Excitement is brewing all around as the start of the premier league
approaches and it's that time of year again to pick your fantasy
football team. Some take it more seriously than most, but competition
is the name of the game and makes it all that much more fun.
Needless
to say, I already picked my team, weighing up my options and
expectations of the season to come. I picked a pretty solid team even
if I do say so myself. Naturally, I joined the free premierleague.com
fantasy site. A lot of friends signed up there and what's better to
compete against your mates and have bragging rights forever more?
Nothing, that's what.
First up, the keeper. Only a few viable
options to choose from on this one for me, but two entirely different
routes to take. Do I get a keeper from a 'top 4 club' and pay a little
bit more for the quality? Or do I pick one from another top ten club
and spend a little less? I chose the latter. The first option is good,
but an expensive keeper can really limit your outfield options and with
a keeper like Mark Schwarzer high on the point rankings at only 5.5m
my mind was made up. Not bad.
Or is it?
I guess this
choice all hinges on whether Fulham will have as good a season as last
year, but sometimes it's a gamble you have to take, especially if the
outfield benefits I gain from penny-pinching with the keeper pays for
any potential Fulham foul-ups.
The idea is to see how it goes at
the start of the season. Sometimes, part way through the season, I end
up with money to spare after capitalising on a currently players form
or such like (Zaki last year anyone?) and will probably have enough to
upgrade to a 'top-four' keeper if Fulham take a nose-dive in form.
If
not Schwarzer, then who else? The top 3 keepers in the league all rest
at 6.5m (I'm sure you all can do the maths, but that's 1m more than
Schwarzer) - Cech, Reina & Van Der Sar. Van Der Sar is out for the
start of the season due to injury, so that leaves Reina and Cech.
Last
season Cech landed 171 points, compared to Reina's score of 169 which
is no surprise considering Chelsea conceded only 24 goals to
Liverpool's 27 last season. Defensively, Cech's your man. However,
interestingly Reina managed 2 assists last season as well as appearing
in every single Premier League game compared to Cech's mere 35 games.
There's
not much in it on paper, but come part way through the season when I've
got to make the decision stick or twist with Schwarzer I guess the only
thing I can rely on are the stats.
Which route did you take? Who do you think is the better option?
Next Issue: Defenders
fantasy football Archives
Posted by KJB on 7th August 2009 @ 21.26pm | Tagged under: fantasy football |
(1) Comment
Posted by KJB on 8th August 2009 @ 19:25pm | Tagged under: fantasy football |
(1) Comment
With a keeper chosen, the defence needs to be sorted out next.
I've decided to go with a 3-4-3 formation in order to maximise point scoring ability and reduce possible point loss for conceding - a tactic that has treated me well in the past. Naturally, my first impulse was to go ahead and get a strong Man Utd defender who was good in the air and consistent enough not to through me too many undue trouble on regular intervals. Joint with Chelsea, Man Utd conceded the least goals last seasons and since they have only lost attacking players in the summer window, it’s only logical to assume that record won't alter all that much in the coming season. Then both Van Der Sar and Vidic got themselves injured and my plans crumbled in around my ears.
Whilst I'm sure Man Utd have plenty of players to bolster their defences, I’ve decided to go for the safer option and select my defence around the Chelsea back four, selecting left back Ashley Cole and Russian new boy, Yuri Zhirkov as my two safe and reasonable cheap defenders.
Cole speaks for himself. He gets himself into attacking positions and will not only gain points by helping Chelsea's solid backlines, but could get me a few assists along the way.
But why choose Zhirkov?
Simple. He's not really a defender. Sure he can play at left back, but he's more of a left winger and with Cole a solid left-back as is, I'm going to gamble that he'll be played ahead of Malouda on the left wing. I think he'll play most games and I think he'll get plenty of assists and if Chelsea don't concede in the process, he'll get extra points for that. Of course, this could quite easily blow up in my face. He could've just been brought to the club to play left back and will be kept as an understudy, but for the money they paid for him, I doubt it. I guess come the start of the season, I'll know for sure.
For my third and final defender, I decided to choose from the Liverpool squad. I think there's something to be said about not putting all your eggs in one basket and like I previously mentioned, my confidence in Man Utd's defence has diminished with each passing injury. So that just leaves Liverpool and I've gone with Carragher. He's guaranteed a game and he's nothing if not consistent. The only issue I can foresee is the Liverpool defence not getting enough cover on the right by the attacking right-back Glen Johnson, but I'm confident it's not going to be that much of problem in the long run.
Three strong defenders at quite sizeable prices, one of which may either be a risky prospect or a stroke of genius dependant upon Carlo Anchelotti's whims at team selection.
Good defence? Would you do things differently? If so, what would you change?
Next Up: Midfield
I've decided to go with a 3-4-3 formation in order to maximise point scoring ability and reduce possible point loss for conceding - a tactic that has treated me well in the past. Naturally, my first impulse was to go ahead and get a strong Man Utd defender who was good in the air and consistent enough not to through me too many undue trouble on regular intervals. Joint with Chelsea, Man Utd conceded the least goals last seasons and since they have only lost attacking players in the summer window, it’s only logical to assume that record won't alter all that much in the coming season. Then both Van Der Sar and Vidic got themselves injured and my plans crumbled in around my ears.
Whilst I'm sure Man Utd have plenty of players to bolster their defences, I’ve decided to go for the safer option and select my defence around the Chelsea back four, selecting left back Ashley Cole and Russian new boy, Yuri Zhirkov as my two safe and reasonable cheap defenders.
Cole speaks for himself. He gets himself into attacking positions and will not only gain points by helping Chelsea's solid backlines, but could get me a few assists along the way.
But why choose Zhirkov?
Simple. He's not really a defender. Sure he can play at left back, but he's more of a left winger and with Cole a solid left-back as is, I'm going to gamble that he'll be played ahead of Malouda on the left wing. I think he'll play most games and I think he'll get plenty of assists and if Chelsea don't concede in the process, he'll get extra points for that. Of course, this could quite easily blow up in my face. He could've just been brought to the club to play left back and will be kept as an understudy, but for the money they paid for him, I doubt it. I guess come the start of the season, I'll know for sure.
For my third and final defender, I decided to choose from the Liverpool squad. I think there's something to be said about not putting all your eggs in one basket and like I previously mentioned, my confidence in Man Utd's defence has diminished with each passing injury. So that just leaves Liverpool and I've gone with Carragher. He's guaranteed a game and he's nothing if not consistent. The only issue I can foresee is the Liverpool defence not getting enough cover on the right by the attacking right-back Glen Johnson, but I'm confident it's not going to be that much of problem in the long run.
Three strong defenders at quite sizeable prices, one of which may either be a risky prospect or a stroke of genius dependant upon Carlo Anchelotti's whims at team selection.
Good defence? Would you do things differently? If so, what would you change?
Next Up: Midfield
Posted by KJB on 9th August 2009 @ 20:38pm | Tagged under: fantasy football |
(2) Comments
The Community Shield raised more questions than it answered, seemingly putting most of my previous speculations regarding fantasy football selections and indeed the Premiership itself in doubt. If I'm honest, I suspect both Man Utd and Chelsea will be the forerunners of the top four this season and whilst I speculated on both sides solid defences and Man Utd's diminished attacking capabilities it seems I was proven wrong on both accounts.
It was a thrilling 4 goal game in which both teams were tested to their limits, but arguably the most interesting thing gleamed from the match is the clear indication that this year, the race for the Premier League title will be hotly contested and very close. I just wonder though, if Van Der Sar and Vidic were both fit, would the result have really been the same?
It seems Anchelotti will be playing that tried and trusted diamond formation that worked well for him at AC Milan, but sadly that casts serious doubts over my fantasy football defence, particularly Chelsea's Russian new boy, Yuri Zhirkov.
It was announced before the match that he wouldn't be playing due to knee-injury, but more worryingly, it's hard to determine where exactly he'll fit into the squad. Not only must he either fight out Ashley Cole, but he'll certainly have to contend with Malouda, who seemed to be on decent form today, hardly resembling the poor form he saw at the start of last season. If I add to the fact that Zhirkov wasn't actually one of Anchelotti's signings and my doubts about whether he's all that good of a defender to have on my team are doubled.
It's difficult to tell this early on, especially if Zhirkov's injured an all, but I really hope this isn't another Benitez/Robbie Keane fiasco. On the other hand, considering Chelsea paid around £18.5 million for him, how could he not be a regular member of the squad?
I'm going to check out my options and ponder whether to rush the untested and possibly injured Zhirkov out of squad or wait and see what happens.
An interesting conundrum to have.
It was a thrilling 4 goal game in which both teams were tested to their limits, but arguably the most interesting thing gleamed from the match is the clear indication that this year, the race for the Premier League title will be hotly contested and very close. I just wonder though, if Van Der Sar and Vidic were both fit, would the result have really been the same?
It seems Anchelotti will be playing that tried and trusted diamond formation that worked well for him at AC Milan, but sadly that casts serious doubts over my fantasy football defence, particularly Chelsea's Russian new boy, Yuri Zhirkov.
It was announced before the match that he wouldn't be playing due to knee-injury, but more worryingly, it's hard to determine where exactly he'll fit into the squad. Not only must he either fight out Ashley Cole, but he'll certainly have to contend with Malouda, who seemed to be on decent form today, hardly resembling the poor form he saw at the start of last season. If I add to the fact that Zhirkov wasn't actually one of Anchelotti's signings and my doubts about whether he's all that good of a defender to have on my team are doubled.
It's difficult to tell this early on, especially if Zhirkov's injured an all, but I really hope this isn't another Benitez/Robbie Keane fiasco. On the other hand, considering Chelsea paid around £18.5 million for him, how could he not be a regular member of the squad?
I'm going to check out my options and ponder whether to rush the untested and possibly injured Zhirkov out of squad or wait and see what happens.
An interesting conundrum to have.
Posted by KJB on 10th August 2009 @ 21:25pm | Tagged under: fantasy football |
(1) Comment
My midfield 4 are just as controversial as my back 3. I've decided not to go for any 'big-name' expensive players such as Lampard, Gerrard or even Arshavin. Instead I've gone for a balance that I think will earn me, on the whole, a consistent point structure.
First, a little biased I must admit, I've gone for Ashley Young. I'm a Villa fan and I think Young is one of the best players in the Premiership. At first, I was a little dubious at included him. I thought the signing of Downing indicated his leaving of the club (why else buy two left wingers?) but at the moment, signs suggest that he's staying with the Villains, so that's gone enough for me.
The second man up, is James Milner. Again, one of my favourite players at the club and consistent enough for a midfielder with both goals and assists for his inclusion. There is also a tactical reason for the inclusion of these two. Villa have quite reasonable opening fixtures and I fully expect Villa to get a decent run of form, hopfully notching up a decent amount of goals in the process.
Next up, former Villa midfield linchpin, Gareth Barry. Last season he was the driving force behind the squad and it was one of the primary reason Man City signed him. Last season he was primary penalty taker for Villa and although I have no reason to believe he will do the same at City, he still got plenty of goals and assists besides. He also played every game for Villa and I have no reason to doubt he'll do the same thuis season (unless City adopt some sort of ridiculous squad rotation system).
The fourth and final player for my midfield, I'll admit, is a bit of a gamble. I've gone for West Ham new boy Luis Jimenez, who's on loan at the club from Inter Milan. He's an attacking midfielder wh'’s always liable to get a place in the attacking line-up. I fully expect him to start behind Carlton Cole most games, as West Ham's attacking options are somewhat limited at the moment.
So what do you think? Good midfield? Should I have gone for a 'big-name' expensive player and built the rest of the midfield around them? Who did you go for?
Next: The Forwards
First, a little biased I must admit, I've gone for Ashley Young. I'm a Villa fan and I think Young is one of the best players in the Premiership. At first, I was a little dubious at included him. I thought the signing of Downing indicated his leaving of the club (why else buy two left wingers?) but at the moment, signs suggest that he's staying with the Villains, so that's gone enough for me.
The second man up, is James Milner. Again, one of my favourite players at the club and consistent enough for a midfielder with both goals and assists for his inclusion. There is also a tactical reason for the inclusion of these two. Villa have quite reasonable opening fixtures and I fully expect Villa to get a decent run of form, hopfully notching up a decent amount of goals in the process.
Next up, former Villa midfield linchpin, Gareth Barry. Last season he was the driving force behind the squad and it was one of the primary reason Man City signed him. Last season he was primary penalty taker for Villa and although I have no reason to believe he will do the same at City, he still got plenty of goals and assists besides. He also played every game for Villa and I have no reason to doubt he'll do the same thuis season (unless City adopt some sort of ridiculous squad rotation system).
The fourth and final player for my midfield, I'll admit, is a bit of a gamble. I've gone for West Ham new boy Luis Jimenez, who's on loan at the club from Inter Milan. He's an attacking midfielder wh'’s always liable to get a place in the attacking line-up. I fully expect him to start behind Carlton Cole most games, as West Ham's attacking options are somewhat limited at the moment.
So what do you think? Good midfield? Should I have gone for a 'big-name' expensive player and built the rest of the midfield around them? Who did you go for?
Next: The Forwards
Posted by KJB on 14th August 2009 @ 20:03pm | Tagged under: fantasy football |
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Fantasy Football is something me and my work colleagues take very seriously. We consider each player we select carefully and look to get ahead of the pack any way we can, so it comes as no surprise that we've noticed a particularly obvious strategy in opening weeks of the Premier League, which most of us plan to adhere to. That strategy is quite simply, the fixtures. A couple of strong teams have a fairly easy run in the opening stages of the league and on round 2 of the competition, Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th of August, not all clubs will play due Champions League qualifying matches amongst other things and this turn of events can be readily exploited.
The first thing I did when the obvious struck me was to remove Arsenal players from my squad. Why? Firstly, they play a very tough match against Everton at Goodison Park on the opening day of the season which will be a close call and I do't thing I'll gain much from any Arsenal, or indeed Everton, player I have in my squad.
Looking at the fixtures, Chelsea seem to have the 'easier' run playing Hull at Stamford Bridge on the Premier League opener and Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday and there's Man Utd. They have Birmingham at Old Trafford on Sunday 16th and then Burnley at St Andrew's Ground on Wednesday 19th. Liverpool, however, have Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday 16th and then Stoke at Anfield on Wednesday 19th.
It's a good way to maximise results in a way, because as soon the other teams play their owed games you may choose to bring some of their players in. I guess the trick is to balance your team early on and try not to deviate from your original plan too much because afterwards it could cost you a good number of transfers. However, if you're on the free fantasy football at the premier league.com, then there is the chance to play your 'wildcard' without fear of your transfers costing you points.
It’s an interesting tactic to use, but as always it all depends on the way the results fall and as we all know in the Premier League anything can happen.
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