Yesterday, we rolled out the first in a two-part series of Members articles focussing on team stats over the first three Gameweeks so far. Having assessed the performances from an attacking perspective, we turn our attentions to the men at the back, analysing a variety of key performance statistics from a defensive point of view:
who should i get out of ridgewell, rangel or McAuley ?
Open ControlsAlreet lads. Is everyone's mind staying active through the international break? I can't believe i have to wait another week until the toon play again (monday night game). Probably a good thing though, considering the number of injuries that we have!!
Anything new on here over the weekend?Open Controlsnot much, I tried to get everybody to vote Snodgrass on the captain poll but it died down quite quick
Open Controlsnot really... most are resorting to sorting out their CL teams
who all is injured?Open ControlsKrul and Colochinni both picked up injuries on international duty. No word on how long they will be out for (if at all).
Tiote and perchinio were both carrying injuries, but will hopefully be fit for monday.
Simpson is out for a month or so
I'm not going to bother with doing a CL team. Especially now i won't be having so much time to spend (waste) on fantasy footy)Open ControlsGood marketing to launch the FCL in the intl break
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How do you pronounce "alreet"?
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Surely Marveaux and Taarabt don't have enough owners left to lead to ANOTHER price drop? I don't really want to get rid this week.
Open ControlsWhere do you live? I used to think it's England, but are you awake everyday at 4.30 - 5 a.m.?
Open Controls"China" Mag!
Open ControlsIt's as obvious as it get's...I don't know why I have always assumed that he's like a season ticket holder to watch the Newcastle matches. Weird.
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Yeah. The clue is in the name!! China has been my home for the past 9 years now!
Open Controls9 years ha, where were you before? Gotta ask that, it makes more sense
Btw just checked the falls of both Marv and Taarabt, 1%, and 21%, hence very unlikely to drop this week.Open Controls
Newcastle are awesome in FIFA 12
Open ControlsYeah. Although I still think my reasoning behind both players was sound. Was just unlucky, and have bigger fish to fry in terms of transfers (ie RVP)
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Why do you (still) have either? Let alone both!
Open ControlsI'm trying to get rid!! I wanted to have two transfers this week to give me the flexibility to get RVP, so carried a transfer over.
Taarabt. I bought him for his awesome rotation with boyce, so i had to come up with a strategy for dealing with boyce before I got rid. But then I realized that he rotates nicely with hughes and cuellar anyway.
As my 5th mid, I could deal with maveaux not playing, and want to deal with transfers for first teamers first. Wasn't banking on him having enough ownership in the first place to allow him to drop 0.2m though!! I'm still hoping he plays on monday!!Open ControlsWhy would he start? Who's place would he take? As a Newcastle fan surely you knew the fact that he wasn't a part of the first team though. Has he even started a game for you fellas?
Open ControlsI basically got fooled by Pardew, who made it pretty clear that Barfa was going to miss the start of the season (did a good job fooling AVB too!!). And felt that if he got the first couple of games, he has the quality to keep his place in the team.
I would actually play him in the first choice 11, on the left of a front three, with only one of the demba's starting. I still think that we could end up playing that way, but marveaux will probably be long gone from my team by the time we do that!Open Controls
TW, I think that I am with you in switching DDG for Szchezney. Will have to wait until after arsenal away at city though
Open ControlsThinking of ditching DDG soon also. That's 1 punt that hasn't payed off.
Open Controlsyeahh as long as he gets his spot back he's definitely coming in for ddg in my team. will wait a week to make sure he has his spot back
so play ddg vs pool then get szczesny in for chelsea the next week or keep ddg for spurs and then get szczesny in for west ham?Open Controls
Did you guys see dave's 25 yard headed goal at the weekend? The lad loves a long ranger!!
Open ControlsYeah, great stuff! Sorry for my ignorance, but why do people call him Dave?
Open ControlsAt the time we bought him, his wikepedia page had him down as "Papiss Demba RODNEY Cisse". Hence Dave.
But the "Rodney" part of his name seems to have disappeared from his wiki page, so we might have been duped!!
I don't mind though, he will always be Dave to me!!Open ControlsDidn't realize Dave could be used for Rodney. Thought it was short for David. That's weird to me haha. Oh well!
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T'was a cracker!
Open ControlsYep. On the break. Typical finish from Dave.
Open ControlsI'm on my phone so not really but try footyroom.com
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Or get Nitin to give you a proper link 😀
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What's happening Zoners?
Got a doozy for ya's. Can't make up my mind, and I think the fact I have missed so many Hazard points is putting me off him. So Team linked, FT this GW Nasri to:
A. Hazard (qpr/STO/ars/NOR)
B. Cazorla (SOU/mci/CHE/whm) + 1.1m + Transfer in GW8 (where Caz would come in for Haz anyway)
Any thoughts appreciated. Cheers.Open ControlsB for me.
Open ControlsI honestly think it's worth trying to get them both. If I had to pick one I'd go Hazard for now at least (though Cazorla could do well against Southampton...)
Open ControlsHazard for 3/4 games and then Hazard > Cazorla. I think man city away sticks out like a sore thumb. Buying Hazard means you can downgrade to Cazorla at some point. If you buy Cazorla and he fails to perform for the first two games then you will perhaps regret it and have to make 2 transfers to get Hazard. I think Hazard's fixtures on paper are far superior. I love Cazorla but I think he's a player worth waiting on. Arsenal's fixtures become unbelievably favourable after this tough run.
Open ControlsI also think at this point, there is a danger of NOT having Hazard. So many people have him that it's worth getting him to see how it pays off. If the Hazard gamble fails then 40+% of the game have failed along with you and will have to deal with that as well. The advantage is you have the money to trade Hazard for Cazorla quite easily if you feel like later on.
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Thanks alot for everyone's opinions.... it's def a tough call...
ideally, i want Caz for SOU but the 2 next fixtures look tough. It's going to do my head in.
Cheers.Open Controls
Afternoon all
It's as dead as a dead dingo's donger in here. Nothing much to do except keep our fingers crossed that none of our players get injured tomorrow night. Meh....Open ControlsYep. that's all. Internationals ruin all the fun.
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reposting this for the deadzoners' opinions:
sirigu | (beto)
alex sandro | gibbs | demechelis | (evra) | (pereira)
shirokov | cazorla | robben | yarm | (hazard)
messi | huntelaar | pazzini
any glaring issues here? also who would you guys captain? i’m considering pazzini as a bit of a differential, given that i have messi and co. to fall back on anyway.Open Controlsfor the first day though 😛 messi will be my second day captain assuming my first doesn't score a hattrick.
i've made some changes actually, new team is:
malafeev | (beto)
gibbs | uchida | evra | (pereira) | (lichtsteiner)
shirokov | cazorla | robben | yarm | (hazard)
messi | huntellar | pazzini (C)
+0.5 in the bank. anywhere you guys would spend that 0.5?Open Controls
could someone please show me were a comment was or if they have it. i cant remember who is was but someone put up a post about all the cheap bargains in the CL fantasy.
cheersOpen Controls- Open Controls
Who to bench this week, YaYa away to stoke or Danny Graham away to Villa????
Open ControlsHow many points is 0.1m worth?
It will cost me a hit to get rid of marveaux, and a hit to get rid of taarabt. If it looks like they will drop again, should I bring forward shipping them out?
Basically is it worth 4pts, to save 0.1m? I don't think that it is, but I would be interested to know what others thought.
The fact that they have already lost 0.2 - 0.3m should not be a factor. If i had known from the start that I would have lost 0.3m on a player, I would have got rid for a hit before they dropped. But now we are only talking about 0.1m.Open Controlsit depends how much extra you have. its worth a hit for .1 if them dropping by .1 means you cant get your desired replacement in
Open ControlsLiterally speaking 0.1 is probably not worth more than about 2.5 points (based on expected points per 0.1)
However, if you transfer a player out that is declining in value, and gain a player that is increasing in value, by the same formula, as soon as that difference hits 0.2, you've effectively made a profit on the hit.
Of course, the better way to look at it is probably; will the player I'm buying outscore the player I'm losing by at least 4 points over the next 6 GWs? - And; will I not be able to afford this player next week?Open ControlsBut neither marveaux or taarabt replacements need to be in my team for the next few weeks.
Open ControlsR u playing 4 at eh back China?
Open ControlsIf the person u r bringing in is not even playing then I say no transfer, ur effectively deducting 4 points with no chance of recouping them within the GW or next few to come.
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Get rid. I had the same problem with Nzogbia last year. I kept him way to long. Bottom line is there is a reason these players are losing value.
Open ControlsI'd say it's worth it for two reasons.
1. Early in the season price rises are humongous, and losing the value WILL set you back.
2. A transfer made now is a transfer you don't have to make later. People keep thinking just for this week: "Will your new player recoup the points this week." But it's usually not the case, it's a longer term gain. You gain a transfer in future because you don't have to replace said player.
I've taken back to back hits, and don't regret them at all. It can only help longer term.Open Controls
Wildcarding away. 1.0m in the bank. Current effort -
Surfer Rosa :
Foster
Clark, Cuellar, Gibbs
Dembele, Toure, Johnson, Michu, Hazard
Tevez, Van Persie
Begovic, Lambert, Demel, S. Taylor
All advice welcome 🙂Open ControlsI'm not sold on Johnson/Toure/Dembele At those prices Lambert is going to be benched most of the games and for starters I would wnt to play him next week vs Villa(h).
Get Guthrie in the midf and get Baines at the back?Open ControlsCheers. Toure is cleaning up. Have him since GW1, keeping him until/if his points dip. Dembele played for Fulham before signing for Spurs,his fitness is not an issue so getting him before transfer window is not a problem. Will be good at that price if he's not playing too defensive. Johnson is class, end of. Need to see if he has the hunger to match his quality. Not getting Baines. No return for a 7m punt easily undone by conceding a goal despite a decent goal and assist value. Can spresd that 7m about that defence better. I know back 5 is a risk, Clark mainly for assists and goals cos Villa will concede. Demel prob only for homegames, Taylor only there til Colo is fit. Cuellar is good though and Gibbs will keep his place, maybe some attack points, in an emBouldened defence. Tumbleweed 🙂
Open ControlsGood stuff. You certainly seem to have thought it through. Rather than copycatting it.
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Benching issues will arise.
downgrade a MF to 4.5 - 5m player & upgrade the defence/MF (another big hitter) a bit.Open Controls
Downgrade Johnson or Dembele to Guthrie. Then get Baines in defence.
Open Controlsdebating between yaya toure and ben arfa..suggestions?
Open ControlsI went for HBA last week & got repaid striaght away. Looks to be a real threat for NUFC. Although Yaya has shown plenty thus far, i can't get my head around him not being a DM.
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WC or not to WC:
DDG, Fred
Cole, Hangeland, Zabaleta, Cuellar, Clyne
Kagawa, Hazard, Pienaar, Yaya, Guthrie
Tevez, Torres, Graham
DDG -> Bego
Fred -> Jussi
Cole -> Ivan
Cuellar -> Jenkinson
Graham -> Lambert
Zab -> Rangel
Hangeland -> BainesOpen ControlsNo. You have waited to long to WC this int break. Ideally WC on a Sat evening to maximize the price increases.
Keep DDG, he should play(and get a CS) vs Wigan this week. Cuellar at home as well as Hangeland. So don't sell. Get Lambert next week.
Team looks good to go this week.Open ControlsVery few of those moves actually improve your team so I'd hold fire or consider other options.
Open ControlsOk, I think I don't WC this week then. Giving DDG a couple of more weeks to show some improvement...
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Which is better:
1)Baines and Routledge (0.5M in bank)
2) Michu and Ridgewell (0.2M in bank)
3) Michu and McAuley (0.1M in bank)
Thanks!Open Controls2
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Pienaar or Nolan? Or any other mid up to 6.9m (already getting morrison)
Open ControlsAnd is it worth a hit to get the player in for taarabt this week? Any word if he will play? Has he has a falling out with hughes? Already lost 0.3m on him
Open ControlsComing from a QPR fan, I should take heed!! Any idea what has gone on there? I was listening to a tony fernandez interview on before the first game and he was massively bigging him up.
Open ControlsThe problem for Taarabt is that its looking increasingly like Hughes will only play him at home.
The feeling is that away from home Hughes will play a more defensive formation and so a player like Taarabt is likely to be sacrificed as his workrate is poor off the ball.
He's certainly got a part to play in our season but he is losing you money for virtually no returns right now. So, even if he plays this weekend (which I think he will) the chances of him being benched next game are high as its an away game.
Its a shame because he is undoubtedly our best player and threat to make things happen, but he seems destined to never fulfill his potential wherever he goes.
In FPL you cannot afford to keep losing money on a player that is not returning you decent points every gameweek. I sold him after GW2. Once Hughes left him out of Norwich game that was my cue.Open ControlsDo you not think Taraabt has had time enough to prove if he can cut it in the PL? What happened to the alleged Carvahlo to QPR move? There's a player who could make a difference to The Rs. In my opinion Taraabt can't cut it in the PL, wss class in the Championship.
Open ControlsThink it is more a case of attitude than ability.
Taarabt won't track back when not in possession. In the Championship he got away with losing possession in his own half and having Sean Derry do all his defensive work for him.
In the Prem those mistakes get punished and managers are less forgiving of players who neglect their defensive duties from midfield.
Look at VdV, another player who didn't track back and defend. More productive than Taarabt but Spurs still let him go too.
I think this will always be his problem and the Prem may be too fast a league for him. He may well end up being better off abroad. I hope he figures it out because he's a joy to watch and the fans favourite. But its not the fans he needs to impress................Open Controls
You have Baines.
Nolan.Open ControlsIs Nolan going to be so useful now carroll is out for a while?
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Pie over Nolan.
Open ControlsMaloney is incredible value at 5m. Really, have a go on the Compare Tool with Pienaar, Maloney, Nolan, Morrison and the like - the results are surprising. Pienaar has better fixtures though and Maloney doesn't seem to be able to play the full 90 minutes, which is his main problem.
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What is peoples take on Petric now Berba has joined...? I reckon Jol will play them together...
Open Controlstakes one to know one
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Undercover what are you basing this on?
I have Petric, hoping he can retain a starting place, but was not happy to see him removed for Berba, while rodellaga stayed on the pitch v Hammers.Open Controlsnot basing it on anything really.. Just hoping that with Petric's good start to the season, Jol will want to try and get him to continue this form.. like you I have him and am worried about the fact he was subbed off for Berba
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Ben Davies' fantasy appeal just dropped a few notches...
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/swanseacityfc/swansea-city-fc/2012/09/10/tiendalli-set-to-join-the-liberty-foreign-legion-91466-31800262/Open ControlsAs a newcaslte fan, i remember thinking that Nolan's top level career would be over by now. In his years with us he was fat and slow, and getting fatter and slower. Literally the only thing he had going for him was his ability to be in the right place at the right time. And the older, fatter and slower he gets, the more difficult this becomes.
Is he really a good option this season? Especially with carroll injured?Open ControlsNB I haven't actually seen anything of him since he left us. Is he a changed man?
Open ControlsNo. He's worse.
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no, not with Carroll out....
Open ControlsHe offers goals (and CS points) but that's pretty much it - You've got to wonder how many chances WHM are going to create though he has been fairly clinical so far.
If you already have 3 good MF options, he's a good 4th choice imo.Open Controls
Should I downgrade Pienaar to Guthrie then use the 2 million to upgrade a defender to a 7 million defender?
Open ControlsIf it's Baines, then yes
Open ControlsIt really all depends on your team. Relative to that.
Open Controlslol sorry I just wildcarded, I have all 4 - 5 million defenders at the moment with
Santi, HAzard, Pienaar, Ben Arfa, Michu
Tevez, RVP, LambertOpen ControlsIn that case maybe you should lose Pienaar or HBA and upgrade a defender. Baines or Verm would be the favourites. On the other hand you could keep Pienaar but make a transfer plan to get in Bale, Siggy, Dempsey etc if Spurs should suddenly find some form.
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No big injuries yet in the internationals correct?
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