The final part of our fixture analysis guide examines the remaining eleven teams who are set to represent the budget end of the player market. Favourable runs of fixtures will be vital to their potential of Fantasy profit and our Members guide looks to isolate these gameweek windows, ultimately offering recommendations on when and how to invest in the low-mid-price market. …
I have my strategy all sorted for this season.
4-4-2 which will stay an unaltered formation except for one or two exceptions due to pos injuries or suspensions right up to the use of my Wildcard in gameweek 4 or 3 if circumstances prove difficult.
Well what do you think?Open Controls
Wait for the prices. Last year was all about 3 5 2 so u never know. I always start with 4 4 2 and adapting after if needed.
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Last season was tough getting CS so if this year stays the same 3-4-3 it is for me(always in hope the forwards deliver)!
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I'm with Missing Link.
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i never think of formations (possibly a weakness of mine?). just put out whatever seems the best 11 and sometimes it's 4-4-2, sometimes it's 3-5-2, if clean sheets look likely sometimes a 5-4-1
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do you guys find rotating keepers works out better than just sticking with say cech, hart or utd keeper...
Open ControlsWhenever I rotated anyone ,the one on the bench scored more. ğŸ™
How you doing O.R nice to see you on the site.Open Controlsim good mate, cheers. I was getting withdrawel symptoms. Its good to be back. U ok..?
im going with one keeper i think..Open ControlsI've been worse old chap.
I suppose the two keeper thing could work most of the time if you had Newc/Sund so you always have a home option,but they're not always the easier game.Open Controls
There is more value in rotating IMO
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agreed...cheap keeper + expensive defender will normally beat expensive keeper + cheap defender because of the save points
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and surely because you'll have a better defender, capable of scoring attacking points (eg Vidic, Baines, Cole etc etc) whereas your expensive goalie isn't gonna get you any attacking points, unless he's Paul Robinson, assist king 🙂
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For a while last season I was doing better than Hart's score, rotating Foster and Robinson but only by a few points. Screwed up my goalie choices with second wildcard but that's another matter. Of course if I'd stuck with someone like Hart then I wouldn't have had to make the decision every week!
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Murray just broken in the 3rd. This will be 3 zip to Murray. Easy pickings after all...
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De Gea's having his medical... spending past the £50m mark. Utd are broke etc etc.
Open ControlsDo you think this mad spending by everyone is because of the possible new rules due to come in next year AP?
Open ControlsAbsolutely. That and so many players leaving/retiring.
Open ControlsSir Alex wants to leave team for the future. All the respect for Alex but personally I am not sure about De Gea. Isn't he to short? And I saw him making several fullish mistakes. Maybe we'll have another Foster?
Open ControlsHe's 6'4! I reckon there'll be at least 2 more transfers too.
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2 more , what you thinking?
I read in the sun the other day (im pointing this out as shocking writing, not a good source dont worry)
"United WILL sign one of modric, sneider or nasri"
I preferred it when they quoted "close to the club individuals" or someones cousin instead of beleiving their own hype so much that now the journos themselves are making guarentees!Open Controls1 will be the Celtic LB as cover for Evra.
The other will be one of Modric/Nasri/Thiago i reckon.
Really, they need a Hargo AND Scholes replacement, so hopefully a DM too.Open Controlsah yeah, the dream is schweinstiger really!
no chance tho,
id take de rossi too...not likely!
yeah i dunno, do you think we need lb cover, fabio and evans are enough i would have thoughtOpen ControlsI dunno, its not good news for evans either way,
with jones and smalling cover for the cbs...hes not getting a look in at all for a while!Open Controls
One of the few mistakes I think SAF has made letting Foster go.
Open ControlsI still think he is slim. And not good enough like Peter Schmeichel or VDS. And he is too young, will he be capable to hold the pressure being Utd no 1?
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it think it is too early to say that he is not as good as schmeichel and vds when he hasn't played a game in the pl...
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simon kuper from the financial times on the rules changes (changes which only come into full effect in 2018):
"The end of sugar-daddies might doom historically mid-sized clubs like Manchester City or Chelsea; but it won't hurt the big clubs like Arsenal and Mnachester United. In fact it will make their lives easier, because they will no longer have to compete with sugar-daddy-funded upstarts for the best players."
"The end of external funding should hit Spanish and Italian clubs harder than English ones, because the Spaniards and Italians generate much lower revenues of their own and are therefore more reliant on external funding." (e.g from selling its foreign right abroad the Premier League makes 4 times that of La Liga, 6 times that of Serie A and 14 times that of the Bundesliga!)Open Controlsreply fail
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+1.... It will be very interesting in a few years...
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"The end of external funding should hit Spanish and Italian clubs harder than English ones"...but this is not true for Real Madrid and Barcelona who (I think) make double the TV money of the English clubs
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That's true, because it's shared disproportionately. Based on the fact that "more people want to see RM and Barca play" they get more money, buy better players [...] INFINITE WINNING LOOP!!!
Whereas the Prem is set up more evenly with parachute payments etc.
Truth be Told, Arsenal will benefit massively from this, the way they are at the moment.Open Controlsi thought this too. it goes on to say how real madrid and barcelona will be fine due to their existing and established huge internal revenue streams.
it was a paragraph that summed the leagues up as a whole, individually yeah barcelona and madrid dominate off the pitch too with almost a monopoly on tv money. it states how the likes of valencia and athletico will be in trouble due to their reliance on "often being propped up by banks."
basically the point is the established big clubs like man utd will be fine, if anything prosper from the rule changes.Open Controlsif you're interested in finances this is the blog for you http://swissramble.blogspot.com/
Open Controlsthanks for that.
i'm interested but like this rule change need to be phased in. the kuper article (in the blizzard) was good as it was like football finances for dummies so was a good introduction for me.Open Controls
Thanks AB very interesting,lots I didn't know,so will delve some more. Ta
Open Controlsit's an interesting article and a bit depressing really. sheik manwhore wont ever be propelling watford into europe
Open ControlsI'm afraid Watford are in deep deep doodoo this year,11/4 for relegation looks a steal. Sorry
Open Controlsthat's what they said last year 😉
no seriously they didOpen ControlsI didn't consider them for relegation last year,just think they've lost several of their top players. Have you got anyone decent in yet AB?
Open Controlsregrettably it's a decent bet, but obviously i have faith that young players will step up again like last season, plus eustace has stepped up since brendan rogers left and is a genuinely inspiring captain at that level.
Open ControlsI wish you well and I never put enough on a bet to cry about if it goes wrong.
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2018 is a long way off. So which bits are due next year, or is it just agreements and waffle?
Open Controlsit's being phased in gradually. at first clubs will be allowed limited losses, gradually decreasing year on year until 2018 when it's no losses, aka they can only spend what they generate themsleves
Open ControlsI see, Arsenal really will be laughing their tits off,with the rest of their housing stock to sell as it's completed unless the owners nick a disproportionate % I reckon they should be debt free,so no interest charges to take into account.
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Predictions on De Gea's price..? 6?
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This has been one boring transfer window so far. We've apparently sealed the deal for Alvarez but now reports suggest Inter have swooped in and bid £12mil for him. Linked with Mata this morning but that's the Daily Fail. Gervinho has been dragging, not sure if i want him anyway.
Chelsea - nothing. City - unusually quite.
Zzzzzz!Open ControlsI tend to be more interested in teams outside the top six to see how their managers intend to maintain or improve their positions on much more restricted budgets, and in general have more respect for them when they achieve it.
Open ControlsI only really care about Arsenal and the teams around us at this stage. Not thinking about FF yet. Im starting to come around to the idea of selling Cesc, just to change things up a bit if anything. Our team has been the same for so long with the odd boring signing coming in.
Last season we got Chamakh and Kos. The season before it was Vermaelen and Ramsey.
The last signings i got really excited was Reyes and that was almost a decade ago!Open Controlsreally? both verm and ramsey were pretty exciting!
id like to see ye get sakho and hazard this summer!Open ControlsRamsey's potential is exciting, and the fact that we got one over on Utd but i wouldn't class him as a big signing. Verm was relatively unknown aswell.
Hazard looks like he's staying at Lille for another season and PSG are rich and building a team now so they wont sell Sakho.Open Controls
Benzema would be an exciting signing, but Wenger has strange transfer methods.
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How much does the board affect Wenger's transfer opportunities? Being in such a strong financial position surely Arsenal can push for someone like Benzema?
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I think you've a very good midfield Cesc or not,but I'm not a Gunner so don't watch as often or intently as fans of the club obviously do.
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yea seen as so many of those transfers seem to fail, its nice to see one or two come off ,
odem was a great signing likeOpen ControlsSome good cheap players around last year who made big impacts both FF and for real.
Open ControlsMilner will be one to keep an eye on. Saw he was linked with a return to Villa today. Probably rubbish though.
Open ControlsHe'd have to be a lot cheaper than last year's £9mil starting price to tempt me,but if he goes back should be guaranteed a starting spot,just messes up cheaper options. Or maybe I'll wait till FPL opens before analising it to death. 🙂
Open ControlsI would have him like a shot!
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I don't buy into this Thiago to United rumour. While he's obviously behind Xavi, Iniesta, Affelay (and possibly Cesc), Barca are aware of his potential and won't want to make the same mistake they did with Fabregas. Barca will only sell Thiago to a club that agrees to a buy-back clause, something Ferguson definitely wouldn't adhere to.
Open ControlsHow good is he? I've only really seen him in the U21 championships and we all know how misleading they can be. Remember Drenthe? I've seen him a few times for Barca and he's looked ok.
Open ControlsNever seen him for Barca, looked exciting at the U-21 tournament. He was allowed to go forward because of the presence of a proper holding mid in Martinez, something United don't have. He's obviously talented but there was a massive fuss made over him, Herrera and Martinez were just as good IMO.
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Drenthe play(s)ed for Madrid, I believe Royston he's on loan with Hércules he's placed 4 goals in the net for them this past season. This is the same Dutchman that got anxiety attacks after being booed by the Madrid fans.
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would this rumour be around if thiago didn't score that free-kick? seems too sudden and co-incidental imo, he's a name on people's suddenly so will generate hits
Open Controls*on people's minds suddenly
Open ControlsI thought he was very wasteful, I watched him a lot as I had him in #FM11, so thought I'd see what he was like IRL. So many misplaced passes and opportunities...he loses his man brilliantly but as far as the final touch is concerned (aside from the free kick) I'd say he's not good enough for United or Arsenal.
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I dont get it either, do spanish clubs not loan out players or what?
I know barca are cash strapped but still, hes cryin out for a loan, not to be sold!Open Controls
I'd still appreciate any thoughts on my post top of this page. Only Daniel so far.
Open Controls3-5-2 or 3-4-3 for me. All depends on the prices. I never play 4 defenders unless i have no choice.
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One reason I usually start with 3-5-2 (or 3-4-3) is that it lets you buy 2 bench defenders that have a decent chance of playing at 4.0 (the lowest price you can get on FPL). You'd have to pay 5.0+ to get that in midfield or up top, so it gives you more money to spend elsewhere.
I usually start with a strong midfield, but looks like there could be some bargains there this season (Taarabt, Sinclair, Ben Arfa, Albrighton.)Open ControlsMy vague idea so far:
Villa GK (Foster) 5.0, Begovic 5.0 (10.0)
Baines 7.5 Clark (AVL) 4.5 Lescott 6.5 cheapo 4.0 cheapo 4.0 (26.5)
Lamps 11.5 Taarabt 5.5 Sinclair 5.5 Ben Arfa 5.5 Albrighton 6 (34.0)
RVP 11.5 Tevez 12 Holt 5.5 (29.0)
Total 99.5
Lescott dependent on Citeh not buying another CB, otherwise Kompany or Kolarov.Open Controlsfinally see someone who agrees with me that lescott is a better prospect than kompany.
quite like the look of clark too (even if he's definitely more tiote than lineker with yellow cards). wonder if he'll play with the new manager. i would have thought warnock would be right up mccleish's street and then he has to get ahead of dunne and collins at cbOpen ControlsLescott pretty much single-handedly took me from outside the top 100k to inside the top 50k in the last 2 GWs last year 😀 Need to show him some loyalty after that.
Good shout on Warnock, completely forgot about him (as did Houllier...)Open Controls
How the hell can Lescott be a better option than Kompany when the second that Toure is back Lescott's place will come seriously under threat?
Open ControlsAs long as he gets the minutes, Lescott's always been a great FPL player. Not a very good defender, but plays in a team that's set up to defend well.
Once Toure's back, I'd just transfer Lescott out.Open Controlsif it happens transfer lescott out. simple his extra goal/s should help fund the switch
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Hi everyone!
Off topic: Can someone explain to me if this story about UFOs has some fund of truth (especially those who live in London)?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDIF-ZwJbF0Open Controlswow, weird. I've seen something similar, but that was explained by a weird refreaction of light from traffic.
That, I have no idea.Open ControlsYeah, just looked it up. I have no idea. Could be fake I suppose, but :/
Open ControlsSure that is why I was asking maybe you or someone could have a friend who was in fact there and saw it or something like that...better not think about it too much though... 8)
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According to the fool-pitier, Mr T says he pities fools who believe everything they're told by the mainstream media. That's all I can offer.
http://baracus.wikidot.com/Open Controls🙂
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So... do any of you have some penciled in players for GW1?
I only have Lampard at the minute.Open ControlsI would rather have Malouda. If Chelsea are going to play with freedom like VB says then Malouda could shine early on.
Open ControlsAye true enough.
I've not had a good look at the fixtures yet so will no doubt change my mind 17 times.Open Controls
Haha He's the only one I've completely dis-counted.
Open ControlsYep. 2 defenders, and a striker or two. No midfield, Villa/Stoke goalies at the mo.
Open Controlsmalouda, silva, bent, n'zogbia, dempsey, luiz/ivanovic (cech if the defence looks a bit of a lottery)
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Off to get dinner sorted back later,good topics.
Open ControlsOne of the most meaningful things that's happened to me since I've been the governor -- the president -- governor -- president. Oops. Ex-governor. I went to Bethesda Naval Hospital to give a fellow a Purple Heart, and at the same moment I watched him--get a Purple Heart for action in Iraq - and at that same - right after I gave him the Purple Heart, he was sworn in as a citizen of the United States - a Mexican citizen, now a United States citizen.
Open ControlsPallin or Clinton...can't see them letting Pallin anywhere near Bethesda...
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It's slightly depressing that their seems to be a standard FFS team already before theirs even any prices available!!
Open ControlsI've seenthem but not taken any of it in. What's the bloody point?!
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It's a new low alright! I refuse to properly think about a team until FPL re-opens.
Open ControlsYep, it just make it disappointing when u can't afford the team u want.
Open ControlsI don't get it really. FPL will re-open (or it has done every year recently) in early/mid July, so you're going to have a good month of tinkering. Absolutely no need to start now, when you don't even know the prices!
To each their own though.Open ControlsNow I've got the Ticker sorted, I can't help it! 😉
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just got over my borderline depression, caused by squandering my lead for the tv, after recieveing an email off uefa asking my address to send my footy
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portuguese press is talking about coentrão moving from benfica to chelsea... any news on the uk press about this??
what do you thnik of this move??Open Controls😆 Jolly good!!!
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Left back?! They have the best left back in the world already. Seems a bit weird.
Open Controlssome people would desagree on that right now... including villas-boas...
portuguese press says chelsea joined real in the run for coentrão. and since mourinho loves ashley so much, it is possible that chelsea buys coentrão, and sells ashley to real...Open ControlsNah, I think Mourinho has a maverick plan to play Coentrão right-back next season, something he can't do with Cole.
Open Controlshe can play rb but they already have ramos who is one of the best rb's in the world...
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I don't see him at United if that's what you mean.
I'm really not sure on him or Fabregas right now. We're apparently going for all manner of attacking mids, so I suspect at least one of them are off this summer.
I'd take that if we got Mata in as a replacement though.Open ControlsArsenal won't sell to United. If it means having his contract run down, so be it.
I can't see someone like Real Madrid not trying to tempt him if he wants off. I doubt he'd wait around an extra year for your lot if someone else comes in with a big offer.Open ControlsArenal won't sell to Utd? That's massively naive imo. A) you signed Campbell from Spurs.We almost lost Rooney to City. Anything can happen in football. B) Arsenal are the tightest club in the PL, 20m would be a massive boon over letting him go for free. They'll think like a business, you are thinking like a fan.
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he's another one who's a bit weak defensively. Could name 4 or 5 better just off the top of my head.
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http://www.skysports.com/football haven't seen this yet, anything here help?
Open Controlsthey could do with another zhirkov*
*i rate coentrao very highly, just don't think they need himOpen Controlsnot too keen on him myself.
Seems like one of those players who's not good enough defensively to be a full-back, yet not good enough going forward to be a winger.Open Controls
im confused, how come the article says for example...
Sunderland - windows of investment -
Gameweeks 2-7, 12-23
But then in the Summary at the bottom it says
gameweeks 10-20 Bolton, SunderlandOpen Controlswhat i mean is why doesnt the summary say 2-7 then 12-23 rather than 10-20
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Because it's a summary. What would be the point of just repeating the article?
I haven't read it, but I'd imagine the summary is splitting the season into arbitary periods.Open Controls
If you look at the weeks covered Andy is giving us a list of of all 38 weeks with no overlaps.i.e. 1-9, 10-20,21-23 etc Suggesting which are the best opportunities in each of these periods.
Not very well explained but if you look at the list again I think you will see what I mean.Open Controls
OFF TOPIC
TRUE BLOOD EPISODE 2 OUT.
I AM DEAD SERIOUS
DOWNLOAD FROM THIS SUPER SITE: http://minishares.org
This is an excellent site, well compressed videos with excellent video.
Really quick.Open Controlsthis is the first time ive toyed around with a team...
cech, cheapie
Baines, a cole, hangeland, lescott, 5.5 ish
lamps, young, dempsey, o'hara, nzogs
tevez, zamora, ba
thoughts...Open ControlsFaulk, it's alright - Ray Parlour has a masterplan: http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/8613/2/exclusive-parlour-parker-signing-could-soften-blow-losing-fabregas-and-nasri
*evil cackle*Open ControlsParker is a bit like Adam, gets a bit too much stick on here. That being said, Parker as a replacement for Fabs and Nasri? Parlour has obviously taken up smoking crack.
Open ControlsIndeed, how would signing a defensive midfielder make up for losing your two most creative players? Idiocy.
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Converted to the standard UK currency of pints, a subscription has just cost me 4 pints. I can live with that. I look forward to now dominating my mini leagues! Cheers guys.
Open ControlsHow many Taylors will there be at Newcastle??? 😯 Might as well nickname them "Savile Row"!!! 😉
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Open ControlsNeil Aston on talksport saying Fergie is 'desperate' for Nasri and is willing to pay 25m. 25m!!! Sheeesh.
Open ControlsI hope we do buy him. Would prefer Sneijder but I do like the thought of Nasri in our team. £25m is a bit steep considering he's in the last year. Heard a few Arsenal fans saying they won't sell to Utd but I don't see them turning down £25m.
Open ControlsFan talk like MFaulk earlier. It's a business in the end and considering he could go for free in 12months they'd be insane not to accept £15m+. I'm still not convinced he's the answer to our midfield issues personally, but it would be worth it just for the lols.
Open ControlsHe'll need to visit the hair salon first - very poor attitude ... ğŸ˜
Open ControlsHel have to leave the snood at the emirates if he does!
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Bankruptcy looms ... 😉
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I expect Adam to finalise his move to Liverpool tomorrow, news should come out around 2pm.
Wonder how much his price will change for next seasons FPL ?Open ControlsIs that Debbie Harry? 🙂
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No idea on price, but he's not going to start every game, so I'd steer clear irrespective.
More importantly... IS that Debbie Harry?Open ControlsOhhh, yesss! 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEjCDriXwnI&feature=relmfuOpen Controls- Open Controls
One of the tightest bands ever to play ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95AEzyWZX8I&feature=relatedOpen Controls
I'd rather have Debby Harry than Hollywood Harry (Adam) 🙂
If we sign him to go with Henderson & Downing, that's got to be 3 of the most uninspiring signings we could make. I used to complain about Rafa signing unproven foreign rubbish but this isn't quite the change I wanted.Open Controls
Adam will be around 7-8M i would think and not worth it for sure
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Anyone else reckon Rvp will come in more pricey than Torres?
Open ControlsMore like 11.5 both...
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If Torres is cheaper than RVP I reckon I might take the former... depending on numerous things 🙂
Open ControlsLike whether or not you've been drinking
Open ControlsYou now know me too well 😉 Seriously though, with Chel's fixtures and Torres firing on all cylinders he could be worth it.
So much water to flow under the (Stamford) Bridge until the beginning of the season though.Open Controlstbh mate i haven't even begun to look at fixtures or a possible team yet. Just enjoying Wimbledon!
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TENNIS
Lisicki v Bartoli
Was surprised to see Bartoli is the favourite for this match at the moment, any idea why?Open Controls
Been around longer. Lisicki's still a relavtive newcomer on the womens' tour in comparison. I think that's it
Open ControlsBartoli is number 6 on WTA and Lisicki is 62... Plus she is in good form... She beat the crap out of Serena... It will be an easy match...
Open Controlslol Lisicki has been injured forever hence the rankings. Plus beating Serena didn't really impress me. Thought Bartoli was lucky to get past Penetta personally.
Lisicki beating the reigning French Open champ was more impressive, not to mention her next 2 straight sets wins. Anything above even money looks a good price to meOpen ControlsWhen I see how she ( Bartoli ) prep for the serve... m8... U gottta love her... 🙂
Open Controlshahaha it's a wonder she doesn't wear herself out, all that shadow hitting and jumping about.
Lisicki has a winning record against Bartoli (2-1) although that one lose was on the grass a couple of years ago.
I just think her serve and consistency will do the business. Certainly thought she'd have been favorite despite Bartoli's form and battling qualitiesOpen Controls
Anyone here play FIFA online PS3?
Quick random question: you know when you go into a lobby online and it lists all the players - what does the little PS3 controller besides someone's name mean? Does it mean they're ready for a match, or currently in one, or...?Open Controls
