Jul
08
Anderson and Jo Set For Beijing
Brazil have named both United’s Anderson and Man City’s new signing, Jo, in their squad for the Beijing Olympics. They join Ronaldinho and Robinho in a very strong looking lineup. Both will now miss the start of the season along with Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva who is also included for Brazil.
Liverpool will also lose Mascherano who has been called up to the Argentinian squad. Elsewhere, West Brom’s Kim Do-Heon has been omitted by South Korea and Blackburn’s Ryan Nelson will play a part but will return for Rovers’ opening Premiership fixture - if a little jet-lagged.
The tournament is due to end on August 23 so all players involved should be available for Premiership action for the third fixtures of the season on August 30.
If mascherano and lucas are off to the Olympics and Rafa sticks with the same formation as last season, which surely he will as it took him half of last season to come up with it, isn’t that gonna leave them a bit thin in midfield?
Could possibly suggest that if Alonso doesn’t go, the papers are making noises that he may stay, he might get some football and could therefore be a bargain at 6mill. Unless of course Rafa goes for that Plessis fella which with Rafa can never be ruled out.
Could also mean an early chance for Pennant on the right if he doe revert to 4-4-2 pushing Kuyt up front. I know Rafa doesn’t fancy him but he did play well on the few occasions he got out last season and finished strongly.
Anyone got any thought on it?
[Reply]
Well it looks like he’ll have the option of Barry alongside Gerrard so I imagine that’s what he’s got in mind, at least until he has the option to shift Barry out to the left.
[Reply]
Reply by Goat on July 8, 2008 2:00 pm:
yeah that’s what i was thinking too. but then that’s still only got two of a central 3 and so a possibility for alonso unless he goes for benayoun.
or the possibility of a reversion to 4-4-2 with the barry and gerrard partnership but then there’s an opportunity for a wide man as with crouch on his way he’d put kuyt up front with torres??
[Reply]
Reply by Mark on July 8, 2008 2:02 pm:
The pursuit of Keane would seem to indicate he has a 4-4-2 in mind so I imagine that’s what he’s looking at, with or without Keane.
[Reply]
Reply by Goat on July 8, 2008 2:16 pm:
True, but then that could limit Gerrards output as he’d be playing deeper, as you pointed out he benefited a lot from his advanced role last season.
But then I suppose he’s bound to roam anyways so it won’t have that much of an effect.
[Reply]
Does anyone think there will be a lot of clean sheets this season, because at the end of last season there were not that many and were hard to predict. Is it worth spending more in midfield and attack this season?
My team, but think about making the transfers in brackets, what do you think?
(Howard [Turnbull]), Schwarzer
Clichy, (Carvalho [Taylor-WIG]), Upson, Cahill, Dawson
Gerrard, Fabregas, Young, Little, Noble
Torres, (Ashton [Crouch]), (Fuller [Alves])
[Reply]
Reply by jpw on July 9, 2008 11:31 am:
I started off the season last year with a couple of United and Portsmouth defenders. They did me really well, plenty of clean sheets. What I did find later on though was that, despite their consistant scoring, their price remained the same. The result was, although I was top (or there abouts) in my league, the value of my team was very low compared to those around me who had jumped on the goal scoring defenders/mids/forwards of the game. Later on in the season I started to struggle as other teams had anything between 1 & 3 million more than me to spend.
Basically, clean sheets will score you points consistantly, but if you want to be competative later on, make sure you jump on the goal scoring player bandwagon early.
[Reply]
Reply by Bedknobs and Boomsticks on July 9, 2008 12:10 pm:
I’m not a huge fan of defenders. I think the problem is that the only way for them to get big points is if they score a goal, which is generally pretty random. With attacking players, you can look at form and fixtures and chop and change to get players who are scoring well. So, whilst defenders may score fairly well in total, you can score more by buying and selling forwards and mids at the right time.
Aside from the logical stuff, there’s also the annoyance value of late goals / being subbed on 59 minutes etc.
[Reply]
Any recent news on Lescott’s knee?
[Reply]
If Kuyt would go to forward, would he still be listed as a midfielder in the FPL? Kindof like Poldolski for Germany who played midfield but usually is a forward. I picked up Kuyt thats why im interested…
[Reply]
Reply by Sam (Team Sam) on July 8, 2008 7:25 pm:
yup, he’ll still be a midfielder. once they chosen a position for a player it’s fixed for the whole season. even as a mid i don’t think he’ll necesarily start enough to warrant his price-tag though
[Reply]
Reply by Evan on July 8, 2008 10:08 pm:
alright who should i swap for Kuyt then if hes not a reliable midfielder? Should i add Essien (i already have Ballack)? im guessing it leaves a Manchester City or Aston Villa middy. Im leaning toward Bentley…. give me your suggestions please
[Reply]
Reply by Brad on July 9, 2008 3:51 am:
Recommend staying away from Essien until it is established whether he will be returning to a midfield role or continuing to be played as an attacking right back (as he was late last season to make way for Lamps / Ballack / Makelele in a 4.3.3 setup). The latter will surely reduce his gamebreaking potential. Of course, the plus side of this situation is the increasing use of Ballack as an attacking mid. After a reasonable showing at the Euros i think he will be looking to prove himself this season (even more so if Lamps goes).
Think Bentley is a good option longer term but he is reportedly a little unsettled at the club and therefore potentially starting the season with many distractions (also their fixtures are not as good early on as say the likes of Everton, Arsenal or West Ham).
Have you thought about A Young? Downing?
[Reply]
Reply by Sam (Team Sam) on July 9, 2008 10:13 am:
Ashley Young or Arteta. Both better options in my opinion
[Reply]
hmmm, i had Jo originally, but guess he’ll have to wait. also leaving out C.Ron until maybe gameweek 5. Anyone else close to completing their team (until any new signings completely change everything)? i have a feeling this could be a big season for arteta and van persie, plus i think elmander will be class. i’m also annoyed that James’ price has gone up, cos he’s been a constant choice for me the last 2 seasons, might as well have Reina for that price. the line-up thus far:
GK: Reina, Schwarzer
DF: Bosingwa, Lescott, Knight, Evra, Meite
MF: A.Young, Fabregas, Bullard, Arteta, Giovanni
ST: Van Persie, Alves, Elmander
any thoughts/suggestions?
[Reply]
Reply by Brad on July 9, 2008 3:55 am:
I also think Elmander at 7.0 is a huge sleeper but not someone i’d put in my team for week 1 as his role and ability to handle the style of game in England are totally unproven. I’d keep an eye on his progress but that’s about it.
Reckon RVP will be a contender for most goals in the season if…. a big IF… he stays fit and healthy. People were saying the same this time last season and he was injured very early on after coming out all guns blazing.
[Reply]
Reina
Bosingwa Cahill Gallas A.Cole/Evra
Arteta Fabregas Modric Young
Berbatov Van Persie
Any thoughts?
[Reply]
Reply by Brad on July 9, 2008 3:57 am:
Also, keep in mind that there are injury clouds over both Evra (i think) and definitely Arteta.
[Reply]
Which group is better to have:
Howard———- Turnbull
Carvalho——– Taylor (wigan)
Ashton———- Crouch
Fuller———- Alves
[Reply]
Reply by jpw on July 9, 2008 11:42 am:
I assume you mean the left or right groups…. in which case the left. Everton have a great start to the season as do West Ham and Carvalho should be solid at Chelsea. Though not sure Stoke will score many let alone Fuller.
Turnbull and Taylor have a mixed easy(ish) and tough games in the first few weeks, Crouch and Portsmouth have an awful start to the season and although Alves ended well last season I’m still unconvinced.
[Reply]
Turnbull, Taylor , Defoe , Alves ,
Defoe instead of Crouch just for better goal scoring potential from a crouch nod down. But have Crouch if u want
[Reply]
How good is turnbull?
Really not sure about boro and how they’ll do this season, main question being how well they will do without the reliable schwarzer?
[Reply]
is gary neville gonna start the season or will he sick with brown?
[Reply]
is gary neville gonna start the season or will SAF stick with brown?
[Reply]
Reply by Phil Pino on July 9, 2008 11:04 am:
Alexi (and Mark/others), i don’t understand why Danny Simpson isn’t even in the game and isn’t being considered by some? I think he was really good last season when asked to play (8 times i believe), has good experience with SUN and could really push Neville/Brown for a first-team place - does anyone agree with me?
[Reply]
Reply by Alexi on July 9, 2008 11:33 am:
Phil i do agree with u, simpson performed well whenever he played…just cant see SAF putting him ahead of neville/brown? can u…
[Reply]
Brown to start ahead of Neville ?
Any one else finding it more difficultto get a good team?
and is Ronaldo worth the 14million if he stays ?
[Reply]
Reply by Sam (Team Sam) on July 9, 2008 11:58 am:
yes, he’s easily worth 14mil. but not from the get-go. looks like with his ankle operation he’ll miss the first couple of games. then utd apparantely have no fixture in the 3rd gameweek now, and the 4th and 5th games are away at chelsea and liverpool.
i’d leave him out til then (unless he is guaranteed to be starting in the first game of the season), then prepare your team to bring him in in gameweek 6… hopefully for about 13.6mil instead!
[Reply]
Reply by Martin on July 9, 2008 2:00 pm:
The only way his price will drop that much is if many teams buy him for the start and then sell him after the first deadline, otherwise there’s unlikely to be a drop as the player has to be transferred out on so many occassions for the price to drop.
This is the reason that someone like Owen held his price during his long-term injury in past seasons, because no-one bought him in the first place.
The only bit that never makes sense is how many times a player has to be transferred in or out for the price to change - seems to be quite random.
[Reply]
But he’s hard to fit in with that price, especailly if you want a striker lik Torres..
They won’t put him down in value at all, and it just like havin him having to have the money to spare ?
[Reply]
Reply by Sam (Team Sam) on July 9, 2008 12:24 pm:
i’m not saying leave the money to spare, i mean, if you’re aiming to bring him back in gameweek 6, you can start by spending the full 100mil, then make a change in gameweek 4, then another in gameweek 5 to free up enough funds. his value should go down a little if he’s not playing, as hourds of people will be temporarily transferring him out of their sides. either way, he’s worth 14mil as he’s the safest captain choice i’ve ever seen (averages like 9points a game or something ridiculous). you’re right though, that you probably can’t afford him and torres, but given the choice who wouldn’t pick ronaldo? torres got 193 points last time out, ronaldo got 283, a difference of 90points, and when you think of ronaldo as your captain instead of torres, the difference becomes 180points.
e.g. my team:
GK: Reina, Schwarzer
DF: Bosingwa, Lescott, Knight, Evra, Meite
MF: A.Young, Fabregas, Bullard, Arteta, Giovanni
ST: Van Persie, Alves, Elmander
to bring ronaldo in, i could replace Van Persie with Luke Moore (who could well be important for WBA this year), freeing up 4.5, so i could then take our fabregas and replace him with c.ron and have 0.5 spare.
[Reply]
Reply by Bedknobs and Boomsticks on July 9, 2008 12:36 pm:
Or there’s the wildcard. 5 or 6 weeks in should give a decent indication of which teams and players are performing above and below expectations, so you could do a complete remodeling job around Ronnie and wipe any pre-season selection errors.
[Reply]
I’d rather keep my wildcard a bit longer as it comes in handy!
Las season i used it in gameweek 3/4 and it was wasted ?
[Reply]
Mark, I was wondering if you are going to make a list of all the players who you think are cheap, it would be very useful.
[Reply]
Reply by Mark on July 9, 2008 10:46 pm:
Yeah I was going to have a run through the FPL pricing but I going to wait until there are a few more games launched before I do a round-up of the various price lists.
Plus I’m manic at work right now
[Reply]