx for that, Leighton
I actually have enough money for the Jagielka - Laursen swap. And I see Laursen scored against Derby last time and he’s over due a goal.
And no risk of rotation - hoorah!!!
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is it worth taking a 4 pont hit to drop joe cole for lamps?
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Reply by Alex on April 12, 2008 10:00 am:
Barry what an enormous coincidence!
I just brought you in for Cole.
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Reply by Barry on April 12, 2008 10:18 am:
or should i bring myself in for lamps then!!!
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Reply by Alex on April 12, 2008 10:22 am:
Dunno. How much self-confidence do you have?
At any rate, 4 point hits are rarely worth it unless you have some kind of cool time travel machine (I guess not, coz if you were Dr.Who you wouldn’t have to go on this site and ask the likes of…well…me).
Cole might be rested, but he might not.
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Reply by theMoz on April 12, 2008 10:24 am:
Great insight on Cole, Alex!!
I have him. He had a break last weekend……How much rest does a man need!
And Chelsea could knock a few in against Wigan, so he has ONE more chance!
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Reply by Alex on April 12, 2008 10:32 am:
I know, I’m pretty damn insightful and useful etc…
I dropped him simply because I’ve had enough of worrying about my players being rested or not. I also have Ron, Lamps and Gerrard so enough’s enough. Those kids can do crazy thoings and you’re just sat at home worrying.
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I’m sitting top but only on a 5 point cushion!!! Decisions, decisions. I’m thinking to take out Fab and Yak and buying in Barry and Defoe at a 4 point hit. Next week I’ll buy Fab back transferring Jenas and Hunt out for Fab and someone around the 5.2 mark. My back line are sitting pretty so need no changes there.
Haven’t decided yet whether to stick with Ronnie as captain…or Barry….or Torres - half an hour to decide!!!
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ummm. should i play Evra or shud i play A.O’Brian
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Reply by Alex on April 12, 2008 10:18 am:
Evra.
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Reply by Brian Jiggs on April 12, 2008 10:31 am:
thnx alexis colby
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everyone here seems to have brought in barry so think ill drop cole as he is a risk.
just hope lamps doenst play a stormer!
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I’m going with Lamps as captain as most of you think he should play. I’ve dumped the Yak for Martins cos i reckon Pompey Vs Newcastle could be a goal fest.
My team:
James
Bouma Larson Brown Lescott
Lamps Ronny Gerrard
Berbatov Martins Defoe
I’m optimistic for a good week
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This down time kills me . . . . waiting to see what everyone in my league has done!
Stuck with Ronnie as captain, just hope everyone else hasn’t!!
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What’s wrong with berbatov
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29 points so far this week. What about everyone else?
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Reply by puffinboy on April 12, 2008 7:13 pm:
27 with 6 wickets down.
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Reply by Roberto on April 12, 2008 7:16 pm:
25, 4 down. Bullard & Campbell bringing in some much needed bonus points!
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Reply by Dr Sanchez on April 12, 2008 7:24 pm:
28 with 6 to play including Captain Fantastic.
On the other hand, if only I hadn’t sold Lescott…….
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Reply by Top Dog on April 12, 2008 7:52 pm:
37 with 4 to go (can’t believe i swapped james for gordon, but im sure captain fantastic will do the business 2mo)
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46 with lampard captain, ronaldo and skrtel to play
a few weeks back i chose green over james, green has got 3 no clean sheets, james has got a pen save and two clean sheets :(:(:(
bonuses did me well with johnson, bullard, downing and young . Transfered downing in this week, great transfer.
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thought about having gordan in net for this gameweek but went for green , worked out better in the end but still, james would have been much better
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Just a quick question ! IF 2+ of your 11 don`t play but all your subs did will they both get put in your team and score points for U (Based on the Fantasy Premier League)? Soz its just that I`m a bit new to all the rules & regs …..
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Reply by Alex on April 12, 2008 11:03 pm:
You get a sub for each player that doesn’t play, so that would be a yes.
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Reply by Roberto on April 12, 2008 11:41 pm:
Formation allowing of course!
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Reply by MrPDM on April 13, 2008 5:36 am:
Cheers Guys thought that would be the answer THX
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Mark, as you know the deadline for the FPL closes at april 17. Do you aready know when we can expect your new updated scoutpicks and teamnews?
Thanks
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Reply by Mark on April 13, 2008 10:40 am:
Yep, I’m spending today catching up on things (injuries, scout notes etc) to prepare me for early team news and picks. I imagine I’ll make updates to team news from today onwards and aim to get a complete set of notes done for each team come Thursday evening. I’ll try to get some picks up by Thursday morning to give you a full day to discuss options.
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Has the deadline for 10 bookings passed? Is Cesc safe, or if he gets booked today will he miss 2 games? I’m bringing him and Adebayor back into my squad (playing my wildcard) because Arsenal’s remaining fixtures look so tasty, and now they’ll be completely focused on the premiership
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Reply by Mark on April 13, 2008 1:35 pm:
Passes today Sam, so Fabregas is still at risk.
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who sold yakubu (assist) and lescott (goal + bonus)?? i did!!
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Where the f**k is Almunia ?
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Reply by Alex on April 13, 2008 3:53 pm:
Wrist injury.
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Looks like Ron was the wrong captain to go with this week after all…
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Reply by theMoz on April 13, 2008 4:18 pm:
You, of little faith…:)
:)
Good day for The Mozmeisters. About time ,too.
A Gerrard/Torres combo!
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Reply by Alex on April 13, 2008 4:23 pm:
Hey, only 1 goal so far…I guess we’re spoiled.
So who scored the Arsenal goal? The Beeb says Adebayor, but it says Toure on their main page…
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hmmm hi alexis
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yakubu.. i think i shud rid him eh alexis…
what say bring in the van purse or emmanuel 5
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Reply by Alex on April 13, 2008 6:36 pm:
What you asking me for?
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umm thought i ask u. cuz i dont know much abt this malarky. n u seem to be. but hey. if u dont want to advise me is fine by me. no skin eh,..
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Reply by Alex on April 13, 2008 6:49 pm:
It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that my advice it usually pretty shite.
With that in mind, I have Yakubu and will also get rid of him soon. Probably not this GW though, as I have more pressing issues in my team.
I can only warn you that as soon as I get rid he will start scoring hattricks, so you might wanna hang on to him.
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oh ok alexis thanks.. ..
hey let me show u my team.. thats if u dont mind?
gordon,hart
evra,p.neville,clichy,O’brian,bouma
ronaldo,fabregas,lampard,cisse,alonso
defoe,yakubu,jones
any hints n tips?.. even if they are ’shite’ ones
m defending a minor lead of 30pts in ma factory league,
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Reply by Alex on April 13, 2008 7:07 pm:
It all depends on what game you’re in, is it FPL?
How much money do you have in the bank?
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Reply by Brian Jiggs on April 14, 2008 8:02 am:
oh.. Im in the FPL and have 1.4 mil a la banque
this downing jnr in for alonso sounds like a good shout eh
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alonso and evra out for downing and hereideson <<<however you spell it
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i jus call him herman munster. but thanks all the same sammy!
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Reply by sam on April 13, 2008 7:17 pm:
haha no worries man, im just wondering why you have alonso in the first place
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Reply by Brian Jiggs on April 14, 2008 8:06 am:
i jus thought b4 that alonso. is coming back into the swing of things.. n good passer.. freek icks, corners and what nots. but as we can see it was not a good signing by me
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Once again couldn’t watch d match today (i need to get cable!!)…..but from the bbc website, evra gets fouled for the hargreaves goal, assist anyone??…..
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nope no assist, dont get em for free-kicks .
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Reply by Top Dog on April 13, 2008 7:39 pm:
Damn!!…oh well, still got the Fatboy 2mo….watch him take a bite of Wigan!
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Brian,
You should deffo ditch alonso, your cash could be much better spent elsewhere.
I’m another who spent 4 points to dump the yak and missed out on his assist, so what do i know tho…..
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Thinking of swapping K.Jones for M.Zarate of birmingham.
And maybe swapping J.Cole for Downing and upgrading Ashton.
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So…chances of Rafa playing a “lesser” side in the FAPL are pretty big.
Gerrard/Torres likely to be rested for the next two games with the Champions League lurking about.
Time to get rid then?
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Gerrard out, Fabregas in, that’s my plan. Have some spare cash, so Adebayor is coming in for Forsell (I played my wildcard this week, so won’t cost me points). Home game versus Reading followed by Derby spells BIG points
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Reply by Dr Sanchez on April 13, 2008 9:19 pm:
Arsenal’s fixtures are superb, but I’m worried about moral. After saying that, at least one of Ade or Fab is a certainty for next week, especially with the risk of Gerrard and Torres keeping their bums warm over the next couple of weeks.
On a related note, does anyone else remember Rafa giving Fulham a get-out-of-relegation-free card with ropey team selection at about this time last season…..
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I agree with the Doctor,great fixtures but not much to play for but pride for Arsenal.Has to mean Walcott gets some more game time as Wenger looks to shake things up for next year,I suppose if Utd and Chelsea lose all their remaining matches Arsenal could be champs but something tells me Wenger already used his wildcard at the start of the season.
I have Gerrard and Torres to offload too but I reckon Gerrard will get 50-60 mins v Fulham which would give him more than enough time to do some damage,Torres our and the Berb in.Want to bring in Fabregas after his great performance today but feel morale may affect Arsenal now….How does everyone else feel about Arsenal players with their great run of games?
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Reply by CK on April 13, 2008 10:20 pm:
Agree that Fabregas was superb today, but it still only equates to a measly 2 points!
Mark - any chance of a poll asking which players should be brought in for remaining 4 games!
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Just played the wildcard (am top in most of my mini-leagues, so have been saving it, but it’s a waste not to use it now)
pre-wildcard:
GK: James, Hart
DF: Brown, R.Ferdinand, Laursen, Carvalho, Jagielka
MF: Gerrard, Lampard, Ronaldo, Bullard, Noble
ST: Berbatov, Murphy, Forsell
post-wildcard:
GK: James, Cerny (to free up money, will start James every game)
DF: Knight, R.Ferdinand, Laursen, Wheater, Hreidarson
MF: Fabregas, Lampard, Ronaldo, Downing, Noble
ST: Berbatov, Murphy, Adebayor
I know no-one really cares about my team, but anyone got any thoughts? I’ve got 0.5 left in the bank and have until thursday to make as many changes as I like
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Looks good Sam. Not overly keen on your strikers though, I would have thought Defoe would be a cert. I would degrade Downing and create cash for upgrading Murphy for Defoe.. if that is possible.
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Reply by Alex on April 13, 2008 11:19 pm:
Degrade Downing??? What has the man ever done to you??
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Reply by puffinboy on April 14, 2008 8:58 am:
Downing’s made of styrofoam, and is undegradable.
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Reply by Alex on April 14, 2008 9:37 am:
Speaking of styrofoam, were we now getting married or not?
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Reply by puffinboy on April 14, 2008 9:47 am:
Only if Mark performs the service. And only if I finish above you in the FPL - it’s bad enough having me dad kicking me arse, I can’t have me missus beating me too
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Reply by Alex on April 14, 2008 10:03 am:
That shouldn’t be a problem, I won’t be playing again after this season as I want my life back.
What’s your points total?
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Reply by puffinboy on April 14, 2008 10:11 am:
1915. But I’m sure Frank will boost that total by at least, er, 2 pts tonight. Yours?
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Reply by Alex on April 14, 2008 10:16 am:
2008 with Lamps to play.
But I’ll just bring in Stubbs and captain him for the next 4 weeks. No worries.
Reply by puffinboy on April 14, 2008 10:48 am:
You didn’t add your team to the Scout Picks League then? Btw, if Mark performs the service I’m sure we can get yerdad to give the bride away.
Reply by Alex on April 14, 2008 10:56 am:
I did for 30 seconds and then found I wouldn’t be no.1 so I left again. No point playing if you’re not winning.
Urm..I mean…no, I didn’t join, what on earth are you talking about?
Does there have to be such a traditional ceremony? Can’t we just hop off to Hawaii and frolic on the beach?
Reply by yer dad on April 14, 2008 5:33 pm:
Fantasy flirting. Bonus points awarded to you both for mentioning marriage and planning the wedding in under 90 minutes of play.
Reply by Alex on April 14, 2008 5:43 pm:
Actually, I proposed months ago, so we’re kind of lagging behind…
Reply by puffinboy on April 14, 2008 6:10 pm:
I’m coming around to the beach wedding idea - if it was good enough for Mick and Jerry…
Anyway, if I might stray on-topic for once, would it be judicious to get Cesc back for Frank on Wednesday?
Reply by Alex on April 14, 2008 6:58 pm:
Excellent.
Judicious wouldn’t be the word I’d use…
It’s hard to predict what Arsenal are gonna do now. Either they feel like they need to show their skill or they’ve given up because of life’s disapointments and there being no meaning to it etc etc…
Let’s see what’s caused Frank’s indigestion this time though, before making any decisions.
Reply by Brian Jiggs on April 14, 2008 10:13 am:
my points total is 1869.. n i have 1.4 a la banque…. look above 10 or so messages to see my team..
its fun is this FPL.. but the factory boys jus abusin me cuz i hav a 30 point lead which then makes me badly want to defend it. i dont think i can be asked with it nex season.. back to the sun dream team eh
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Reply by Sam (Team Sam) on April 14, 2008 12:11 am:
I thought about Defoe, but I feel I can rely on Portsmouth for clean sheets, but don’t want to go crazy with 3 of their players when they may begin to get distracted by the FA Cup Final. Plus, Downing and Boro’s fixtures look like a decent prospect, and this weekend Murphy has the derby game against Newcastle which could spell lots of goals. Your input is much appreciated though, I will mull things like this over for the next few days I’m sure
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Hi guys anybody know why Ashley Cole is not in tonights lineup?
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Reply by puffinboy on April 14, 2008 7:15 pm:
Maybe he’s something to do with Frank’s ‘family reasons’
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