Thursday 22 April 2010

Week 32 - Player Picks

   

Week 31 concluded last night & I think we can agree that going all out for the double week has paid off big time. Villa ran out 2-0 winners at Hull, so there were fantastic clean sheet points for Friedel + the Villa defence & goals for Agbonlahor & Milner.

I finished the week on 177 points, which was enough to move me up to a season high position of 249th overall & looking at the Blog Leagues it seems a huge number of you broke the 150 mark, with many in the 190's - fantatsic work guys!

We now move on to Week 32, which is a huge weekend in the Premier League AND The Blog Cup, as we see the remaining 10 teams cut to 2 ahead of Week 34's Final! The teams...

Supermassive FC
MU4ever
Steve Bob FC
TuHaU FC - LaNd BeLoW tHe WiNd
Efthymios
F.C. NulNul
Real16
Lions Gate
FrenchCannons
Electric Mayhem FC
 

...good luck to all!

I'm happy to say Week 32 is a single week for all teams, which I know we all prefer. With only a few weeks to go I think all managers will find themselves somewhere in or between 2 groups.

Group 1. You're happy with your overall position, or perhaps you have a comfortable lead in your private group & are just looking to play it safe to make sure it stays that way. If this is where you find yourself then there's no need for risks at this stage; pick the big names who you can trust to deliver.

Group 2. You're looking to boost your final overall position or need to make up some serious ground in your private group. If you find yourself in this position, perhaps it's time to take some risks, drop discounts & get players you don't think anyone else will have.

I find myself right on the edge of Group 1... I'm really happy with my position in the Top 250 & have a pretty substantial lead in my personal private group, so I don't need to do anything stupid. However, I've only ever finished in the Top 200 twice before, so I'm tempted to take some risks in an attempt to make up the 50 places to do it again. To be honest, I'd be delighted with Top 250 considering the 1st half of my season.

Anyway, enough about that, lets get on to the fixtures...

Saturday, 24 April 2010
Arsenal v Man City, 17:30
Bolton v Portsmouth, 15:00
Hull v Sunderland, 15:00
Man Utd v Tottenham, 12:45
West Ham v Wigan, 15:00
Wolverhampton v Blackburn, 15:00

Sunday, 25 April 2010
Aston Villa v Birmingham, 12:00
Burnley v Liverpool, 15:00
Chelsea v Stoke, 16:00
Everton v Fulham, 15:00

The stand-out fixtures: Chelsea at home to Stoke in a game they must win, Liverpool at Burnley (who I believe are the poorest side in the league), Bolton at home to Portsmouth & in-form Everton at home to a Fulham side who will be exhausted from their European exploits (I know I've recommended Liverpool & they have an even worse journey than Fulham, but they also have a bigger squad & are playing much weaker opposition).

I also fancy a confident Aston Villa to beat Birmingham in the midlands derby - Birmingham have had a fantastic first season but they seem to have finally run out of steam & their away record isn't great anyway. You'd also find it hard to argue against Sunderland at Hull, who seem all but down.

My fear this weekend is Tottenham's great recent effort may catch up with them - they never win at Old Trafford (often thanks to the officials), Man United will be bang up for it after the title twist last weekend & sadly I can't look beyond a home win. West Ham & Wigan are both unpredictable, so I wouldn't really want to bet on either team this weekend, Wolves v Blackburn has 0-0 written all over it & Arsenal v Man City is tough to call, but I just fancy the Gunners to do Spurs a favour.

With that in mind, here we go...

KEEPERS
Howard
Gordon
Jaaskalainen
Green

Quite a selection this week - Howard is almost always a safe bet when Everton are at home & he's still affordable at under £9m, while Sunderland travel to goal-shy Hull so Craig Gordon comes in to it too at a slightly cheaper £7m.

Bolton have one of the best fixtures this week at home to Portsmouth, which makes Jussi a fine choice - he's my pick. If you want to spend even less then you'll need to make the risky move to Rob "How is he England's No. 1?" Green, who's own goal in a 3-0 defeat at Anfield has dropped his value below £5m.

DEFENDERS
Bale
Jagielka
Alex
Steinsson
Distin
Hutton
S.Campbell
A Dawson
Mouyokolo
Foley
Mancienne
Elokobi
Vanden Borre

I assume we all have Bale? Good - then the next best thing you could've done was picked Jagielka up at under £6m on the barndoor before his price shot up. If not then Distin should continue as his defensive partner & is more affordable. If you want to be different then Alex will replace the suspended John Terry in a home game for Chelsea.

Steinsson, Hutton & Sol Campbell fall in to the next category of decent & affordable defenders who should all start with a chance of a clean sheet in Week 32, as Bolton, Sunderland & Arsenal all have winnable fixtures.

We then come into the Hull & Wolves twighlight zone, as I recommend no fewer than 5 defenders - Dawson, Mouyokolo, Foley, Mancienne & Elokobi. All are very reasonably priced & have been doing well (with or without clean sheets). Vanden Borre is under £5m & playing in midfield for Pompey.

MIDFIELDERS
Lampard
Gerrard
Arteta

Malouda
M.Taylor
Milner
Bullard
Pienaar
Cahill

Walcott 
Valencia
Wilshire
Maxi
N'Zogbia
Noble
Henderson

If money was no object I'd have Lampard in my midfield this week, but he's well out of my price range...as is Arteta after I stupidly missed him on the barndoor (I'd expect both to pass 20 points). Gerrard is another premium pick - despite his form improving he hasn't really been putting up the fantasy points recently, but if you wanted to get out of this slump then Burnley would be the place to do it.

The next batch of players I'm recommending include the vastly improved Malouda, the rejuvenated Matt Taylor (apparently he's been missing due to Glandular Fever, which he's now recovered from) & James Milner who looks like he's back on penalties. I feel are all set to do really well this week.

Jimmy Bullard went off the boil in the double week, but with Hull's game vs Sunderland a must win, I wouldn't be surprised to see him at his inspirational best. Pienaar & Walcott both have a good chance of some points, while Valencia may be able to take advantage of Bale & Assou Ekotto's attacking mentality at Old Trafford.

Wilshire, Maxi, N'Zogbia, Noble & Henderson are players that won't be picked by a huge number of managers, so if you're looking to do something a bit different then 1 of them could pay off.

STRIKERS
Rooney
Anelka
Tevez
Yakubu/Saha
Bent
Agbonlahor
Carew
Bendtner 
F.Campbell
K Davies
Ngog
C.Cole

There are some slightly less fashionable striker recommendation this week, but we'll start with the big names. Rooney should be close to full fitness now & always does well against Spurs, while Anelka could be asked to lead the line with Drogba struggling with a groin injury. Chelsea adopted a similar approach vs Villa with Drogba on the bench...they won 7-1 & he wasn't required, so Ancelotti may save him for Liverpool.

I dropped Tevez last week, but many of you held on to him & you could be rewarded as he faces an Arsenal side who conceded 3 to Wigan & are likely to feature Mikael Silvestre once again. Either Yakubu or Saha will lead the line for Everton, with the Yak my favourite after his inspired performance from the bench vs Blackburn.

Gabby & Carew should continue their goalscoring form for Villa vs Birmingham & Darren Bent & Fraizer Campbell will be licking their lips as they line up against the Hull defence. I'm still stuck on what to do with Bendtner - RvP could start but I'm not sure if that means Arsenal go 2 up front...I'm reluctant to dump the Dane as I feel Arsene will want his height in both attack & defence.

The unfashionable threesome of Ngog for Liverpool at Burnley, Carlton Cole for West Ham at home to Wigan & Kevin Davies for Bolton at home to Portsmouth complete the list.

That completes my Week 32 player picks. My team page currently looks like...

Jussi

        Bale  Jagielka  A.Dawson 

  Bullard  Malouda  Milner  M.Taylor

 Bendtner  Anelka  Ngog

My keeper & defence stays, as do Malouda & Taylor, but Milner isn't certain & Bullard could go. I don't like my strike trio - Bendtner is a risk if RvP ready to start, Anelka is a risk if Drogba is passed fit, so I definitely have some work to do once team news becomes clearer tomorrow... unbelievably Ngog is the most likely of the 3 to stay!

Let me know if you think I've missed anyone from the lists above. How's your team shaping up?

Please remember to join the Facebook Group if you haven't already. You'll get notifications whenever I post something new on the blog, I'll be able to alert you about new cup competitions planned for next season & it's also nice for me to put some faces to names...we've passed 600 members - join us!  

Cheers,
AM

92 comments:

Jon said...

Hey AM - great list of picks, thanks for your hard work.

Was wondering why you haven't picked T Cahill - seems back to somewhere near his best, and at around 12 is good value at home to Fulham.

Wondering what to do about Drogs - hold him at 18.5, but he didn't produce last week, and next week he's @ Liverpool. Maybe now is the time to let him go? What do you think?> Would you keep him this week if you had him at that price?

Thanks again for a great Blog

Bradley said...

157 points. Not bad, but clearly, picking Bullard and not picking Friedel were my two biggest mistakes. At least all my players got positive points for the first time in about six weeks. (Oh, and AM, I owe you a beer (or twelve) for your Bale recommendation. He is a gift that keeps on giving.)

Footballers getting arrested for fighting in pubs and nightclubs has been all too common, but Charles N'Zogbia has found an inventive way to run afoul of the law:

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6108710,00.html

Anonymous said...

1st!!

dewa

Anonymous said...

How I wish I had BD Jagielka at under 6! Now he's unaffordable and I'm forced to settle for Distin.

Here's what I have:

Fulop
Bale Steinsson Distin
Milner Lee Malouda Pienaar
Tevez Saha Ilan

3.53 left over

Still holding Ferreira, Foley (@6) and Howard (@8) preupdate.

Any ways to improve my team? Should I field a playing keeper instead? I'm forced to get Fulop as I want Pienaar in my midfield. Is Pienaar worth it though?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

bengoh91

Assistant Manager said...

Jon - Cahill should've been there, he was on the list but I missed him off. Cheers for reminding me!

Bradley - Bale at 2.84 has been the greatest pick in Yahoo Fantasy Football history!

Dewa - LOL :)

AM

Anonymous said...

Thanks AM for all the hard work!

Hope you make it to the top 200!

bengoh91

Bojan said...

my team:

green

bale steinsson foley

maxi malouda taylor k rich

tevez k davies anelka

Anonymous said...

Good stuff AM!! Thanks again for all your work in the blog.

Has anyone heard anything on Ivanovic's status? I want to keep him in my defense, but I want to make sure he's playing.

-lfcinpa

Bojan said...

bengoh91 - be carefull

Owen Coyle hints that Lee may need a break http://bit.ly/95vDGj

Bojan said...

i think City will beat Arsenal

Bojan said...

last year ref stole a game from Tott on OT after they have lead 2:0...

PBS said...

what Saha? Will he play?

Anonymous said...

Pauly's Fantastic Fillers - Week 32

Here's the latest end-of-season sale prices for a motley crew of:

GK
James ports 4.12
Kirkland wigan 4.95
Green w ham 4.93 *
Jaaskelainen bolt 6.58 **
Robinson bbn 6.05 **

DF
Knight bolton 7.26**
Robinson bolton 5.59 *
Elokobi wolv 6.20 *
Mancienne Wolv 4.92 **
Vanden Borre ports 4.98 **
Onuoha Mcity 7.08 *
Hutton sund 7.80 **

MF
Wilshere bolton 6.62 *
Jones wolv 4.12 *
N'Zonzi bbn 4.61 **
Utaka ports 3.51 **
Deco chels 7.75 *
Richardson sund 6.82 **
Elliott burnley 5.95 *

FW
Kalinic bbn 3.65 **?
Campbell sund 7.55 **
Yakubu everton 7.93 **?
Klasnic bolton 7.66 **?
NGog lpool 8.44 **

* fine fillers
** Top picks
? check team sheets

Hope that can help out any misers needing to find a filla

Good w-end to all

Pauly

Anonymous said...

@Bojan: Will keep a lookout on that one. Thanks for the info! Any recommendations for a replacement?

bengoh91

Anonymous said...

@Pauly: Ngog at 8.44 considered a filler? I think we need to re-define the term "filler".

Anonymous said...

How about Bolton's Ricketts, Pauly?

bengoh91

Anonymous said...

Jussi
Manci Onuoha VanBorre
MTay Milner Malouda Maxi
Yak Bent Carew

I like my midfield
My defence scares me
Front line is respectable but I feel Bent will let me down. Drop him and get Bendt or Ngog. I'd have 13.6 to spend and if I got Ngog I'd have 5.16 to beef up my backline.

Appreciate any input

BCB

Kellz said...

@AM: I have some of the same concerns as you. Right now I am thinking its possible to Ancelotti to rest Drogba if passed fit, but then why? Chelsea have no cup concerns until May and Stoke aren't a gimme game, so if you are buying Anelka why not downgrade slightly to Diamanti home to Wigan?

I think Bendtner has to start again given his performances in RvP's absense. I don't think RvP should be rushed into such a physical game that Citeh will no doubt provide. But will Arsne play 2 strikers? or will Bendtner move to the wing? In any case, as with Ngog, 5mil just win a corner, a foul and a SOT and I'll be happy.

Ngog is also a concern for me, but I feel regardless of the trip hes playing and at 6mil just give me 2 SOT and i'll be happy.

BUT I have enough left over funds to upgrade to a 10mil striker so can Saha break this goal drought on Fulham? Thoughts?

My Team:

Howard
Bale, Hutton, Jags,
Malouda, Arteta, MTAY, Maxi,
Ngog(Saha), Diamanti(Anelka), Bendtner

Anonymous said...

Hey AM how about G.Cahill & Klasnic from Bolton? G.Cahill's recovered from his blood clot and should be a good bet for a clean sheet as well as a goal...he's been known to do that.

-Saul

Anonymous said...

I don't know about you guys but this week has been my toughest. I've gone one one player, to another, to another...can't seem to decide on a team. Have gone from Tevez to Lampard to Arteta? Who will do best? Why do I have to choose just one? Because I was too dumn and didn't BD Arteta...in the end I went for tevez only and a 4-4-2 formation. Here it is:

Jaaskelainen
Bale/Jagielka/Alex/G.Cahill
Bullard/Maxi/Pienaar/A.Johnson
Tevez/Ngog

I'm pretty happy with it and I think I'll keep it. Suggestions/comments and injury news are greatly welcomed! Thanks all and good luck

-Saul

(On a sidenote, you are the cheesenitts AM!!! Thanks for representing and keeping you reputation up in the top 500 every year, that is why you are where you are...consistency and not luck! Well thanks for the great suggestions, and keep it up.)

bean said...

Almunia is supposedly still out, so maybe I will keep Tevez... suddenly City's attackers get that much more interesting.. Fabianski, Silvestre & Sol seems to indicate there will be some goals

KPM said...

Current saved lineup

Howard
Steinsson Distin A Hutton
Bullard Maxi Wilshire N'zonzi
Gabby Bent Ngog

Not really set on anyone in that lineup so feel free to offer varied and comprehensive suggestions. I still have $7.14 in the bank, but knowing Yahoo that will change in the next 20 seconds.

MPFC/KPM

Kendo said...

I have n'zomnia lined up will he play this weekend?

(or he could get someone to impersonate him!)

Anonymous said...

hi, i've dropped about 60 places with this week, but still in top 200, hoping to finish in top150
my team:
howard
bale jagielka mancienne
bullard m.taylor lampard wilshere
tevez carew k.davies
what you guys think?

---------
CFCBOSS

Caleb said...

Hi AM,

Nice post, as usual!

How about the chance of P. Robinson in defense for Bolton? I BD both him and Steinsson and I think I need to choose one of them. But actually I prefer Robinson a little bit, just a little bit.

Also, since Terry is suspended, Ivanovic will will partner Alex at center back while Ferreira will stay in right back. It seems Ferreira is the top pick of Chelsea defender due to price.

The last question will be, should I take Anelka+Wilshere or Ngog(BDed)+Malouda? As a Liverpool fans, I don't really fancy the chance of Ngog. I really would like to fit all three of them (except Ngog) in, but M Taylor (BDed) has to go, which I don't really want. Tevez, AJ, Arteta, Maxi stay at four of my seven positions in midfield and attack.

Caleb said...

Well, I just noticed that I can switch to 343 and have Ngog+Anelka as well. This makes the situation more complicated.

Pop Thy Collar said...

Nice one in reminding us of Jussi. I was thinking of sticking with Friedel until I realised it was a Birmingham derby.

Phew - could have been painful.

Anonymous said...

My hunch for the week, ABOVE ALL ELSE...ROONEY!!!

Jaaskelainen
Bale/Jags/Alex/G.Cahill
Bullard/Maxi/Pienaar/Johnson
Rooney/Ngog

It could turn out to be the worst mistake considering Tevez could rip apart Arsenal by himself but at this time of the year only risks separate you from the other managers. Good luck to all and I hope you don't listen to my advice of choosing Rooney. Want to separate myself from the competition.

-Saul

Bojan said...

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/london-chelsea-fc/2010/04/22/drogba-i-can-t-go-on-like-this-82029-26295505/

Anonymous said...

@Everyone - What is the likeliness of sylvinho starting for City vs. Arsenal? Can I find a defender that will do okay @ under 4.31? Thanks all.

Anonymous said...

green
bale steinsson jagielka
Mtaylor arteta lampard malouda wilshere
Ngog davies

What do you guys think? would appreciate any advice given.

Anonymous said...

@Anon 2:15 - I really like your team, great pick of players due to match-ups...nice!!! Green is a good bet for a CS vs. Wigan(cheaper than Jaask an Howard), and your midfield is killer. Your forward line on paper looks weak, but due to their opposition it's fairly good.

On my front I'm trying something off the radar because I'm still in the Blog Cup semi-final and want to separate myself from the rest...my team is:

Myhill(gamble)
Bale/Jags/Sylvinho(filler)
Bullard/Maxi/A.Johnson/Pienaar
Tevez/Ngog/Rooney

Like I said I'm taking gambles and betting on the some unthinkable options. Good luck!!!

-Saul

Anonymous said...

I'm still holding on to Friedel from last weeks double, but he doesn't seem to be on anyone else's list here...is it really time to drop him?

roonaldo said...

J. Jääskeläinen
G. Elokobi, S. Mouyokolo, G. Steinsson
F. Malouda, J. Bullard, M. Taylor, T. Cahill
D. Bent, D. Ngog, Kevin Davies.

please comment on my team...

Mikl-em said...

my lineup:

JJ [kudos to @roonaldo for writing his full name]
Jags Alex Mancienne
MTay Bullard(Gera) Malouda Milner
Bendtner Tevez Altidore


So first off, I've heard some speculation that Bullard's heart isn't in it. Coming off a bad injury, with a very small chance of avoiding relegation, he may be focused on staying healthy and getting a new gig next year rather than fighting hard against the odds. He definitely hasn't shown much spark since he's been back.

So thinking of dropping him. Thinking of Gera cuz I really like his play recently. I know it's a risk coming back from Europa League. But he tends to score 8 or more and I have him under 8. Haven't dumped Bullard yet, keeping my options open.

Feeling good about the rest of it. I have all the big guys at discount. Altidore is under 5, and I have a feeling he'll make that back + like he did for me a few weeks ago, esp w/ JVoH probably out.


Reflecting on my season, this is my first year playing and I've learned a lot. I had some bad weeks near the start (before I learned what "BD" stood for). Even after starting to get my act together, I spent a lot of time in the 20,000-30,000 range. Recently though I've been around the top 10,000 (currently 8,600 something), so I'm thrilled by that. I've already got more points in the 2nd half of the season than I had in the first, with weeks to go (and I'm crushing my league of fellow newbies).

Thanks to AM and everyone here for the great discussion and advice. It's been a huge help to me and most importantly a lot of FUN. Good luck all!

Alex (Darlo) said...

What a strange week, in theory the easiest (Everton, Chelsea and Bolton with a bit of Sunderland and West Ham) but has oddly been the most difficult, and why? because Bolton, West Hame, Sunderland and a depleted Chelsea are not sure things, also am I making Everton too much of a formality?

But anyway my Team is done, my girlfriends/my team is done and for the first time ever Supermassive and Unintended XI (104 and 29 overall respectively) are both locked down and not changing as I am off on a bit of a mad weekend and won't have access/be in any state to make changes, its almost alien not spending hours staring at the screen working through changes in my head, justifying all sorts of scenarios but not actually changing anything until five minutes before the deadline, hell i'll even miss the barn door!!

But anyway, all done, good luck everyone.

Kendo said...

My team jj :)

bale baird foley

s petrov a young henderson nzogbia

drogs agbon carew

was thinking of holding on to my villa double gamers v birm.

on sky petrov is doubtful and wil nzog be playing??

Kendo

Jon said...

My head hurts!!

Which is better?

Jussi / Alex / Drogba @ 18.5 (OR Tevez/Rooney)

or

Green / Gerrard / MTAY

Any help or advice greatly appreciated

Bojan said...

United have won 13 and lost none of the last 17 Premier League games against Tottenham.

Spurs have won none of the last 66 Premier League away games against the "Big Four” of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and United.

Wayne Rooney has scored five goals in his last five Premier League matches against Tottenham.

In the last four Premier League meetings with Spurs, United have never scored the first goal, but they have won two and drawn two of those games.

Spurs have won seven of their last eight Premier League matches.

United have dropped just three points from winning positions this season – fewer than any other team.

Just 21 per cent of Man Utd's goals have come from set plays, the lowest proportion in the top flight.

Bojan said...

Bolton have seen their woodwork struck 21 times this season, seven more than any other club in the Premier League.

61 per cent of Bolton's goals have been netted with the left foot, the highest proportion in the top flight.

The Trotters have averaged just 0.71 goals per game under Owen Coyle this season, compared to 1.44 per game under Gary Megson.

Just 24 per cent of the goals Bolton have conceded have come from set pieces, the lowest proportion in the top flight.

Bojan said...

Sunderland have won all three Premier League games against Hull City and the last five league matches in a row against the Tigers.

Sunderland have failed to score in four of their last six away matches.

Sunderland have won none and lost 12 of their last 16 Premier League away matches.

Darren Bent has scored 50 per cent of Sunderland's Premier League goals.

Hull City have won fewer games against teams in the bottom half of the table than any other side in the top flight.

Sunderland have picked up more cards than any other team, 71 yellows and six reds.

Darren Bent has scored the first goal of the game on 13 occasions in the Premier League this season.

Fraizer Campbell (formerly on loan at Hull in 2007-08) has hit four goals in his last eight Premier League appearances, after failing to score in his first 20 with the Black Cats.

Darren Bent has scored nine goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season and no Premier League team can beat that tally.

Bojan said...

Wigan's 3-2 win over Arsenal was only the second time in 2010 that the Latics have netted more than once in a Premier League match.

Roberto Martinez's side have only kept one clean sheet in their last 16 Premier League away games, shipping 44 goals.

West Ham have seen eight opposition players sent off this season, more than any other team in the top flight.

30 per cent of Wigan's goals have been headers, the highest proportion in the Premier League.

Wigan have conceded 14 headed goals, more than any other team in the top flight.

Bojan said...

There have been 14 goals in the three Premier league meetings between Wolves and Blackburn, with at least four in each match.

Wolves have failed to score in seven of their last eight Premier League matches at home.

If Wolves fail to score in this match, they will equal the longest run of consecutive matches without scoring in the Premier League this season (five).

There has been just one goal in the last four Premier League games involving Wolves.

Blackburn have drawn seven games 0-0 this season, more than any other side in the top flight.

Rovers have won just one of their last 11 Premier League away matches.

Blackburn have kept clean sheets in their last two away games; they haven't mustered three in a row on the road in the top flight since January 2006.

Wolves have mustered just 101 shots on target, fewer than any other team in the Premier League.

Mick McCarthy's side have won just one penalty, fewer than any other team in the Premier League.

0:0 pr PK goal for Wolves

Bojan said...

Arsenal have taken just three points from seven games against the teams in the current top five - fewer than any of the other four clubs.

The Gunners have won just one of seven Premier League matches against teams from the top half of the table since the turn of the year.

Nicklas Bendtner has scored nine goals in his last 12 matches in all competitions.

Carlos Tevez has scored 20 goals in his last 19 Premier League matches.

The Gunners have won 10 and lost none of the 12 Premier League home games against Man City.

Emmanuel Adebayor has scored five goals in his last three appearances when Arsenal have played against City in the league, four in two games for Arsenal and one in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

City are unbeaten in their last five away matches, winning the last two; they haven't won three road trips in a row since April 2007 (a run that ended at the Emirates with a 1-3 defeat).

Arsenal have won their last five Premier League games at the Emirates and conceded just one goal in that run.

Man City have recouped nine points from losing positions away from home this season, more than any other team in the top division.

Bojan said...

Birmingham have not won any games by more than a single goal margin this season.

The Blues have won just one game against the teams in the top half of the table going into this weekend.

Villa have won the last five Premier League matches against Birmingham.

Martin O'Neill's side are unbeaten in their last seven matches at Villa Park but have won one and drawn six of those games.

The Blues have won one and lost six of their last seven Premier League away games.

Birmingham have scored just three headed goals this season, fewer than any other side.

Six of Birmingham's nine goals since the beginning of March have involved Cameron Jerome (five goals, one assist).

Gabriel Agbonlahor has scored in each of his three Premier league starts against the Blues.

Bojan said...

The Reds have only won one of their nine league games in 2010 where they have not been leading at half time.

Burnley have won just one of their last seven Premier League home matches.

The Reds have scored just four goals in their last 10 Premier League away matches.

The Clarets have only failed to score in one of their 17 Premier League home games.

It is 24 games since Burnley last kept a clean sheet in the top flight.

The Clarets have kept just three clean sheets this season, fewer than any other team in the top division.

Liverpool have kept three consecutive clean sheets in the league against Burnley.

Burnley have lost just one of the last nine meetings with Liverpool at Turf Moor in all competitions.

Bojan said...

Everton are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games at Goodison Park, winning seven of those matches.

Everton have won all eight home games against Fulham in the Premier League era.

n fact, 16 of the 17 meetings between Everton and Fulham, have seen the home side win.

Fulham have won none of their last 16 Premier League away matches.

Fulham have failed to score in their last seven Premier League away matches.

The Whites have only conceded one penalty this season, fewer than any other side.

Everton have scored 16 headed goals this season, more than any other team in the top division.

71 per cent of the goals Fulham have scored have come in the second half, the highest proportion in the top flight.

Bojan said...

Stoke have dropped more points from winning positions (22) than any other team this season.

Chelsea have recouped more points from losing positions (15) than any other side in the top flight.

Chelsea are unbeaten in the last 20 league matches in which John Terry has not featured.

Chelsea have won their last six league games against Stoke City.

Stoke are unbeaten in their last six Premier League away games.

The Potters have only scored five goals in their last 10 Premier League away games.

Two of Stoke's three Premier League away wins this season have come in London.

Chelsea have won 17 and lost just one of their last 19 Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge.

It is 19 matches in the top flight since Chelsea last failed to score on home soil.

Kellz said...

@Bojan: Good grief... I think most of us can read Yahoo :D lol jk buddy. Hows your team going?

Anonymous said...

@Jon, get the first option, but change drogba to rooney -- unless you have confirmation that drogba will start! Green is too risky for me ;)

My team is:
Jussi
Bale/Hutton/Elokobi
Milner/Wilshere/Malouda/Gerrard
Carew/Bent/Yakubu

Should I switch Bent out?

William said...

Jussi
Foley Steinsson A.Dawson Alex
Arteta M.Taylor Bullard
Bendtner Gabby Anelka

I'm considering G.Cahill for Alex...
Bendtner/Anelka could go (wait for team news)
welcome any advices :)

Bojan said...

58th overall-dropped from 38th... i now you can read, but i summed it up in one place... i have time today

I can't tell in case my competition is reading this! said...

Hi AM,

I love your blog and this is a place I never fail to read every week before I make changes to my squad! I need your help and hope you can give me your opinion.

I'm competing for 1st place in my league with my friends and I'm about 100pts behind in 3rd place.

I'm currently holding to Howard because based on what I know of the top 2 position, they will most likely buy Jaaskalainen. At this stage I need to be different.

This is how my squad looks:(3.16units left)

Howard
Bale Jagielka Alex Hutton
Arteta Taylor Malouda Maxi(at full price)
Bent Yakubu

Hutton,Maxi,Yakubu and Bent are players I'm not certain about. Hutton playing away to Hull who needs to win.

Hutton: I can upgrade my defender as after selling Hutton I have slightly more than 8units to play with. Playing Hull who needs to win so possible that I may not win any CS pts. But Hutton seems to get forward quite a bit and at 5.27units I believe he can be a keeper since the last 3games are fairly easy.

Maxi: I'm not sure he's worth 10units since I did not manage to BD him. But he didn't play in Europe as he's cup tied so will definitely start and possibly play a key role! But then again... Liverpool have been really inconsistent this season! Joe Cole is my option since I think if Drogba isn't playing Cole might play a key role with Malouda!

Yakubu: Not sure he'll start but potential points playing against a tired Fulham defence if he plays.

Bent: I'm very tempted to sell him to buy Anelka but I'm not sure its worth. I believe Chelsea will win and if Drogba is not playing, Anelka will play as a lone striker. He's not very prolific this season and I'm leaning more towards replacing Maxi with Joe Cole and maybe Bent with Agbonlahor

I know I'm asking a lot for an opinion. Really appreciate the help in advance!

Anonymous said...

Your thoughts on this lineup please:

Jussi
Jags/Hutton/Mancienne
AJ/Arteta/Milner/MTAY/Maxi
Bendtner/Bent

Thanks,

Superfly Jim

Anonymous said...

Jussi
Bale/Hutton/Jags
AJ/Mtaylor/Arteta/Milner/Malouda
Abebayor/Bent

any thoughts ?

Z.

Anonymous said...

should i change Milner to Gerrard ?
i will have 18 available funds to replace Milner on my team. any thoughts ?

thanks,

Z.

Anonymous said...

@Jon

Drogba is not 100%
Gerrard looks like he's ready for early retirement
Mtay has had 1 good game in 10
Alex will play central DF imo, with Terry suspended, so no points for crosses, assists etc.
Green is up & down with his points
so for me Jussi/Tevez/Ivan

Just my opinion

Pauly

Anonymous said...

saha and kalinic and 1.1 spare, any ideas on other possible combinations?

currently at 3-4-3 so not position constrained.

Otherwise happy with team

Anonymous said...

@ Honduran Saul

Theres no real choice for a DF filler at 4.31 - Vanden Borre is the nearest top pick because he plays MF, but even he is at 4.98 !
And if you had 3 DF instead of 4 then you could fit in Jones MF Wolves at 4.12 - that's my only suggestion with such a small sum!

Hope that helps

Pauly

Bojan said...

basturk to start, imo

http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~2032788,00.html

Bojan said...

ok... i get the point... no more statistics

Anonymous said...

@ Bojan - i appreciate the time and effort you took to give us those stats, and not have to hunt them down like some of us do!

Cheers Mate
dazconnor

Jon said...

@ Pauly

Thanks for your opinion - appreciate that. Not considered Ivan. Is he a sure starter and will he play full game, given his recent injury problems?

and Bojan - i appreciate the stats as well, so feel free to post them if you want to. after all, that's what a blog like this is for isn't it?

Anonymous said...

Bojan write what you want to write , your posts contribute to this blog , and c.ckwh.re or what´s his name can scroll over them if he wants ..

Wuyetz

Anonymous said...

@Pauly - Thanks for responding to my post.

Right now my team looks like this:

Myhill(Hunch)
Bale/Jagielka/Sylvinho
Bullard/Maxi/A.Johnson/Dunn
Tevez/Rooney/Ngog

Sylvinho's my only worry, don't want to take the (0). I have thought about going from Sylvinho/Dunn to Z.Knight/Noble, that would bring my team to 100 exactly. What do you guys think, Should I do it? I'm happy with everyone else, just play around with 15.1. Thanks all.

-Saul

Anonymous said...

Cahill or Valencia? having a tough time calling this one.

already have Pienaar and Rooney so i guess it's a case of doubling up on Man Utd or Everton, leaning towards Valencia.

Anyone with any insight to pass on would be hugely appreciated

SGF

Anonymous said...

Bojan you been a great contributor.Appreciate all your thought


Numero Uno

Anonymous said...

Alright, I'm down to this:

JJ
Salgado(4.33)/Dawson/Steinsson
Maxi(4.78)/Arteta/Malouda/Wilshere
Tevez/Agbonlahor/Carew

Only 1.64 left, so don't think I can improve it more than that. Still holding onto Gabby/Carew from the double, hoping they will produce again.

Also don't want to lose Maxi/Salgado. Got them cheap and both have outscored their prices easily. Great fillers.

Anonymous said...

my current team-
Jussi
Ferreira Hutton Mancienne
Malouda M.Taylor Babel Kilbane
Rooney Gabby K.Davies

A bit sceptical about Babel as to whether he would start. Cant afford a zero at this point. Any feedbacks or opinions about my team? Thanks

PJ

Anonymous said...

@Bojan

Keep those stats coming dude - we love 'em !

Pauly

L'Orange Noir said...

Picked up 156 points last week, enough to narrow the gape between me and the 2nd placed person in my league to just 15 points!
My team for the weekend is:
Jussi
Bale, Dawson, Ferreira
Gerrard, Lampard, Cahill, Kilbane, Wilshire
Bent, Ngog.
I'm actually fairly happy with it!
Which I guess means it will flop :-(

Anonymous said...

Bojan,
thanks for the info, it makes a difference.

Idiot identifier please look in mirror.

Anonymous said...

Just read that Ngog is a doubt for this weekend, does Kuyt become the top option from Liverpool then?

CP

Anonymous said...

Update

Ngog is doubtful with a back injury
see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/23/squad-sheets-burnley-liverpool


Pauly

Anonymous said...

@CP - Maybe, but I'm banking on Benayoun to step up to the plate.

-Saul

My Team is:

Myhill
Bale/Jagielka/Steinsson
Bullard/Maxi/Wilshire/Benayoun/A.Johnson
Tevez/Rooney

Yes it's weird but it's a gamble I'm willing to take since most people are going for MTay/Arteta/Malouda/Maxi or Bullard. Rooney I must have as he will lead us to the title. Myhill is my hunch home to Sunderland, I'm convinced he can score big...probably a huge mistake. Aw well it's getting to the end of the season so might as well have fun.

-Saul(again)

Anonymous said...

@ Jon

Yes IMO Ivan will play the full match, assuming good fitness.
Ferreira is a good cheap option if you're unsure & want a cheaper Chelsea DF
Adebayor is uncertain to start against Arsenal according to Guardian football team sheet.
End updates
Pauly

bean said...

@Saul - Duke has started the past two matches, Boaz might be on the bench again...

Anonymous said...

My team

Jussi
Elokobi - Mancienne - Dawson
Malouda - M Taylor - Piennar - Mokoena
Tevez - Gabby - F Campbell

I think I am good. Any problems? Dawson for Ferreria? Taylor for Gerrard or another at 16.xx?

-A1

Anonymous said...

am sticking with van persie let me look crazy its all good am risking.am sure he will start and will have all the free kicks to himself and shots on goal.

Anonymous said...

green
bale jagielka steinsson
arteta Mtay malouda cahill noble
davies anelka

What do u guys think? any advice

orphans said...

Here we go!

------------Jussi------
------Jagi---Manci---Dawson
Bullard--Mattay--Malouda-Parker-Arteta
--------Davies--Altidore------
1. I lost Bale and Bendtner in the Yahoo glitch Saturday and was not able to get them back. Also, lost Dawson at 4.80 but have him at 5.10.
I guess the good news is, that I did BD Jagielka at 5.85 and MattTay at 11.54. I had planned on keeping Bale for the season, though.
2. Proud to be at 349 overall, 196 points last week and about 170 spots up.
3. Verrry heavy in MF and light at Foward. I beleive the MF are easier to pick this week. More sure things in the MF, a lot of questions up top.
4. I do like Davies and Altidore for their teams this week, sure starters, winnable matches, playing at home. They both foul a lot, however. If they get 12-20 points together, I will be thrilled.

mikl-em said...

@Pauly, do you trust Guardian squad sheets? I find them to pretty hit & miss. If anyone has advice on when to trust them... :) For now I read them but don't base major decisions on them.

@Pauly/Jon fyi Ivan will be playing Center, per Ancelotti:
"John Terry is an important miss but now we have Ivanovic fit, so he can play centre back."
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=775700&sec=england&cc=5901

Anonymous said...

I have 6.44 left to spend... Was thinking Davies, Wilshere or Kilbane. Thoughts? Anyone else I should consider?

Thanks all!

Anonymous said...

I would say that Davies is the safe play if that's what you are looking for, Wilshere would be a chance for a big play (although his points go down when Taylor plays). Kilbane would be my third choice.

Anonymous said...

Here's what I have for this week:

Howard
Bale Steinsson Ferreira
Milner Malouda Pienaar Wilshere
Tevez Saha Ilan

For some reason I feel my team looks weird. It has the potential to go big or have a horrid week. But because I didn't barndoor Arteta, Taylor and Jagielka, my team looks different from others.

Big Ron is my semi final opponent this week. Very very tough to beat. I'm preparing for a semi-final exit.

bengoh91

Anonymous said...

I have Jussi + Carew at the moment. I am thinking about getting Howard instead. If thats the case, i have 7.99 left for a FW/MF/DF.

In my Consideration:
FW at this price - F Campbell, K Davies
MF at this price - Joe Cole, Malbranque
DF at this price - Distin, Hutton

what are you guys's Opinion?

Anonymous said...

Hello people,
A bit happy with my current team, managed to BD few ppl, as for now, and unless anyone suddenly injured, I don't think I'll change the team

Robbo
Elokobi,bale,dawson
Nzog,maxi,mtay,pienaar,malouda
K2,yakubu

Feel kinda unsure about my team, wanted to fit in babel in, but for that I need to downgrade yakubu to davies and kick out nzog..~

Any cooments?

Cheers,
DarkZero

Anonymous said...

Hi all,

I'm just about set on my team. Would appreciate any comments and opinions.. Thanks!

Jussi
Bale Jags Kyrgiakos
AJ Milner Arteta MTaylor Gerrard
Ngog KDavies

Sid

TwoFace said...

My team for this week:-

Jussi
Bale,Steinsson,Ferreira
Bullard,Malouda,Cahill,Taylor
Bendtner,C.Cole,Bent

I'm happy with my current line-up though i would love to have Ngog and Milner in exchange of Cahill and Cole..but with Ngog doubtful and Milner having a derby match, Cahill n Cole could offer better offering especially their match-up

Overall rank of 283 i'm happy at this moment though i need to maintain my momentum in my private league with only 30 points gap..

Keep up the good work AM :)

Anonymous said...

Hey AM, Kellz,Bojan & fellow blog readers,

Here goes the Line-up that will outscore every team ( U got to have that belief)

Jussi
Jags Elokobi Alex
Malouda Bullard Arteta Weiss Parker
Anelka K.Davies.

Weiss is mine hunch for this gameweek who had a good performance as a sub last week. I think he will start & will be on set piece duties. My only worry is MTay (whom I diched for Parker) having a monster week. Should I switch back to MTAY? Please HEEEEEELP me.

Cheers!!!!
Keshari
(Mumbai)

bean said...

Green
Hutton Ferreira ZatKnight Foley
AdamJ Arteta Malouda
F.Camp Tevez Davies

good luck everyone
thank you AM

Anonymous said...

DANG!! ROONaldo is out.. ugh! i hope the same won't be for Drogba!

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