Podcast
14 August 2014 7186 comments
Mark Mark
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A new beginning. On the eve of a new campaign, two grumpy middle-aged has-beens gather in a studio to recall the summer’s feast of football and look ahead to another Fantasy season, full of hope.

There’s no frills. No live video cast. No special guests. Just Granville and I, stripped back and almost unplugged.

Don’t let that put you off, though. Even with our limited powers we at least attempt to cut through the issues currently rattling around in the minds of Fantasy managers.

We assess the Old Trafford revolution, the world without Suarez and the merits of the three-man strike force. We slice through the current transfer trends and weigh up matters such as the Sigurdsson/Bojan rotation, Fagregas vs Hazard and the Chelsea back four conundrum. We also manage to warm up with a nice little argument about the Alexis Sanchez bandwagon – the traditional pre-season barney.

Be there at the birth via this link, or witness the new dawn via the handy player below.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

  1. FPL Touches
    • 14 Years
    11 years, 5 months ago

    Shane Long anyone?

    A mid-table team don't play 12m+ for back up strikers, not counting Liverpool of course 😉 (I'm joking don't get mad Pool fans)

    Will he form a front two with Pelle or do we expect Koeman to field a 4-3-3 with Pelle as the main man, as he did in pre-season? Anyone with knowledge on Soton is welcome to comment 🙂

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    1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 16 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      No knowledge. But a sot fan on here said that long might play on the right with pelle through the middle and tadic on the left.

      Obviously he could play up front with Pelle either.

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      1. FPL Touches
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Thought that might be the case 🙁

        Pelle flanked by Isgrove & Tadic then, tbh I don't see why they bought Long in the first place, he won't fit into a system like that very well imo

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    2. Mull
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      4-3-3

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    3. MJ6987
      • 15 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Awful goal record

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      1. Shipstontrev
        • 16 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        This

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    4. GreennRed
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Long is completely over-rated as a striker. Conversion to goals ratio is poor.

      A very good footballer, high workrate, decent crosser of a ball, can play out wide. Austin, Bojan, others will get you more points for 6m or less.

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  2. RoyaleBlue
    • 14 Years
    11 years, 5 months ago

    Hey guys do you think this is good enough for a final team? Anything you would change?

    .................................Foster...................................
    ............PVA...............Cahill..........Pieters..............
    Hazard.......Ramsey.............Lamela.....Siggy........
    ................Jovetic........Costa......Rooney................

    Subs: Krul Isgrove Naylor Baird

    Anything you would change ?

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    1. tw
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      for starters i'd change the formatting

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    2. Return Of Chamakh
      • 12 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Thats pretty damn sweet. Slightly light on defence But I'm a fan! Only one change: you can do better than pieters for 5m... maybe caulker or kaboul? Otherwise that's a nice team I think 😀

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  3. Chu Young Ping Pong
    • 13 Years
    11 years, 5 months ago

    Newcastle's lineup?

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  4. FPL Daniel
    • 16 Years
    11 years, 5 months ago

    I agree with Mark pro Ivanovic as the most secured Chelsea defender

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    1. RD84
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Tempting

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    2. JT's Dog
        11 years, 5 months ago

        What did he say to justify it
        Just to save me listening for an hour

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      • Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 16 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        I looked at all the Chelsea defenders got fed up and went for Shawcross.
        I prefer to wait a game or two and see what the craic is with Chelsea

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        1. RD84
          • 14 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Burnley and Leicester though...

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    3. Fernando Torres
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Best 5.5M defender lads

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      1. RD84
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Debuchy or Lovren, probably Lovren

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      2. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 16 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Shawcross

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      3. GreennRed
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Evans, Jones.

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    4. FPL Daniel
      • 16 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Blacket anyone? Any Utd knowledge? Please...

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      1. Syd.
        • 16 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        The sheep will follow

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        1. Shipstontrev
          • 16 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          The Blackett sheep of the family?

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      2. It Dont Mata
        • 11 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Looks like Van Gaal likes him, has been really good in the pre season. Don't think he will start tho, maybe GW1 but nothing after that think it's top priority for Van Gaal to get another CB

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      3. FPL Touches
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Don't see a lad of his inexperience nailing down a starting berth from the off. If he does play he will be rotated with the other youngsters I think

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      4. NapalmDeath (Northern Chaos…
        • 13 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        I replied to you on the previous page.

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        1. FPL Daniel
          • 16 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          thanks man

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    5. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      is n taylor really a good pick? Swansea keep many cs?

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      1. copps
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        im not confident on swansea this season. CB pairing is up in the air right now too, seeing as Chico left.

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    6. Piggs Boson
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Lamela is going to be the next goalscoring midfielder. Like Dempsey and Bale back in the day 😉

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      1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Good luck with that. 😕

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        1. Chu Young Ping Pong
          • 13 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Good luck with Young. lol

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      2. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 15 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        stop 🙁

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      3. Chu Young Ping Pong
        • 13 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        yea!

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      4. SW6
        • 13 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        I'll be easily convinced, but too risky to start with him though.

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      5. FPL Touches
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        He is ridiculously cheap in other fantasy games. Makes him seem overpriced in FPL

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      6. SC not pearls before swine
        • 15 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        I reckon it'll be Alexis.

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        1. Tibidabo
          • 13 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Once Walcott is back, yeah.

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      7. Mull
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Tadic!

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    7. Gonzola
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Which QPR defenders are nailed on expect for caulker and Ferdinand?

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      1. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Green, and Isla from GW2 on.

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    8. hassan158
      • 11 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Is Kaboul nailed for Tottenham?

      Thinking of doing Ward and Chester ----> Kaboul and Kelly.

      Thoughts???

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      1. Pav A Nice Day
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Kaboul is nailed on yes.

        Any reason you prefer Kelly to Chester?

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        1. hassan158
          • 11 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          CPL or Hull?
          With Hull having Eurupa i think its an easy decision.

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    9. It Dont Mata
      • 11 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Lovren-Caulker-Chambers-Bruce-???

      Best defender for 6.0, what do you think lads?

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      1. Farcelona
        • 11 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Kolarov 😛

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        1. It Dont Mata
          • 11 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Haha you're making me want him more than any other!

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      2. tw
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        luis

        though i'd try to free up .5 and get terry

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    10. Rabid Dog
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      The Pig or Studge?

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      1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Both. I have.

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        1. Rabid Dog
          • 14 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          I have Costa too, sort of burning the rest of the team. Sod it, all 3 attack attack attack.....

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    11. Somalion
      • 16 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Time to lose Ward. Palace in deep trouble if they've lost TP.

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      1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 16 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        I got rid of him - reason : a settled team who loses their manager = unknown = chaos

        So then I got Clyne instead - reason: plays for a new manager but the team lost all their players = unknown = chaos/assists with those fixtures

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    12. thepuntmaster
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Chambers or PVA?

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      1. An Púca
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        Chambers for 2 weeks

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    13. Michael Jordan - call me MJ
      • 16 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Can anyone convince me that Jordan Henderson could actually be a good option this year?

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      1. Ed
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        No. But he's currently sitting in my team...

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      2. Pav A Nice Day
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        He plays for a top 6 team.

        If you look at most seasons the breakout midfielders almost always come from the top teams because generally just being in those teams means you're gonna be involved in goals. The big ones last year were Ramsey, Sterling and Barkley, all playing for top 6 teams. It's why i'm going for Ashley Young

        Of course Michu was the outstanding anomaly but he was practically a striker.

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    14. FPL Disorder
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Mannone (Krul)

      Cahill - Gibbs - Wisdom - Bartley - X

      Ramsey - Sterling - Lamela - Sigurdsson - X

      Rooney - Costa - X

      Option 1: Bruce - Mata - Bojan
      Option 2: Wilson - Young - Giroud

      ?

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      1. FPL Disorder
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        ...with Siggy rotating well with both Bojan and Young

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        1. Shipstontrev
          • 16 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Option 1

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    15. 2 goals 1 cup
      • 16 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Clyne and PVA or Debuchy and Wisdom?

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    16. WestHam14
      • 12 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Who's the best option to swap with Shaw now that he is injured?

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    17. copps
      • 14 Years
      11 years, 5 months ago

      Fabregas was 12m last time on FPL.........

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      1. JT's Dog
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Played with attacking team then
          Now it will be 67 min and off at 1-0

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      2. Pea Soup
        • 14 Years
        11 years, 5 months ago

        A) Lamela & Taylor (Swa)

        B) Siggy & Lovren

        ??????

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      3. JT's Dog
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Ma Nama na

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        • Aston Villa-Boas
          • 12 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          So, who to play GW1?

          Clyne (liv)
          Hutton (stk)
          Moore (EVE)

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        • Yome
          • 14 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Ward to Kaboul, ok or not ok?

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          1. Pav A Nice Day
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            very much ok. Spurs are by far the best defence available at 5m

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        • Bøwstring The Carp
          • 14 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Just got in.

          Shane long for £12mil in the same day that Pulis leaves Crystal Palace.

          Who needs Suarez in the PL for controversy when you have things like this happening 😯

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        • Bubz
          • 12 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Poor Kelly. I mean wtf. Is brought in this morning to a promising club with a brilliant defensive manager. Is now at a managerless club in trouble and likely to get relegated.

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          1. Camp No No
            • 12 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            Roscola made a good argument earlier today that Pulis is a moron.

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            1. Somalion
              • 16 Years
              11 years, 5 months ago

              Link by any chance sir? Wonder why he thinks that.

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          2. copps
            • 14 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            yeah bad luck for the guy. he sounded so keen to be joing with Pulis and getting minutes after so long on the bench.

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          3. Bad Pen
            • 14 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            Likely to get relegated is a bit of a stretch when not a minute has been played, give them a chance.

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            1. Bubz
              • 12 Years
              11 years, 5 months ago

              They are prime candidates. They were woeful without Pulis, and starting the season managerless, then having to adapt to a new manager, will not be good for their prospects.

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          4. Bolivian Seaman
            • 15 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            Do you think pulis was unhappy with the signing?

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          5. Yome
            • 14 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            Jeez are you serious? He was not even playing at Liverpool, who cares if CRY are relegated, at least he will get minutes and could leave next summer

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            1. Bubz
              • 12 Years
              11 years, 5 months ago

              Of course I'm serious, on what planet would that be a nice experience for a footballer?

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              1. Yome
                • 14 Years
                11 years, 5 months ago

                He wants to play football not warm the bench for god sake. CRY will get a new manager then everything will be OK and fight for relegation.

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                1. Bubz
                  • 12 Years
                  11 years, 5 months ago

                  The club is a completely different place to what he was expecting to join just hours after signing his contract. Not sure why you think he would be ok with that.

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                  1. Yome
                    • 14 Years
                    11 years, 5 months ago

                    Such disagreement can happen anytime. He will be fine I am sure and Palace remains a good club with ambition to stay in the top flight. Of course it will be harder with the departure of Pulis

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            2. copps
              • 14 Years
              11 years, 5 months ago

              dude, its never fun joining a club that goes into crisis just 24 hours after you have done the paperwork. massive negativity around the club with pulis leaving. kelly could have joined many other prem clubs, Palace was a particularly good option for him and his career because of Pulis.

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              1. Yome
                • 14 Years
                11 years, 5 months ago

                No other premiership clubs were after him probably, it is not the end of the world. Palace is still a good option for him, he will play football and that is what matters at the end of day.

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          6. MJ6987
            • 15 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            I know, he must be gutted!

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        • Trigg ⭐️
          • 13 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          How much y'all spent on defence, including goalkeepers?

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          1. Mull
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            33.5m

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          2. The Bandit
            • 15 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            35

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          3. FPL Touches
            • 14 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            32

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          4. Poseidon. Not arrogant, jus…
            • 13 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            35.5

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          5. MJ6987
            • 15 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            32

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          6. The ghost of a Pug's g…
            • 14 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            33.5...but may cut

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          7. Farcelona
            • 11 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            31

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        • Gooner97
          • 12 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Bes Southampton defender under 5m?

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        • pundit of punts
          • 13 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Am I the only one without Ramsey?

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          1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 16 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            Yes! 😀

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          2. Piggs Boson
            • 14 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            There's another 65% of lunatics 😉

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          3. SuperMario
            • 16 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            im literally after making a team with and without...

            DDG // Myhill
            Pieters // PVA // Ferdinand // Coloccini // Taylor
            Young // Sterling // Hazard // Lamela // Siggy
            Giroud // Costa // Rooney

            or

            De Gea // Myhill
            Caulker // PVA // Taylor // Moore // Hutton
            Hazard // Mata // Lamela // Ramsey // Siggy
            Costa // Rooney // Fletcher

            Which is better balanced??

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          4. It’s gonna Ben Mee
            • 12 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            No. You're one of the 65,7% that don't.

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        • Farcelona
          • 11 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          Fabregas, Silva or Sterling?

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          1. FPL Touches
            • 14 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            Got to be Fabregas*

            *Provided you have Mata

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            1. Farcelona
              • 11 Years
              11 years, 5 months ago

              I was thinking the same, and I already have Mata

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          2. Pav A Nice Day
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            Got to be Sterling

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        • SMOOTH
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 15 Years
          11 years, 5 months ago

          A. DDG + Debuchey
          B. Courtois + Pieters
          C. Begovic + Azpil

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          1. Farcelona
            • 11 Years
            11 years, 5 months ago

            A

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