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30 November 2010 1083 comments
Paul Paul
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The last couple of weeks have been, quite frankly, a nightmare for owning Fantasy Premier League (FPL) midfielders. Squads have been decimated as hamstring injuries put paid to Cesc Fabregas and Rafael Van der Vaart, as well as Steven Gerrard. Mikel Arteta gets a straight red and is banned for three games, while the likes of Florent Malouda -with one goal and one assist in his last 10 games- may almost just as well have been sidelined, given the value of his recent contribution for a £10.2m Fantasy Player.

With plenty of Fantasy Managers looking for alternatives in light of absentees and ill-form, we decided to give our Members a view of the best-performing midfielders this season, breaking down both their scores and vital OPTA stats to weigh up the best and most consistent options as we go into a busy December schedule.

In particular, we discovered, and focus on, a group of eleven midfielders entitled “The Four or Mores”. These players have averaged 4 points or more per game both at home and away, which suggests a consistency that allows them to be fielded with, perhaps, more confidence than others. Here’s a breakdown:

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  1. RoysBrotherJohnson- Irish p…
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    blackpool 8.5/1. 🙂

    i know i know....

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    1. TommyK
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      I'm pretty sure none of these players (except maybe fletcher) will play this weekend......

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      1. RoysBrotherJohnson- Irish p…
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 20 days ago

        hence the i know i know

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  2. Pablitto
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    Wigan and ManU today - like El clássico yesterday 🙂

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    1. jamsiep
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      If you're going to whip out the fancy accents, then at least spell 'El Clásico' correctly. 😉

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    2. Cheggers
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      Oh dear... have a look at the fixtures before posting

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      1. Pablitto
        • 15 Years
        15 years, 20 days ago

        urrgh ... very sorry ... maybe with Wigan it would be five to zero already? 🙂

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  3. njfsdkffslkf
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    Lol at certain people now saying Evans isnt good enough.

    About time ......

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    1. applebonkers
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      good (and still young) defender going through a tough spell imo

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      1. TommyK
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 20 days ago

        22 ain't all that young in this game imo- plus that "tough" spell has lasted for most of his united career.....

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      2. njfsdkffslkf
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 20 days ago

        He is a good squad player and no more as I said way back in august when people were comparing him to some kind of messiah of a defender.

        He is more John O shea than Vidic. Squad player.

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        1. AP
          • 16 Years
          15 years, 20 days ago

          Should have known there was a told you so lurking around the corner 🙄

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          1. njfsdkffslkf
            • 16 Years
            15 years, 20 days ago

            Ah well im right alot in the long run. 🙂

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            1. jamsiep
              • 16 Years
              15 years, 19 days ago

              As am I.

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              1. TommyK
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 16 Years
                15 years, 19 days ago

                Stop trying to make me say "six casual points" every five minutes!

                Oh damn I did it again..... 😉

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        2. applebonkers
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 16 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          oh yeah he's far from a vidic... or terry 😉 .
          people were probably bigging him up from an fpl perspective at the start of the season, not necessarily a true ability perspective

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  4. jamsiep
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    Fletcher being a thug. As per.

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    1. Cheggers
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      Diving about all over the place

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  5. TommyK
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    LOL- boa morte= chippy cnut....

    (though fletcher was pretty bad as well)

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    1. applebonkers
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      fletcher would have battered him...

      he is scottish after all 🙂

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      1. AP
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 20 days ago

        Fletcher is clearly all mouth, Boa looked like he was going to eat him.

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      2. RoysBrotherJohnson- Irish p…
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 20 days ago

        i see what you did there, and i like it

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  6. applebonkers
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    i'm expecting sergio ramos to sprint out from the stands and hack down obinna any moment now

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    1. Shipstontrev
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      🙂 🙂

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  7. Boom!!!
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    still unbeaten for 5 min atleast...

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  8. tinzio
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    Who would win in a fight Johnny Evans or a plank of wood? - Plank of Wood
    Who would win in a race Johnny Evans or a plank of wood? - Plank of Wood
    Who has a better turning circle Johnny Evans or a plank of wood? - Plank of Wood
    Who makes a better ladder for people to climb Johnny Evans or a plank of wood? - Johnny Evans.

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    1. Boom!!!
      • 15 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      lollol...

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    2. jamsiep
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      😀

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    3. AP
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      heheh

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    4. TommyK
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      Brilliant. 😀

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    5. Cheggers
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 20 days ago

      all this knocking is while he'll have to be sold and then he'll be amazing somewhere else.

      Seen it before about 600 billion times with United players

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      1. TommyK
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        Staam and (maybe) pique

        Tevez was purely financial constraints.....

        Also, unless evans hits the gym, has a brain transplant and grows about seven inches, he will always be mediocre.....

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      2. Attila the Bum
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        Forlan, Veron, Paul McGrath, Pique erm thats four, who am I missing to get to 600 billion*?

        * There are approximately 6,884,700,000 people on Earth (and one Chill Pill), I'm pretty sure I didn't play for United - I would have joined Newcastle a la Shearer

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        1. Attila the Bum
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 15 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          Oh yeah Tevez too

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          1. TommyK
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 16 Years
            15 years, 19 days ago

            again, would have kept him in a parallel universe where malcolm glazer died of obesity before his English butler could tell him what "soccer" was......

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        2. TommyK
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 16 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          lol- I dispute Veron, we knew he was class- but just bought him without thinking that maybe roy keane was better..... 😉

          Also, I'm not sure Forlan would ever have succeeded for us- the club was too big for him....

          (Cue Chill pill saying I'm arrogant...)

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          1. AP
            • 16 Years
            15 years, 19 days ago

            Veron was never a Keane replacement. They bought him because they thought playing 5 in midfield we'd suddenly be a european force. Didn't quite work out like that for another 6 years or so.

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        3. tinzio
          • 15 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          Veron joined United at his peak and hasn't really got back to his best, bar the indian summer he's having now.

          Forlan is probably the main one who failed at united but came good.

          Pique left cos he wanted to go back to Barca and we couldn't guarantee first team football ahead of rio and vidic, not cos he didn't have the ability.

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          1. TommyK
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 16 Years
            15 years, 19 days ago

            Again, Forlan's an interesting one. Might have ended up coming good, but more likely would have had his confidence crushed by the size of the club and the leg breaking tackles of the PL.....

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            1. tinzio
              • 15 Years
              15 years, 19 days ago

              I agree, his game just wasn't suited to the premiership. Same with Veron, who actually did quite well for us in Europe.

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  9. Chris Finch - squeal piggy …
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 20 days ago

    Nasri should have made it three!

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  10. TommyK
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    Right lads- I'm still on here, do your worst...... 😀

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    1. applebonkers
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 19 days ago

      hmmm a watford fan slagging off a man utd fan. that's like susan boyle calling kelly brook a minger

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      1. TommyK
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        lol, you're too harsh on yourself.....

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  11. Boom!!!
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    "I am not humiliated at all. This is the biggest defeat I have ever suffered in league play. It is hard to swallow because we never had a chance of winning. It wasn't one of those defeats that leave a bad taste in your mouth because we didn't deserve to lose or because the referee performed badly or because the ball hit the post. One team played as well as it could and the other played badly. It is a deserving win and a deserving defeat, which makes it easy to swallow.

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  12. TO
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    Gibbs played well tonight. I see him playing more games this season and 1st choice next season.

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    1. Shipstontrev
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 19 days ago

      But he was dreadful against Braga.

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      1. TO
        • 15 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        Everyone was dreadful against Braga

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  13. noonan357
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    Should i take out coleman or williamson to get in skrtel?

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  14. The relentless pursuit of p…
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    Didnt have time to watch any of the games so I have a few questions.

    How did Nani/Arshavin/Nzogbia play and did they escape uninjured?

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  15. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    Gargamel, if you're still around, regarding Piqué, a slower paced game suits him better, he works well with Puyol because Puyol does all the work whereas when he partnered Rio/Vida it was a 50.50 combination.

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    1. njfsdkffslkf
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 19 days ago

      Nonsense. Last nights game was at a higher pace than any league game in England.

      Pique is the best ball playing defender in the World. Which is becoming the more important by the day when teams play only one up front.

      Why isnt he suited to fast paced games?
      If puyol is so good why have Marchena, Pablo, etc all looked so poor when playing next to him.

      How slow is the CL btw? And the way Barca play with their high line and offensive fullbacks means he is often let far more isolated than normal defenders and he still does a great job.

      Maybe you thought he was bad cos he doesnt look like a "typical " defender.

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      1. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        Pique makes Puyol look better, more so then anyone else did.

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        1. njfsdkffslkf
          • 16 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          Good counter argument......

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          1. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
            • 16 Years
            15 years, 19 days ago

            That one was even better.

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            1. njfsdkffslkf
              • 16 Years
              15 years, 19 days ago

              Your missing the point.

              Pique has improved. Its nothing to do with Puyol.

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              1. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
                • 16 Years
                15 years, 19 days ago

                Obviously, most players do improve as they get older.

                That's completely beside the point though .

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      2. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        And where on earth have you got the impression I though he was bad?

        Nice one.

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        1. njfsdkffslkf
          • 16 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          "regarding Piqué, a slower paced game suits him better,"
          So what are you are implying he couldnt cut in England based on ability rather than age and still cant.

          "he works well with Puyol because Puyol does all the work "

          So if this is not a bad impression of him what is?

          and what is 50: 50 based on? Vidic and Puyol are like for like so I dont understand how Vidic would dp 50% and Puyol all the work when Pique would do the same job in both situations.

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          1. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
            • 16 Years
            15 years, 19 days ago

            Vidic and Rio have a fluid 50:50 partnership, whereas Puyol does more work for Barca. Whenever Pique partnered Roi or Vida he looked out of his depth.

            Whether he could have been as good for us, will remain a mystery.

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            1. Gargamel
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 16 Years
              15 years, 19 days ago

              I actually agree that we cannot say for sure that he would have matured in the same way at United, but the "not suited to the PL" argument is doing my head in.

              I think people are just taking the easy route by saying that, or they should point to something Pique lacks to base the argument on.

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              1. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
                • 16 Years
                15 years, 19 days ago

                There aren't (from what I've seen) many Kevin Davies like players who seperate the good from the really good. Like Evans, Davies completely bullied him.

                Also, the pace of the prem might not suit him.

                Db has jumped to conclusions and assumed I've said he wouldn't fit in, in the prem and that he hasn't gotten any better. I've jsut said that playing in La Liga for a possesion team like Barcelona might be easier than playing for a prem team like United who soak up the pressure.

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                1. Gargamel
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 16 Years
                  15 years, 19 days ago

                  So you suggest that Pique lacks the strength to cope with the big centre forwards, am I getting this right? I guess we just disagree then.

                  All this talk about PACE is getting to me, Pique is no slower than any of the other top centre backs. Actually he is quicker and also positionally sounder than several of them.

                  While I agree that Barca is possibly the easiest team to be a defender in, United really get a lot of forfeit wins as well. 7-1 against a mid table team - you think the centre backs had to work much?

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                  1. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
                    • 16 Years
                    15 years, 19 days ago

                    I'm not talking about Pique's pace, I'm talking about the pace of the game, when a player is running at him etc. the speed attacks come, it might be mental preparation, all I'm saying is he could take longer to adjust.

                    Might be all ifs and buts but that's my point .

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                  2. njfsdkffslkf
                    • 16 Years
                    15 years, 19 days ago

                    SOM go look up LLorente and comeback to me regarding "there are no forwards who seperate the good from the really good" in Spain in a physical manner.
                    He is probably the most wanted Spainish player available currently.
                    Now that ive my breath back I remember you are yet only 15 and I wont take this debate that serious.

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                2. njfsdkffslkf
                  • 16 Years
                  15 years, 19 days ago

                  United play possession football.
                  They dont soak up pressure. When did this ever happen?

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                  1. King Eric, in America
                    • 15 Years
                    15 years, 19 days ago

                    So ... United play possession ball? Huh.

                    Must get different games in the States ...

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            2. njfsdkffslkf
              • 16 Years
              15 years, 19 days ago

              And this "fluid 50 50 nonsense" is one of the most bogus bizarre comments ive ever seen on here

              What are you counting, headers, Tackles, ....words

              And who could you ever count?and how can you decide which is more important.

              And more over Pique is the quicker of the 2 so when they play any forward with pace it would be Pique who would be covering behind and sweeping behind Puyol and this doing more work.

              And finally using the word "fluid " in this context means nothing.

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          2. Bosko
            • 15 Years
            15 years, 19 days ago

            Gerard Pique:

            3 x League Titles
            2 x Champions Leagues
            6 x Domestic Trophies
            1 x World Cup

            He's 23. Makes me sick.

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      3. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        Right I'll make an effort..

        He doesn't have half as much to do as other defenders, when was the last time you saw a team play with a striker on the shoulder of the defender against Barca and not be steamrolled? For Barca, the emphasis is on possesion right from the back.

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        1. Jack Tatum
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 16 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          I'm with you Soup. CL and La Liga is a stroll compared to the Prem. There are plenty of good players who just can't handle the pace of English league football. It's nothing to do with the quality of the game over here, just the style

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          1. AP
            • 16 Years
            15 years, 19 days ago

            la liga is just the SPL with sunshine.

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          2. Gargamel
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 16 Years
            15 years, 19 days ago

            Perhaps there are, but what about Pique suggests that he would not? Is he slower than Dunne, Vidic, Carragher, Terry, Jagielka? No, at least not much. Is he worse with the ball on his feet when put under pressure? No, he's miles better. Is he worse in the air? Perhaps a little than some of these, but again not much.

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            1. Gargamel
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 16 Years
              15 years, 19 days ago

              Oh, and using the word stroll is just ignorant.

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              1. Jack Tatum
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 16 Years
                15 years, 19 days ago

                Relax. I'm not saying Pique can't run fast. The English game is someone putting you under pressure almost every time you get the ball. Barca are probably the best footballing team in the world and the always have the ball. European football is much slower-paced and tactical. Obviously it's unproven whether or not Pique now would look strong in the Prem but Soup's point on the slower-paced game is not based on how quick Pique is in the 100 metres

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                1. Jack Tatum
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 16 Years
                  15 years, 19 days ago

                  Oh and Jagielka and the others mentioned are not very good footballers and not particularly fast, but they are work-horse types who are just asked to defend - which in England basically means tackle him, head it and boot it/him.

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                  1. njfsdkffslkf
                    • 16 Years
                    15 years, 19 days ago

                    Ignorant views of the masses who dont actually watch the much Spainish football.

                    Lllorente is as good as any forward in world football.

                    Suddendly Pique isnt that good because his team is excellent and much better than others .

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                  2. Jack Tatum
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 16 Years
                    15 years, 19 days ago

                    Masses? I'm big but not that big

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    2. Gargamel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 19 days ago

      Hello. Yes I'm here, tabbing in and out of that bloody football manager 11. Still not winning the PL with WBA 🙁

      I think all these things you say are taken out of the air. What is it that Pique lacks that makes him more suited to a slower game? He's certainly no slower than some of the good centre backs in England, and being good with the ball is extremely useful in a high paced league.

      I don't see any reason why he would not be just as good in England as he is in Spain, Europe and in the national team.

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      1. King Eric, in America
        • 15 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        Possibly because he's not playing with (arguably) the best team in the world?

        Clearly > Pique is 'good' ... but he never really meshed in United's side, at least third behind Rio/Vidic. Are we arguing that SAF sold him off if he was perfectly suited to the English game?

        Or perhaps he's just an enormous plonk. Like: Galactically large plonk.

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  16. TommyK
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    Do I dare buy a West Ham player!?!?!?

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    1. AmeliesDad
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 19 days ago

      Parkers got me 10, 4, 0, 10 since I bought him against the advice given 🙂

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  17. uʍopǝpısdn
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    I....PUT THE SCREW......IN THE TUNA!!!!!

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    1. TommyK
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 19 days ago

      FFS rape???????

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  18. sahota
    • 15 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    who were the eleven four or mores?

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    1. jamsiep
      • 16 Years
      15 years, 19 days ago

      David Beckham
      Alii Dia
      Lloyd Banks
      Scott Parker
      Phillip Grimmer
      Michael Scott
      Jamie Redknapp
      Kenan from 'Kenan and Kel'
      Jimmy Anderson
      Louie Walsh
      Iker Casillas

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      1. Attila the Bum
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        Keenan and Kel, I remember watching a film by them called Goodburger or something (wasnt my choice), potentially the worst film of all time. Well it runs the Notebook close anyway

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        1. jamsiep
          • 16 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          Blasphemy.

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        2. AP
          • 16 Years
          15 years, 19 days ago

          Predators. Absolute horsesh*t, and rapes the memory of the original in the process. I needed therapy.

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      2. SOM.... This is Fellaini�…
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        Kenan from Kenan and Kel. 😆

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      3. applebonkers
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        15 years, 19 days ago

        orange soda, just call it tango keenan

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  19. applebonkers
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    that fern cotton piss take on channel 4 just now was pretty funny i thought. "next week i'm going to be swimming with piranhas on my period"

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  20. Gregor
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    Hmmm.

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  21. Gregor
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    15 years, 19 days ago

    Testing.

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