Regarding Henry

Points for the week: -4.60

Current price; 1.00

Seeing Arsenal lose on that goal by (Thorton) Mellon or whatever his 5 minutes of fame name is . . .

Priceless (or at least very, very cheap to buy)

I guess the world player of the year final 3 announcements are unrelated to fantasy EPL?

What in the name of fantasy sports is going on, too many freedom fries, were there a lot of Germans on the Liverpool team? Who is doing the player valuations? Is he/she currently in a federal white collar prison for manipulating internet stock valuations for selfish gains?

Henry averages the most points of any player and yet is as cheap as possible - One fecking (irish quasi-expletive) dollar. He averages 14.80 per match, while Rocking Robben averages 14.50, yet costs 43.01 (and was in the 50's last week). I believe Henry was at 12 or so last week so he dropped over 11 - I guess those yellow cards are like kryptonite to french strikers.

Perhaps if he pronounced his name properly, as in "hen-re" (in americanese) instead of "on-re" he would recover from this downward spiral (and please pardon the hooked on phonics). And don't even get me started on Terry with the addition of an 'H" and and "I" and an extra "R"- Thierry.

There is no way on earth anyone with names like that can Cowboy Up when required (GO SOX!!!)

Sure glad I dropped him for last weekend (insert gloating emoticon here)

TheTop Three (and ManYoo) are at home...

and none of them are playing a particularly worrysome opponent. Lots of positive match-ups to choose from as a result. Also a lot of injuries to take into account. Baros is out, and that leaves Liverpool's goal-scoring ability in doubt. Saha is out and Ruud picked up a knock midweek for Holland which leaves ManYoo's strikeforce up in the air a bit. And Henry made opponents tremble with the declaration that he's been playing at about 70% for the last few months. Anyone else wish their 100% was in the same ballpark as his 70%? Me too. And with that brief intro, here are the recommendations of the week:

Striker
Henry, Arsenal - even at 70%, you might want him in your line-up.

Rooney, ManYoo - think he wants to atone for his mid-week meltdown? Think Charlton coming to OT have any power to stop it?

Have to agree with my colleague Jeremy, there aren't too many extremely appealing options at striker this week. Might be a good week for a 3-5-2 line-up as there are lots of midfielders who will be playing striker this week. If you just HAVE to have another striker the next best options are probably Eidur, Ronaldo and Reyes since Andy Johnson is still in doubt.

Midfielder

Lampard, Chelsea - Apparently looked like crap for England but he an EPL fantasy points machine.

Robben, Chelsea - Fast approaching teammate Lampard as a fantasy pillar. Fun to watch too.

Pires, Arsenal - Seems to have rediscovered his form even if he isn't guaranteed a start these days. Even in 30 minutes, he's been effective this season for fantasy managers

Gravessen, Everton - On a day when all of Everton's midfielders and forwards probably combined for 35 fantasy points total, the bald one had more than 25 of those. Reasonably good match-up as well being home to Fulham.

Kewell, Liverpool - Maybe I've been too reluctant to let go of past performance, but in a week where Liverpool's strikeforce is gutted, you get the feeling that Harry might be ready to break out and re-establish himself. If you're not as inclined to a little risk, Garcia might be a better choice.

Defense
Heinze, ManYoo - see all previous postings since he joined the line-up.

Hibbert, Everton - not very noticable on the field, but an excellent track record thus far and a good match-up as well.

Jaidi, Bolton - not his best week last week, but has been strong all season.

Keeper
The big decision is between Cech and his superior defense against a reasonably productive Bolton team or Lehmann and a questionable defense against a WBA offense that has been firing blanks and may be without their best striker, Kanu. If you're budget conscious, the decision is an easy one as Lehmann is much cheaper.

US MNT Review

I'll begin the review with the admission that I was exhausted and possibly a little grumpy when I watched the game on TiVo (the greatest invention of the last 10 years)...

The ball just seems to find Eddie Johnson in good places. Once is a fluke, twice is a pattern, three times is a trend. Apparently on his way to train with ManYoo for a couple weeks. Nothing but great things to say about his performance other than that he could have had two or three goals.

(Side Note: Doubtful that he'd see any time with them but not much of a stretch for ManYoo to buy him and loan him out or for another team to swoop in. Could be an interesting January for Mr. Johnson.)

What happened to Landon Donovan? I forgot he was in the line-up between the 10th minute and around the 75th minute. I was shocked that he was still in the line-up. Hopefully, no one at Leverkusen stayed up late enough to watch.

Cory Gibbs was great all night, a stand-out performance.

I loved him with DC United back in the day but why are we wasting time on a past-his-prime Tony Sanneh? I don't see the upside for starting him over Jonny Spector. Tony might be a better player right now but we should be getting Jonny ready for '06 and beyond in games that don't matter for us.

Recently read the England Worst XI Under Sven column - if anyone ever pays enough attention to the US MNT to write such a column, you have to bet on Ramiro Corrales to make that list. Bobby Convey could use a run, why not bring him back for this game?

Look for the weekly EPL Fantasy comments early tomorrow.

Mid-season Thoughts

Larry King Style...
For my money, Arjen Robben is the best purchase by any team over the last two years...Who would have guessed that ManYoo's veterans would get so old, so fast?...Think Sir Alex is kicking himself for not packaging Giggs and Scholes last season and buying Ronaldinho with the $$...Any applicants to play striker for Pompey this weekend?...As a fantasy owner, I can't justify putting a striker who doesn't score goals in my line-up (see Ronaldo, Christiano)...If teams in our fantasy league were actual EPL teams - Toby would be Chelsea (looking strong)...Kris would be Everton (shock to all that he's still here)...Jeremy would be Arsenal (always good and lurking near the top)...Neal would be Boro (relatively new to the top but likely to be in it)...Stoltz would be Villa (currently outperforming previous track record)...Mike would be Liverpool (perenial quality not achieving usual standards)...Dan would be Newcastle (see Liverpool, but worse)...and Jon would be ManYoo (traditional power fallen on hard times)...

Just a few thoughts from mid-week while still basking in the glow of a 4th MLS Cup for United. Can't wait to see the US MNT line-up for the game tonight.

(Red) Devil's Advocate - Inagural Weekend Review

Ok. My two cents, er, pents on this weekends events:

9 goals in the arsenal match and no goals or assists for Reyes - many grumpy owners

Yakubu - nice medial ligament - more grumpy owners

Baros - now really - give me a freakin break - this little rodent has no business with a hat trick

Man U penalty - not sure about the rules of soccer since I don't actually watch the sport, but seems like it was a penalty, though shearer seemed to disagree

What is the deal with Koumas?

Deja Vouz - what is the deal with Robert? Is it an anti-french thing? Fantasy stud can't get off the bench?

Still many, many bad hair styles in the EPL - mullets, mini pony tails, corn rows and many bad long hair head band options - and don't even get me started on the gelled-up mowhawk swoop hair style so popular among english players - john terry and alan smith among others- very silly

will malcom glazer please buy man u so i can laugh at the utter distress it will cause - (insert conan the barbarian quotation here "see my enemies crushed beaneath my feet, hear the lamentation of their women, etc . . . .)

jose mourininniho is a very very silly and arrogant little european guy - though his team is ok

rooney is like an exceptionally large fetus (except with great soccer skills)

do players on teams start to look alike like married couples, is everyone on everton bald or balding like gravesen? they should be sponsored by hair club for men

that's all for now, hopefully neal will have more valuable knowledge to pass along . . .

In a week where Arsenal's youth proved better than the main squad...

Really. Should Arsene piss off the legions of fantasy players and just bench everyone for a week or two and let them get their legs back? Van Persie, Flamini, Pennant, et al. seem to be capable of beating full EPL squads. Why not rest the big boys for two weeks and run these kids out vs. a Southampton or some other struggler at Highbury? Based on recent results, it couldn't hurt.

On to the picks of the week in yet another week that doesn't feature a no-brainer match-up that will help managers stack their line-ups...

Strikers

Henry, Arsenal - Granted he hasn't been at his blistering best over the last couple weeks but are you going to be the guy who bets against the Gunners coming out of their funk this weekend?

Yakubu, Portsmouth - Derby matches are always tough to call and even more so when there is managerial unrest, but the Pompey hitman has been warming up again and he generally scores in bunches.

Tough call on the last striker if you're running a 3-4-3 formation. ManYoo still can't score AND they're on the road. Palace and their sensation Andy Johnson are on the road vs. a Liverpool team that has been playing good defense. They guys who score for Chelsea are all designated as midfielders. Streaking Fulham face Chelsea's defense. Do you recall Reyes? Is it time to go 3-5-2? Is this the week JFH breaks out? Tough call. I'm leaning towards Reyes vs. a disorganized Tottenham squad.

Midfield
Lampard, Chelsea - Getting tired of finding nice things to write about him. Just put him in your line-up and don't think about that spot for the rest of the season unless he gets hurt.

Robben, Chelsea - Showing that he may be the class of the offseason signings. Makes things happen for both himself and teammates. If he's starting, he boosts the value of Chelsea's strikers.

Downing, Boro - I'm still on the bandwagon even after a couple down weeks, that Boro are playing WBA doesn't hurt either.

SWP, Man Citeh - Playing home to Blackburn who may be better but still aren't good. Generally the most dangerous player on the field.

Defense

Jaidi, Bolton - He's been great on offense and Bolton have a reasonable shot at a clean sheet since apparently, Villa's strikers don't travel with the team.

Heinze, ManYoo - See Lampard above.

Anyone from Chelsea - take the 5+ points that almost seems to be guaranteed and hope that the one you choose gets involved in the offense a little bit.

Keeper
Cech, Chelsea - Not sure when I'm going to learn that Cech should be in the same category with Henry, Lamps, and Heinze. Not much reason to change him out.

As a follow up to Neal's post, the final tally for MLS Fantasy sees me retain the Transformer trophy for another year. I finished the season with 11995 points. Second place went to Procrastination FC with 11295 points and hot on his heels was The Albatross, just 55 points off second with 11240 points.

It's a small consolation, but I'll take what I can get these days.

Jeremy

PS. Yes, that is Landon Donovan's signature on the soccer ball. I'm waiting for him to head back to Europe and start scoring Champions League goals. Then I can put that thing on eBay and send my daughter to college. ;-)

It May Be The Minor Leagues...

But it was sweet...

In a week where New England has lost its mojo...

Here's the inside scoop.

The Red Sox win seems to have sucked all the good fortune from the Northeast part of the country. The Patriots fall for the first time since mid-last season. Hockey is a no-go for the season. John Kerry lost to a guy that the country really didn't want to elect. The Celtics gave up a big lead to lose their home opener. And Mike Langlais of Vermont had his first weekly victory in the Bad Ideas Teams table wrapped up until Nicky Anelka and SWP snatched it from him on Monday. We can only hope that this continued lack of good karma carries DC United to the MSL Cup as they face the Revs on Saturday night. What does this have to do with EPL Fantasy advice? Nothing that I can think of. Lets get to it. Gentlemen, this is the week I'm jumping on the Norwich fantasy bandwagon. And if ever there was a week to do it, its the week they play Blackburn. Always a good time. Arsenal appears to be in some sort of a midseason slump so even a match-up away to newly promoted Crystal Palace isn't as enticing as it might have appeared earlier in the sesaon. Chelsea's new goal scoring prowess will be tested by a visit from Everton in one of the most difficult games of the week to call. Liverpool hosts futile B'ham in what promises to be a home win but probably a low scoring one. All that said, there aren't a ton of inspiring match-ups so this would appear to be the week to revert to a) class; and b) the rules Big Daddy Spitzberg so kindly made available recently...

Strikers

Henry, Arsenal - Yeah, they're slumping but even on a day where they didn't play well and he missed a penalty (huge negative points). He hit for more than 8 fantasy points.

Huckerby, Norwich - Quietly having an excellent fantasy year and they're hosting Blackburn - good times.

JFH, Boro - Two goalless games in a row for Jimmy. Time for the scowl to turn into, um, the "I-just-scored" scowl. Bolton are playing well, but they give up goals and Boro tend to score them at home.

Midfielders

Duffman, Chelsea - Finally in form and playing well enough that the careful fantasy manager can be pretty sure that he'll be in the starting XI.

Lampard, Chelsea - Nothing specific to say here, ya gotta have him.

Downing, Boro - A bit of a clanker last weekend. Don't expect two in a row.

Garcia, Liverpool - Not spectacular vs. Deportivo in midweek, but still the best bet for some points on this squad.

Robben, Chelsea - Three Chelsea midfielders vs. an in-form Everton squad? Robben is really playing at striker, and playing well. The big question is "will he get the start?".

Defenders

Heinze, ManYoo - Gets easier and easier to recommend this guy each time I see him play. Air tight defense, moves into the attack well, and just combative enough to throw strikers and wingers off their game. Manages not to get carded.

Jaidi, Bolton - Check the injury reports before starting him. Went out towards the end of last week with a broken nose.

Terry, Chelsea - Keeps racking up the points as Chelsea keep the sheets clean.

Keepers
Kirkland, Liverpool - Birmingham isn't scoring much. Liverpool is defending surprisingly well. Better bet for a win/clean sheet than Cech vs. Everton.

Sticks & Stones . . .

Tough weekend for the medical staff. Reyes has some uncertain wrist damage (out of the match), Jaidi broke his nose in the cause of getting me an assist (out of the match), and last and clearly not least, Cisse - tib-fib Joe Theiseman leg break (out of match, season, and maybe career) - ouch. Of course I had all three unfortunate players. Though having 6 screws and a titanium plate in my leg definitely makes me understand how my fantasy woes are not as important as such things (well, maybe).

As a side note - what on earth happened to arsenal and man u - was arsenal worrying about chelsea? was man u just, ok, i really can't think of an explanation for that one.

Big Clubs???

Not ManYoo...

Not Arsenal...

Not Today.

Despite More Important Things Happening...

The Blog must go on...
Most importantly, congratulations to Jeremy and Laura on the birth of Melanie - may she have a long and happy life in the sunshine of San Diego and may she always be listed as a defender but play striker and take all the kicks.

My review of the last week (and the last thing I'll say about it) - 1) we should have finished our chances better and made the contraversy irrelevant; 2) the penalty was complete BS and I find it hard to believe that Rooney wasn't suspended along with Ruud; 3) the ManU defense is fantastic now that GNeville, Rio and Heinze have played together a bit - probably doesn't matter who the 4th defender is; and 4) Ruud doesn't take nearly enough shit for being a cheapshot artist.

On to the coming week...

Some really nice match-ups for everyone to sink their teeth into. As our new papa pointed out midweek - no one wants to be Southampton traveling to Highbury this weekend - may God have mercy on their souls. Liverpool gets the free pass vs. Blackburn which should mean at least a couple goals and Chelsea get a WBA team that is in disarray after the sacking of their manager. There really isn't much reason to go beyond these three match-ups for the majority of your team this week. Here are some line-up thoughts:

Strikers

Henry and one of Reyes or Bergkamp, Arsenal - maybe you want to go with all three. I'm going to guess that the scoreline will read at least 3 on Arsenal's side so there should be points aplenty for all.

Cisse or Baros, Liverpool - Baros looked the better of the two last weekend, but Cisse might be a little safer bet as Baros seems less likely to get assists or crosses, etc. Either way, the match-up with Blackbrun is too good to pass up. And yes, our hearts go out to Brad Friedel who doesn't deserve the battering he's taking in the Rovers net.

Midfielders

Downing, Boro - Until further notice, the young Mr. Downing has a spot on my squad. He's scoring key goals, crossing the ball like a champ, and getting some assists. When Boro score a lot, he has a lot of fantasy points, when they don't score a lot, he has a lot of fantasy points. Singlehandedly saved my weekend from being a disaster last week (from the Fanasy EPL perspective anyway).

Lampard, Chelsea - The midfield anchor for every fantasy owner who has top-of-the-table aspirations. I should probably stop writing anything after his name and just assume that everyone knows to include him.

Garcia, Liverpool - Excellent match-up and how about that goal he scored last weekend - a thing of beauty.

Defenders

Heinze, ManYoo - OK, I learned my lesson, I gave Gabriel stud/do not remove from the squad status and then removed him and missed out on over 10 points. I really need to listen to myself more often.

Jaidi, Bolton - after 3 goals so far this season, he's locked into the squad until further notice.

Ashley Cole, Arsenal - not the greatest year for Ashley offensively this year but with all the goals that are going to come on Saturday - there's a good chance that he'll enjoy a clean sheet and some part of the offensive production.

Goalkeepers

Cech, Chelsea - He might not have any saves this weekend but pencil him in for a clean sheet and a win.

Kirkland, Liverpool - see Cech above - good match-up with Blackburn unlikely to pose much of a threat on the Liverpool net.

LEHMANN ALERT - seems that the Arsenal netminder is struggling with a tweaked hammy - perhaps from laughing too hard at Sir Alex with pizza on his shirt - regardless, he may not start. If you're confident he will, he's probably a good bet if you don't want to go with Cech or Kirkland.

The Rules

As I am facing a few weeks out of the blogging game due to an impending addition to the family, and as I am completely distracted at work for the same reason, I thought I would take Neal's suggestion and blog my Fantasy EPL rules. Any value to these rules/tidbits/strategies come with the caveat of my current 3rd place in my private group following a a 4th place finish (I think) last year.

1. Punch above your weight
You generally want to pick anyone playing in a more advanced role than they are designated by the fantasy game - defenders playing in midfield and midfielders lining up as forwards. Perfect example of that is Steve Watson. Listed as a defender for Everton, but except for acute injury crisis, he has played on the right side of their midfield. The further up the pitch, the better chance of getting you points.

2. Wing it
Another player to look for is the wing back or attacking full back. While not lining up in midfield per se, they end up spending a lot of time there. You can find these guys best on teams playing a 3-5-2, like Steve Carr and Christian Ziege for Tottenham in years past. Or Wayne Bridge and Ashley Cole who start in a flat back 4 but often push up in support of the attack.

3. Live for the dead ball
Always try to pick the player who takes dead balls for his team - free kicks and corners. These lead directly to scoring chances - goals, assists and successful crosses. Plus they are free points! Your guy doesn't have to do anything to earn these chances. Let the rest of the team work for your fantasy betterment! Look at Laurent Robert over the last few years. He's been a fantasy stud averaging 15points a game because he took all of Newcastle's free kicks and corners. Thierry Henry is the perfect fantasy player because he takes kicks on top of his incredible goal scoring. Even a middling player on a poor team can be elevated to must have because they earn enough points taking kicks - Danny Murphy, Jason Koumas or Youri Djorkaeff (who also falls under Rule #1) come to mind.

4. Never pass up a sure thing
Always try to get the sure starter. Don't pick up Louis Saha because he could get a hat-trick in 20 minutes of play. Because if you play the odds and get someone on the pitch for 90 minutes you'll be better off. This gets hard because a lot of your best players are on the best/biggest squads. So Chelsea, ManU and NUFC forwards are a nightmare to pick. So save yourself the aggravation.


Well, kids... that's it for me for a while. See you on the other side of of fatherhood. Good luck, and god bless America.

-jeremy

Separated at birth

One is an intergalactic threat whose minions are violently trying to take back what they claim is theirs. The other is a Star Wars character.

Monday Morning Manager

Took the easy way out this weekend and got burned. No other way to put it. Didn't have a bad week, but got hosed by 1rst half injuries to Anelka and Mendieta and a no show from Kewell.

All credit to those managers who went with their gut and sold Henry for Johnson, or kept faith with Downing under threat of a benching. And those brave souls who said, "Hey, I bet Gudjohnsen could have a good week." Sometimes in this game you have to follow your gut. Go against the grain and get the points that no one else gets. That's the only way to separate yourself from the pack and all those other sports cliches.

So this week it's time to lick my wounds and reconsider my strategy. There seem to be a lot of good choice middies around. Robert, Robben, Duff, L. Garcia, Pires, Ljungberg, Solano, Downing, etc. How about the 3-5-2? Thoughts? I'd love to read your comments.

"You wouldn't like me when i'm angry ..."

Early tip for next week: Arsenal home to Southampton. Expect Southampton to keep everyone behind the ball at all times. Expect it not to matter.

Friday Morning Team News

• Soccernet (links in the right sidebar)


• Sky Sports


• Sporting Life (links in the right sidebar)


• BBC Sports (predictions and links to previews)

Line 'em Up

Over-hyped? Chelsea continued to show they can score goals in Europe vs. the other teams that Mr. Abromovich owns - and lets not fool ourselves, he has a HUGE stake in CSKA Moscow and might as well own Porto after all the $$ he threw them over the summer - but Arsenal and ManYoo looked questionable against a bunch of guys no one has ever heard of. ManYoo can't score anywhere and Arsenal can't seem to stop doing silly things on the European stage. What does this mean for fantasy managers? Probably nothing. The smart money is on the trends continuing. Arsenal will put up points (but maybe not so many as usual since the ManYoo defense is solid). ManYoo players are not worth the risk of another shutout against them (it says here Arsenal win 1-0 with Henry getting the goal from a Pires assist). In the meeting of the "resistable force" (aka Chelsea's offense) and the "movable object" (aka the Blackburn defense) expect one goal from Chelsea but where it will come from, no one knows. In other potentially lopsided match-ups - Liverpool host Charlton, Boro host always-dodgy-on-the-road Pompey, and Newcastle host ManCiteh. All that said, here are some line-up suggestions should you be unsure of yourself going into the weekend:

Strikers
Henry, Arsenal - If there was a week you wanted to risk not having him in the line-up to pick up some ground, this is probably the time to try, but I wouldn't do it. Would you?

JFH, Boro - In the goals vs. Blackburn last weekend and only played 20 minutes midweek in UEFA action. Match-up vs. Pompey should be a good one.

Craig Bellamy, Newcastle - Depends on how much you think Souey wants to prove his point. Bellamy has been excellent when he's played and Citeh who, despite Chelsea making their defense look competent, aren't up to the task on the road.

Midfielders
Lampard, Chelsea - With Karl Malone gone from the NBA, Lamps is next in line for the "Mailman" nickname - somehow, he always delivers despite the fact that Chelsea can't seem to score.

Downing, Boro - Sven threw out his name as an England contender this week (and how often does that happen to a Boro players?). Nice weekend last week in the JFH goal-fest. Put in one of his own today in UEFA Cup action. On the rise. If he played at ManYoo he'd be the next hot thing. Coming soon to a tabloid near you "Sir Alex eyes up Downing for a January swoop"

Osman, Everton - Who would have guessed at the beginning of the year that there would be multiple Everton midfielders worth selecting for a fantasy squad where money is no object. Gravessen hasn't done much in the last few weeks but has still had a strong year so far and Osman appears to be in form.

Defenders
Jaidi, Bolton - he's been solid offensively and Bolton comes up with the occasional clean sheet to boot.

Terry, Chelsea - coming off a goal in Champions League and a sure bet to start in what promises to be another clean sheet for the Blues. Really, any Chelsea defender that is likely to start is a good bet for some solid points here.

Hibbert, Everton - The Everton defense has been tight, even on the road, and he's been contributing the occasional point or two on offense as well. Very solid.

Note: In the battle of Old Trafford, Part Deux, I'm sitting Heinze because I can't see ManYoo getting a clean sheet or scoring a goal themselves. Probably bad mojo to go against a guy I've praised so much, but this doesn't seem like his week.

Goalkeepers
Cech, Chelsea - Sort of a boring choice, but they give up goals at about the same clip that W says things that Americans can be proud of. Martyn of Everton and Schwartzer of Boro would be decent alternatives. Given would be as well but his status is uncertain because his wife is scheduled to give birth soon.

Midweek Musings

As we prepare for what should be an excellent week of football - featuring AC Milan vs. Barca on Wednesday and then ManYoo vs. the best team in the world on Sunday - it seems like we've gotten far enough into the season for some trends to emerge. The Euro 2004/Olympics hangover should be far enough in the past that teams can't continue to use them as excuses any longer. The transfer window has been closed for over a month and the few obligatory season-ending injuries have taken place. Here are a few random observations significant of nothing other than the fact that I've probably seen too many games so far this year...

1. Mutu, Crespo, Drogba, Kezman, Duff, Geremi, Cole, Robben, Tiago, Rooney, Ronaldo, Saha, Smith, Cisse, Alonso, and Garcia acquired over the last 2 years yielding a total of 31 goals in 26 games with nearly half of that total going to Liverpool. 17 goals in 18 games between ManYoo and Chelsea. How much did Chelsea pay for their coach again?

2. Should Roman have purchased Everton instead? More goals than either ManYoo or Chelsea this year. 1 point behind Chelsea in the table and 5 up on ManYoo. Can we officially label Chelsea the Washington Redskins of the EPL and Roman A. the Daniel Snyder? Overgrown fantasy owners with too much money and not a clue in the world.

3. Lack of creativity in midfield - Could someone not wearing a Gunners jersey PLEASE make a highlight reel pass before Christmas? Can we import some more Brazilians to play in English central midfields or play some samba music for the English youth squads as they're training? Other ideas are welcome.

4. Champions League? How is it that ManYoo and Chelsea are looking exceptional in Europe but can't beat the likes of ManCiteh and Birmingham? Are the fodder of the EPL really THAT much better than the supposed best of Europe? or are the Devils and Blues in for an ugly awakening when they play the better teams in the competition?

5. Injury Reports? Can someone please tell Sam Allerdyce that "probable" means that a player is 75% likely to play. Thus far that term has been used twice in relation to Okocha and in neither case has he played. Fantasy owners are bitter. Something must be done.

6. Malcolm Glazer at ManYoo - how do you think New York would react if the Japanese had purchased the Yankees rather than the Mariners? ManYoo isn't just a team, its part of the culture (insert your own crumbling empire joke here).

7. Contraction - can we all agree that Fulham and Charlton are really the same team and just contract them into one just-better-than-mediocre club rather than the two just-worse-than-mediocre clubs they currently are. If Aston Villa wasn't two words, they'd be part of this as well.

That's about it while I wait for the big mid-week games. Enjoy.

Then...


Now...