Egypt Speaks, You Listen



Although Neal and I are hip deep in this stuff every day, sometimes it doesn't seem like we're actually doing that well. We're usually in the top 5% of teams, but it has been a while since either of us were knocking it out of the park - to mix sports metaphors - on any regular basis.

One friend of the blog (FOB) who has been killing it for the last month or so is Mohamed Kileeny. Mohamed participated in our Liverpool Round-table before the season started and now finds himself in the top 50 teams overall. Mohamed rotates the majority of his team week-to-week, looking for the best match-ups rather than holding players long-term. And he has an uncanny knack for finding the week's random goal-scorer be they MGP, Huth, Crouch or Evra -- just to name the ones from the past month!

I've solicited Mo's (I hope you don't mind if we call you Mo) help and asked him to preview the week for us. Here's a little insight into how one of the top players approaches his team:

Hello Jeremy and Neal,
First of all, I must mention that you are doing a great job with your posts and analysis and its a joy to read them.
As I promised I will write something short for this week and I would be glad to help people with some of my recommendations... which hopefully will continue to be correct. :}
So regarding the week ahead, I guess you wrote most of the good things and I can add a bit more on what you have got.
Forwards
Andy Johnson : I like him and @ 4.5 and playing at home against birmingham I gotta go with him in order to afford some of the expensive guys so he is the first one my team sheet this weekend. [ed. note:  See the update below regarding AJ and other news.]
Anelka : Love his price and I like his match, he will grab a goal there or 2 against that defence.  Usually I know when he scores, like MGP. :}
Piquionne : The one thing about him that he is the penalty taker and also playing against Wigan,so he is a good option.
Other ones which I like should be Rooney, Drogs ( So expensive ),Elmander,Doyle.
Midfielder
For now I am keeping Holden,Nani,Meriless and Adding Jarvis to the mix.  Others looking good also are VDV, Malouda, Arteta/Cahill.
Defender
Bargains: Mancienne is a bargain @ 4 but wouldn't risk that he will or won't play.  It looks like he will play after the injury to Thomas so maybe he is a good option.
Also Jacobsen of WHU, but he'll get a yellow card from a foul on N'Zogbia that's for sure!  Maybe Robinson as well, the Bolton left back.
Then you've got Coleman (Not guaranteed 90'), Rafael if u got him cheap he should play, Bale will have a cs dont worry :}.  Also salcido looks so dangerous and if he gets the cs he will score good points.  I like the idea of Upson this week, he is due to a goal and hopefully he will notch one.
Goalkeeper
Jussi, Howard, Green, Hahnemann
Well,that was a long post,sorry really it should have been much more shorter :}
Cheers guys,
Mohamed Killeeny

Update:  A brief chat with Mohamed, updating his team and his thoughts on the weekend.

Mo:  andy johnson destroyed my team

Jeremy: can you just move to di santo?

Mo: i guess I will go with piquionne and change upson to mancienne

Jeremy :ugh
Jeremy: i don't think I could stomach having upson

Mo: a header tomorrow guaranteed

Jeremy: lol
Jeremy: i'm not going to argue against you.
Jeremy: what do you think of koscielny?

Mo: wouldnt come close to any of ars defenders

Jeremy: had stam, but the extra few cents lets me keep gordon instead of dropping to al-habsi

Mo: i am going with yussi

Jeremy: you know how I feel about Bolton

Mo: yussi/salcido/mancienne/hutton/nani/meriless/jarvis/holden/rooney/obinna/piqiouine

Jeremy: and Elmander is enough for me
Jeremy: right now I'm on...

Mo: i dont like 2 strikers from WHU but I think they will win tomorrow and score goals

Jeremy: gordon kolarov jacobsen koscielny vdv nani meireles n'zogbia rooney dbent elmander
Jeremy: wondering about moving up to tevez
Jeremy: don't think I can get to drogba without dropping to SCarson

Mo: dont say carson infront of me

Jeremy:lol

Mo: i like anelka this week also alot

Jeremy: looked that direction...
Jeremy: if only he still took kicks or pks or something
Jeremy: it's goals or nothing from him

Mo: yes good point
Mo: thats why I like obinna

Jeremy: yeah
Jeremy: like him too
Jeremy: but thinking dbent against wolves is a good play
Jeremy: dbent/kos or obinna/rafael
Jeremy: ?

Mo: 2 home players all the time
Mo: but with sir alex u never know with his selection but I think rafael should play

Jeremy: when you're right you're right

Mo: no I get lucky
Mo: but usually I stay away from any players who got doubts

Jeremy: with obinna/rafael, I have enough money in the bank to start thinking about gutting again to move from rooney to tevez
Jeremy: (speaking of players with doubts)

Mo: Why u want to get tevez,i dont think he will score alot this week

Jeremy: never sure with stoke
Jeremy: can shut out chelsea
Jeremy: then give up 3 to brm

Mo: but I understand that its the last chance to get him with good price 15 again

Jeremy: you think rooney makes his big comeback this week?

Mo: i think yes he will

Mo: even if I was playing I will score with this emotions

Jeremy: ha
Jeremy: or get sent off

Mo: ya something like that
Mo: especially this week I gotta play bit safe,cuz all ppl will have rooney
Mo: my problem this week is bale ! come on glen johnson

Jeremy: lol
Jeremy: lucas back to double him?

Mo: anybody do the business for me thats why I put hutton,so incase he got the CS I am with the lads
Jeremy: gotta run
Jeremy: turning the computer over to my daughter
Jeremy: thanks and good luck this weekend

Mo: big hi to everyone there

17 comments:

  1. Artician11:41 PM

    GREAT POST! It's stuff like these that makes this blog unique and a great great read before we embark on our (inner) battle to pick players each week.

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  2. Thanks! Glad u liked it.

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  3. That's great Jeremy! Love that you're getting the top leaders involved in the blog, great stuff indeed!!!

    My team atm:

    Green
    Boateng-Kolarov-Heitinga
    Nani-Dempsey-Cahill-A.Young-Adam
    Elmander-RVP

    that's the team I want to save, but I have a back-up exchange just in case RVP is on the bench(which we should find out before deadline) which is: RVP/A.Young to MTay/Tevez(discount). What do you all think?

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  4. oh and, is it wrong that I love my attacking force so much? :)

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  5. Anonymous12:54 AM

    How about captain?who is more suitable?

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  6. Just to add, I think AJ is out this week. Think i read it on AM's blog update. ....AJ being Andy Johnson not Adam.

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  7. Oh ok sorry...didnt notice the update. What a waste of a comment. I should have just written "first" instead :)

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  8. Anonymous4:12 AM

    I was going through Arsenal-Bergkamp's(1st position overall) past teams and noticed he also picked his players on match-up, the only player is holding is Bale. Will have to think about that strategy.

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  9. Anonymous4:22 AM

    Jeremy, you've been doing this for a while now. Which strategy do you think is better, changing your team weekly based on match-ups or holding on to some players you think will accumulate good points?

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  10. Anonymous4:41 AM

    I noticed this team because it's in the weekly leaderboard but it's a prime example of just how well you can do without changing your team week by week. Yahoo team id 26977.
    It's too late into the season for me to do something like that but it's something to think about for next year. One thing for sure is you wouldn't have to agonize over your team every friday.

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  11. Anonymous5:35 AM

    which game will probably be suspended due to weather?

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  12. Anonymous6:28 AM

    Great Post ! well done the blog team

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  13. Thanks the insights Mo and Jeremy, top stuff! IF people are interested in more top 50 action we have a preview written by the current no 29. http://www.starting11.com/index.php?showtopic=18079

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  14. FCBTeam10:45 AM

    Last week I had Carson in goal and it was a shocker. This week I went with Howard because Everton was at home playing newly promoted West Brom with Carson in goal. Two goals for WBA already. I have the keeper curse.

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  15. It could have been worse - you might have picked Robinson in goal

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  16. Anonymous3:30 AM

    jz a newbie here...what do you mean by cs?

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