16th
May
2008
I’m back from festival frolics and stateside visits to bring you the first of several reviews of the fantasy season. Breaking it down by each position, I get the ball rolling with my view on the goalkeeping situation, where I question the investment options, whilst offering some early pointers on the shortlist for next season.
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posted in Scout Reports |
9th
May
2008
Refresh your screen for my last scout picks of the season, then read on for the usual blurb behind the selection.
Picks have come early this week because I’m just about to leave for a weekend music festival. That will see me desperately trying to find a TV with Sky, whilst updating the site via my laptop and a mobile broadband connection. I might even get to see some bands. Enough of my rambles - read on and good luck for the final hurrah.
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posted in Scout Reports, Tips |
8th
May
2008
Berbatov returns for Spurs. Vidic and Rooney set to figure at the JJB. Wenger contemplating more changes. Upson and Ferdinand in contention for Hammers. Anelka out of Bolton clash.
The team news section has been updated with all the early facts and “selection speculation” going into the final weekend.
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posted in Team News, Team Selection |
8th
May
2008
Wenger is set to blood another youngster or two for the final game against Sunderland on Sunday. Arsenal’s official site have hinted that the manager will draft in Mark Randall, in addition to Kieran Gibbs who was on the bench against Everton last weekend. There’s also every possibility that Traore could get a start having impressed on his arrival as sub against Moyes’ men. Wenger has once again hinted that one of his established players could make way…
“I could give one or two players an early breather because they go to Euro 2008 or the African qualifiers”, he remarked.
Who could be set for the chop? The smart money has got to be on Eboue. Both Gibbs and Randall are midfield players so that looks likely to be the area in question that’s under threat. Eboue stands out as the player likely to be rested although, given Wenger’s vague criteria, he could look to rest Toure, Clichy or even Gallas.
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posted in Team News, Team Selection |
8th
May
2008
Dimitar Berbatov is set to return to the Spurs lineup for the visit of Liverpool on Sunday. The striker missed the trip to Reading with a calf injury but Ramos has confirmed that the Bulgarian’s fitness issues are at an end.
“He’s recovered and the injury isn’t a problem,” remarked Ramos earlier today.
Sunday’s game looks likely to be Berbatov’s final appearance in a Spurs shirt if the current noises and speculation coming from White Hart Lane are to be believed. He’s certainly been on the move in fantasy terms - nearly 15,000 FPL managers have shown him the door at the time of writing, no doubt turning their attention to the likes of Tevez and Drogba. But could Berbatov hand Spurs fans one last reminder of his talent and bring in some points for those fantasy managers who been more patient this week?
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posted in Injury News, Team News, Team Selection |
7th
May
2008
Chelsea’s Ricardo Carvalho remains a doubt for the final game of the season against Bolton. The defender was replaced after 77-minutes of the Newcastle game with a back injury and it is reported that he’s been subject to intensive treatment so far this week to get him fit for the deciding game [source].
Alex replaced him in the Newcastle game and will slot straight in alongside Terry should Carvalho fail in his bid for fitness. It might even be the case that Grant would even prefer Alex in his lineup - his size would certainly help deal with Bolton’s style of play.
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posted in Injury News, Team News, Team Selection |
7th
May
2008
United will have Nemanja Vidic back in their defence for the final day at Wigan on Sunday. Vidic was forced to sit out of the win over West Ham with concussion suffered in the clash with Didier Drogba the previous Sunday. There is a mandatory 10-day FA break following a concussion which was enforced by medical staff at the club [source].
Ferguson is also contemplating bringing Rooney back to the bench for Sunday’s vital clash. United will want to spare him for the Champions League final of course but the general consensus appears to be that Rooney will recover from his hip injury in time for the Moscow final and could even be available from the bench should things start going pear-shaped at the JJB.
In fantasy terms it seems likely that Brown will shift to right-back with Hargreaves possibly taking up a midfield role. Tevez seems certain of start, unless of course Ferguson opts to bring in Anderson or Fletcher to pack the midfield and use Ronaldo as his spearhead in attack. My bet is that Tevez will get the nod in a similar lineup to the one that took on West Ham with Hargreaves possibly replacing the suspended Nani.
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posted in Injury News, Team News, Team Selection |
5th
May
2008
Another efficient Chelsea display cancels out United’s dismantling of West Ham to take the title to the final day. Good news for us fantasy managers, as we now look to locate those players who have the incentive to turn in the points for us next Sunday. Here’s my notes on the penultimate set of matches.
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posted in Injury News |
5th
May
2008
Wenger has confirmed that Cesc Fabregas will miss the final game of the season due to the groin injury that kept him out of yesterday’s victory over Everton. Fabregas has had scans on the injury and Wenger has revealed that the midfielder will require a three-week layoff [source].
That will mean that thousands of fantasy managers will be trading in the Spaniard for the final game next Sunday. His value should present some decent options, either in a straight swap, or as part of a double transfer. In terms of straight replacements attention will doubtless turn to those players who will have something to play for next weekend - names like Barry, Bullard and possibly Joe Cole, Ballack and Lampard - should Chelsea keep their title hopes alive at Newcastle this afternoon.
Indeed, Chelsea’s result at Newcastle is likely to be the factor that will shape the transfer decisions made this week. More on that in my weekend Scout Notes later today.
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posted in Injury News, Team News, Team Selection |
2nd
May
2008
Refresh your screen and you’ll reveal my picks for this weekend’s games in the right-hand menu. It was a surprisingly simple lineup this week, without the complication of the Champions League and a few key injuries offering clarity to make some of the more difficult calls that little bit easier. Read on for the beef on my lineup…
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posted in Team Selection, Tips |
2nd
May
2008
Not my recommendations as such but rather the overwhelming trend going on in the FPL game right now. As an extra treat - I’d thought I’d dip into the wonderful world that is the Fantasy Premier League statistics and take a look at the gameweek’s transfer activity thus far.
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posted in Team Selection |
2nd
May
2008
Hutton returns for Spurs. Murphy doubt for Sunderland. Aliadiere back for Boro. The team news is getting another round of updates over the next hour to bring you the latest from around the Premiership.
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posted in Team News, Team Selection |
2nd
May
2008
Chelsea will go into the final and possibly decisive game of the season without Nicolas Anelka. The striker will miss out of the reunion with his former club Bolton because of a ruling concerning his transfer from the Reebok in the January transfer window.
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posted in Team News |
2nd
May
2008
This slipped my mind in my week of relocation but I’ve belatedly updated the poll this morning to canvas opinion on the best candidate over the next 24-hours.
Again, this could be an interesting one. Ronaldo’s returns have stalled and, casting an eye over the fixtures, there’s certainly some tasty pretenders to his throne. Over to you…
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posted in Tips |
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