Fantasy Football 08/09

  • Thread starter DQuaN
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I can't get rid of Vidic, and I certainly won't let go of Fergie-- he's my top scorer!
 
What a fantastic weekend! The sight of all those empty seats at Old Trafford made me think I was watching us play Middlesbrough, not ManU! :P
That Vidic/Ronaldo swap has not just turned into a six-pointer for the week, but it also means that some of the people closest to me in the league now have an enforced transfer to make since Vidic's attempts to grab Gerrard's balls have earned him a 3 match ban as well as the -3 points for the week! :D
Suddenly the gap is down below 30 points, and I'm even starting to believe that a late charge is possible! :mischievous:
 
A good weekend for you - disappointed that Vidic got -3 - my understanding was that he should have got -1, since he wasn't on the field for the other two goals... Sendings off obviously don't count the same way as subs though... but meh, it looks like I will have to chuck him now. My dilemma is that my main rival is now just 11 points behind and continues to eat into my lead, and he has 9 changes left to my three... but I have a cunning plan, which will hopefully leave me with a "final" team, I just have to choose between one big name striker and another. Either way, though, I am now not optimistic of winning that other league, since I have picked too many diddies and made too many changes... but I am hopeful that that I will still win this league :sly:

edit: I make no apologies for any overlap of players I sign with my last three changes :P... as it stands, I have three people in mind, SH has one of them in his team already, and my closest rival Stu has one as well. The other player would be unique to my team, provided neither SH or Stu sign them before I do, which is quite likely :D
 
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Just to let you fantasy guys know, Vidic has been given a 2 match ban. It would have been only a 1 match ban, except as this is his second red of the season, that makes it a 2 match ban.
 
Thanks for that... :)👍

Tough call whether I keep him or not... I can't afford to lose a potential six points, but at the same time, I may need to ditch him anyway to bankroll my last three changes, and now would be the best time to do that if he's going to miss two games anyway. Unfortunately the most obvious replacement for him is Rio Ferdinand, who costs exactly the same :ouch: Either way, it poses a serious dilemma for me since this is going to be my final round of changes whatever I do... :ill:
 
Ugh.
Choices choices.
The weekend is fast approaching, and I'm mulling over my options.
Frankly I don't share Mark Lawrenson's optimism over Fulham's chances against a ManUre side that took a battering last weekend. Johnson needs to go, but who to replace him with? Berbatov? It's doable, and it would make a great combo with Ronaldo, but will he play? Seeing as how most folks I've signed have stopped scoring immediately as I've signed them I'm seriously tempted to throw my remaining chance to win this league but assist Liverpool in their attempts to overthrow ManU by stopping their top scoring players from scoring! :sly:

I may only make 2 changes so I can reserve 1 for an injured player replacement, or to get Fergie back in for their game in hand (which won't be possible if Berba is in :boggled:)

Davies and Gallas have been in and out of their respective teams like the Hokey-Cokey recently, but with Villa still with Liverpool & ManU to play yet, I'm not sure if I want to keep 2 Villans in my back line. Which only leaves me a very limited transfer kitty for a Midfielder / Centre Back after I've selected a striker, something which is eased a little by sacking Gallas for about the 3rd time this season! There's bargains like Bramble or Giovanni to be had, but Giovanni has been way off the boil since December until last weekend (and is probably not going to hit boiling point again with the likes of Villa, Liverpool & ManU on his horizons), and I have reservations about Bramble, a man I've nominated to the "Donkey Of The Month Team" on numerous occasions as he has a propensity for doing this sort of thing:



I'm away in Tahoe again this weekend and won't catch any of the games, so I'm tempted to throw caution to the wind and make changes sooner rather than later.
I'm tempted by Essien now that he's back, he was the only Chelski player in my original lineup until he got injured pre-season and withdrawn. Great player, but again not guaranteed to walk straight back into the Chelsea midfield given that he's probably not fully fit, (although Deco's injury might assist that a little) and is probably a little fragile having only just come back.
And then there's SWP. Decisions, decisions.

It's too complicated to contemplate. I'm off to bed! :grumpy:
 
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This all sounds too familiar... I've been wracking my brains over the last couple of nights wondering how to deal with my last three changes... I have to face some stark realities, like losing a key midfielder in order to accommodate my plans...

I have mulled over Berbatov up front as well, but I am not convinced that he will be that prolific, and I am seriously tempted to put in another "wildcard" striker and beef up my defence instead.

Most likely, I am going to change just one player this weekend, and wait and see how Drogba does for a couple of games before committing to my "final team". Either way, most of my players are stuck in their roles now anyway, so last minute tinkering is going to have only a marginal effect anyway.

As for Bramble, he's been a thorn in my side. My rival Stu has had him in for a while and he has racked up a load of points - I have a Wigan defender at the moment too, but their remaining fixtures are not brilliant, hence I am in a quandry whether to keep him or not. Most of my options involve been forced to keep him, so I might just have to bite the bullet on that one...

Anyway, off to work :ill:
 
Well that's it. I just nervously hit the "confirm" button for the penultimate time and my cards are on the table.
Opted to be rid of Davies given that he may not play if Cuellar is fit and Laursen is due back soon too. Also given that Villa's next 2 games are Liverpool and Man Utd, it may be that he's a liability if he'd played anyway!
Fulham's run-in also includes many of the top teams and although they look safe at the moment things could get tough for them in a hurry, so Johnson probably won't score too many from here-on-in. (Cue hat-trick against ManU at the weekend. :ill:)

Arshavin seems too good to miss at the moment, (although he'll probably now turn out to be absolutely capable of missing every chance going since I've signed him!) so he crept in ahead of Berba, and since he was half-a-mill cheaper it meant I didn't have to drop one of my more pricey centrebacks.
And then the last decision?
Looking at the run-ins for most of the relegation scrappers that have players available (CB or MF) for 3.5mill & below, there's a few teams that could be in trouble. Hull are one, having 3 of the big 4 still to play. Middlesbrough are pretty much doomed too, unless they can pull out a few more performances like they did against Liverpool. West Brom are all but down anyway, I just can't see them rescuing themselves if they can't score at all.
So the outstanding team here is Stoke, who seem to have got all bar one difficult fixtures out of the way (Arsenal away on the last day of the season :nervous:) and so it came down to a choice of Stoke defence (i.e. quite a few dropped points) or midfield, and while they concede many goals Stoke are adept at nicking a goal or 2 themselves here & there, so the "Delapidator" got the nod. Scrapping with teams around them, beginning with 'Boro this weekend, I'm hoping that a few more assists will be forthcoming from open play or from the infamous long throws.
 
Looks like I put Arshavin on my team a little late. :lol: Hope he continues his success.
 
I've made my last changes too - gone with a 5-man back line, keeping Vidic and hoping for a Liverpool clean sheet to compensate.

Have got Lampard, Gerrard and Ireland in midfield for the rest of the season...

edit: Crouch has done me a massive favour... Nick, you were looking at 9 points from today's Everton game and I was looking at a maximum of 3 (i.e. a 6 point swing), but Crouch's goals make it just a 2 point swing :D Still, gutted that Cahill didn't play, so I've brought my changes forward for this weekend - Baines is looking good, but I think it is time to get rid of one of those Everton defenders...
 
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It's official, Steven Gerrard is a God...

It was a totally miserable weekend for me - losing 8 points to both my closest rivals yesterday, and my team scoring an utterly pathetic -1 in total yesterday...

... but today.... OMG... :D Gerrard hat-trick, Liverpool and Wigan clean sheets, and Friedel conceding 5 goals (-4 for the game, plus a suspension pending!), means a huge 16 point swing to me today :dopey: It also means that instead of my lead in the other league being cut to a scary 3 point, my lead will now be stretched back to 15 (I think...)
 
D'OH! I forgot to replace Alonso with Gerrard since he came back from injury :lol:
 
Excellent. Crippling Ronaldo by selecting him for my team and releasing the shackles of Gerrard may work after all! :sly: This title's all yours Chris! Just as long as my selections can keep Utd on the downward spiral and Liverpool's on the up! 👍

So Friedel's soft sending off has been rescinded, but with Man U next on their horizon I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. -4 points last weekend, and a potential to lose a lot more in their next game if Utd come back fighting, but Villa need to regain some momentum themselves if they wish to get their Champions League aspirations back on track. Oh for a Friedel clean sheet on April 5th and Crouchy to repeat his heroics against Everton in Man U's game in hand vs. Pompey and I'd be a happy boy!
 
Yes, when I got a text from my Dad on Sunday to say "I hope you still have Gerrard in your team", I knew something big had happened! The title race is not over yet, but with only one change left Nick, there is little you can do.

You face a tough choice, keep two Everton defenders or your dodgy keeper, or even keep them all and go for broke by getting rid of Carragher or Ireland (our only common players) and hoping that your team outscores mine. This is what Stuart is doing, deliberately selecting different players from me, and it is working too well for my liking.

Still, I thought you'd be happy with the Liverpool scores - that's the irony of Fantasy Football - you can get so absorbed in it that it is easy to forget what is happening in reality :D (not unlike GTPlanet, of course!)
 
Well, if we didn't already know it, Touring Mars must surely clinch the title this weekend. 3 points for Clichy, Terry, Davies, Beattie and 5 more for Lampard already. (And while he's not in my team I'm wishing for another God-like performance from Gerrard! :D)

Whereas I've only managed 3 for Hiddink, Gallas and 2 for Lennon (possibly.) :irked:

At the moment the most God-like thing on the Fulham pitch is Mark Schwarzer's goalframe, which the commentators seem to think should definately be offered a contract extension by Roy Hodgson at the end of this game! :lol:

Oh. And Northwich Victoria are almost confirmed as relegated from the Blue Square Premier today, this time because they actually deserved it for playing abysmally all season and not just for a technicality. :grumpy:
 
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:) A good weekend for me so far... and Gerrard got an assist too :D

My close rival Stuart, in my other league, is doing even better though :nervous: Keane scored for him, and Taylor got a goal and an assist, and now he is eyeing up atleast 6 points from Everton if they keep a clean sheet, and probably 3 for swapping Vidic for Ferdinand, so my lead in the other league will be down to single figures by tonight :(

I do have him rattled though, and he has signed Gerrard to stop the rot :lol: But he has 4 changes left, and I have none - I was really hoping for more from Beattie against West Brom, but I guess I shouldn't be greedy...

edit: Maybe I spoke too soon... my Wigan defender will get atleast a -2 and Ronaldo has scored for Man U already...
 
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Well Ronaldo hasn't read my script obviously. I bought you to stop you scoring! Git!
Oh well, I guess I'll take the 6 points, but could've done without the injury time winner. :grumpy:
For once as a Liverpool fan I can't complain about the spawny Mancs and their injury time winners, as we were equally guilty yesterday!

Early calculations see TM pulling another 6 points ahead of me this weekend, :scared: so it's looking likely I'm going to stay in the "UEFA Cup" spot for this season unless Omnis mounts a late charge.
 
Things are looking up for me in both leagues now, and I am cautiously optimistic that I may have done enough to ensure that I can hold on to my lead in both leagues... thanks to three assists for Ireland and Beattie, and Friedel once again failing to score for Villa, I managed to stretch my lead in my other league by 6 points, with a gap of 25 between me and 2nd place. The gap in this league is now 45 :)

The Davies/Beattie strike force gamble seems to be paying off - or atleast keeping up with my opponents - and the 5 man defence is compensating for the fact that I am stuck with a Wigan defender for the rest of the season... the only downside is that Gerrard and Clichy are both injured..
 
Oh bum, 4 goals for Arshavin tonight :eek: I make that a 9 point swing to you, Nick, only because my Arsenal defender ain't playing and yours is :ill:
 
Looks like I'm pulling a Northwich Victoria on you (mounting a late unbeaten charge when it's actually too late to make a difference) with an 11 point swing in my favour after this weekend, even with both Everton defenders dropping points. Sadly Ronaldo has still not read the script that I sent him (that's the 3rd one and all! :lol:) and ruined what was looking like a lovely 2 - 0 win for Tottenham that'd've worked in both your, and more importantly Liverpool's favour, conspiring to score me 8 points for his part in the 5 goal turnaround. :grumpy:

I'm also in trouble with the Missus :( for suggesting that she change her attacking lineup with Agbonlahor unfit, and Robinho having not really scored anything, except the goal last week, since December.
Cue Robinho netting 5 points. :ouch:
 
:nervous:

You have now closed the gap to just 29, which is exactly the same as my lead in the other league! Given that Stuart was just 11 points behind three weeks ago, and Ronaldo and Arshavin both on sparkling form, it is still possible that I could "do a Newcastle" and lose it right at the death!

I've just noticed that Stuart has taken on Arshavin aswell, so both leagues could be close... I've got three players injured now too, Beattie, Clichy and Gerrard are all still out, and I'm also stuck with a crock Wigan defender...

edit: Dirk Kuyt also thinks you have a chance... http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_5246024,00.html

Smallhorses
I'm also in trouble with the Missus :( for suggesting that she change her attacking lineup with Agbonlahor unfit, and Robinho having not really scored anything, except the goal last week, since December.
Cue Robinho netting 5 points. :ouch:

:lol: Nice work...
 
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Never one to relish being unsportsmanlike I feel compelled to inform Omnis of this little snippet of information regarding his lastest substitutions:

Villa's Laursen forced to retire

Though it looks almost set that given his available subs and in-form players that he'll snatch 2nd place from me at the death, it seems cruel to let him go into the final 2 weekends with a player who will never play again, and has only played once since December. :(
Unless of course you're banking on a Villa player scoring you zero points in the last 2 games, which is more than can be said for a certain B. Friedel of Ohio, who has been going backwards quicker than an Italian tank. :P

Good luck to all for the final throes of the Premiership season. 👍
 
Oh damn it. I thought Villa had the best schedule of all the teams whose defenders I could afford. I wish virginradio would implement a player status feature.
 
I've been using a website that keeps track of injuries, but it's not entirely reliable...

I've had a good weekend, and Stevie GodGerrard has done it again - another 5 points today, and I think it could be all over :D Beattie scored as well, and I'm pretty confident that I've done enough to win, even if Arshavin was to replicate his 4-goal bonanza against Stoke next weekend.
 
I've been using a website that keeps track of injuries, but it's not entirely reliable...

I've had a good weekend, and Stevie GodGerrard has done it again - another 5 points today, and I think it could be all over :D Beattie scored as well, and I'm pretty confident that I've done enough to win, even if Arshavin was to replicate his 4-goal bonanza against Stoke next weekend.

Yeah, I decided to go with Torres because I couldn't sub Reina to get both Torres and Gerrard. Oh well.
 
It's going to be extremely tight for 2nd place - although you really need to make some changes in your defence, Omnis (as Nick very sportingly points out, you have one or two crocks in there).

I just noticed that Sunderland have a game in hand, so I guess that now would be a good time for Jones to bag a couple of points!
 
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Ah... I see 💡

Maybe not a bad idea, given that every point will count. Having two non-players in your back four might be good if next weekend turns out to be an end-of-season goal fest, but then again, it's a big gamble. I think you need Fulham to do you a favour and score atleast one goal next weekend, although I don't see that happening myself...

I just noticed that Sunderland have a game in hand, so I guess that now would be a good time for Jones to bag a couple of points!
And he's come very close already - hit the bar in the first half!

edit 2: And he's done it! Big goal for Smallhorses!
 
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"Kenwyne Jones, Kenwyne Jones, Kenwyne Jones.
Kenwyne Jones, Kenwyne Jones, Kenwyne Jones.
Kenwyne Jones, Kenwyne Jones, Kenwyne Jones.
Kenwyne Jo-ownes... KENWYNE JONES!"


Brilliant finish to the Premier League season, tense and nailbiting as everyone expected, but Jones made it wonderfully good by condemning all Chelski defenders (except Cole) into negativity and netted me 3 points into the bargain for the 2nd game in a row! 👍
Coupled with clean sheets for Everton and Villa (What? Friedel? Positive points? Huh?!! :eek:) and it's seen me consolidate a steady 2nd place in the final Fantasy Table. 👍
Congratulations to Touring Mars for a dominating performance and the title, :cheers: and to Omnis for pushing me hard towards the end and making the last few weekends truly "squeaky bum time!" :lol:

Roll on August and another Fantasy Footy League! :D
 
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