It's been quite a season in the English Premier League already.
We've had the handshake.
We've had the handshake.
No changes for Villa
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is to set to name an unchanged side as his team chase Champions League qualification in Wednesday night's Barclays Premier League encounter at Hull City.
O'Neill is poised to retain the 11 that started last Sunday's 2-1 win at Portsmouth.
Meanwhile,
Hull boss Iain Dowie will not risk defender Anthony Gardner against Aston Villa.
The former Tottenham player, who has been out for two months with an ankle injury, has returned to full training and Dowie is hopeful he will be ready to face Sunderland on Saturday.
Midfielders Dean Marney (illness) and Bernard Mendy (hamstring) are doubtful while Caleb Folan is set to miss out because of a hip problem.
Kamil Zayatte, Amr Zaki, Ian Ashbee, Richard Garcia (all knee) and Stephen Hunt (foot) are out but keeper Matt Duke and teenage midfielder Tom Cairney will keep their places after impressing in the goalless draw against Birmingham at the weekend.
Europa League Semis On
Liverpool face the prospect of a 2,400 mile round-trip coach journey after Uefa ruled that the Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid on Thursday would go ahead as planned.Emphasis mine.
European football's governing body made the decision despite widespread travel chaos, caused by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud. Uefa had earlier confirmed that Fulham's semi-final in Hamburg on the same day would also take place.
"Uefa is continuing to closely monitor the travel situation throughout Europe and beyond, in an effort to confirm the staging of a number of matches that are due to take place this week in Uefa competitions," a statement read.
"Regarding the Uefa Europa League semi-final, first-leg matches between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, and Hamburg SV and Fulham, it is planned that both games will go ahead as normal.
This will certainly diminish the appeal of Liverpool players ahead of their trip to Burnley at the weekend. It will also make your Everton players - the likes of Arteta, Jagielka and Howard - more attractive as they'll face a road-weary Fulham.
Knee surgery rules Torres out for rest of season
Fernando Torres will miss the remainder of the season for Liverpool due to knee surgery, and his participation in the World Cup finals must be in some doubt as his club expect him to be sidelined for six weeks.David N'gog
Torres, who previously underwent knee surgery in January, missed Liverpool's 0-0 draw with Fulham last weekend due to the problem and the striker will go under the knife on Sunday night after being seen by a specialist.
6.20
@Burnley
Get in while the barn door is open.
Meanwhile,
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti will allow Didier Drogba to decide whether he is fit enough to play on this season.
The Ivorian striker is currently nursing a groin injury, and may yet require surgery in order to cure the ailment.
He was in obvious discomfort throughout the Blues' 2-1 defeat at local rivals Tottenham on Sunday, but was unable to be replaced in the second half as Ancelotti had used all of his substitutes.
Drogba is now in danger of inflaming the problem and ruling himself out of action for a prolonged period of time.
Maicon's Juggling and Vollied Goal
Watching this makes me happy.
... and that's saying something on a day when Gareth Bale made a mockery of my team selection and has left me dreading the next two match days.
... and that's saying something on a day when Gareth Bale made a mockery of my team selection and has left me dreading the next two match days.
The Barn Door Live - April 17
It's Villa and Hull week...I'm "all in" to use the poker term. BBBF, Bale, Dunne, Cuellar, Milner, Downing, Jummy, Kilbane, Bendtner, Carew, and Gabby...Should be interesting to see if this works out for me or if I should have stuck with some of the one-gamers...I'm about 25 points behind Jeremy in our private league so I have the motivation to make a push here at the end of the season.
Give us your line-up as you enter the chat. And we're off for the Manchester Derby - great early Saturday match...
Give us your line-up as you enter the chat. And we're off for the Manchester Derby - great early Saturday match...
Injuries and Suspensions
Before we get started with the news, today marks Jeremy's and my debut as print writers about Fantasy Football/Soccer. The picture you see in this post is the cover photo. On the pages following that cover we give a bit of a primer on how to play fantasy and then preview each team in the World Cup for fantasy players. It was a lot of fun and we appreciate the nice people at Time, Inc Home Entertainment giving us the opportunity to participate. Hopefully, there will be more to come between your favorite bloggers and World Soccer/Time, Inc.
OK, with that promotional announcement out of the way, we'll get started with the news that everyone is waiting for...
Warnock a doubt for Pompey trip
Wounded Villa warrior Stephen Warnock has emerged as a doubt for Sunday’s trip to Portsmouth.
The left-back picked up a knock as a result of a last-ditch sliding tackle to dispossess Leon Osman in the second-half of last night’s 2-2 draw with Everton and was eventually replaced by Nathan Delfouneso after 77 minutes.
Warnock will be assessed at the club’s Bodymoor Heath HQ today and manager Martin O’Neill has his fingers crossed for good news with the Premier League trip to the south-coast just three days away.
The Villa boss said: “Steven is pretty sore at the moment. We’re hoping we’ll have better news later today. At this minute, he’s feeling a wee bit better than he was...
But Villa are optimistic over his chances, however Luke Young is on standby to replace the England international if needed.
The Week Ahead
Disappointed in yesterday's result from WHL, I turned back to my post from February 18th (the week that Arsenal were deemed to be "back in the title race" by most of the media). Guess what? Turns out that while being disappointed by what happened yesterday isn't unreasonable, I certainly can't claim to be surprised by Arsenal (presumably) dropping out of the title race. Here's the excerpt from my Week Ahead post on February 18th...
One final thought on Arsenal before we get to the players recommendations. Looking at the schedule ahead vs. much tougher ones for ManYoo and Chelsea I'm sure many are wondering if Arsenal have a chance at the title despite their obvious inferiority to their title rivals when playing them on the field. I'm trying not to talk myself into a real title challenge despite the easy schedule. I am sticking with my assertion that the Gunners are clearly the 3rd best team in the land with a wide gulf on either side (they're not really that close to ManYoo/Chelsea but neither are Liv/Spurs/Citeh/Villa that close to them). I think they'll end up much closer to the title than they have been in recent years but I think that quality that separates the top two from Arsenal - call it resolve, character, or a killer instinct - will ultimately mean the difference in the title race. If we get to April and May I have a hard time seeing one or both of the top two dropping points against the lesser lights of the Prem when they know they have to win. They might make it harder on themselves than they need to by dropping points to the Birminghams of the world in January and February but when it comes down to crunch time, I can't see it happening. So, again, do I think Arsenal can win? It wouldn't be the craziest thing that's ever happened but if you're asking me if I'm getting emotionally invested in an Arsenal title chase in March, April, and May then the answer is definitely no.
So quickly to sum up...
Laws hopes life's a beach for Sunderland
Pssssst, Brian... op-stay with the ulliten-bay oard-bay aterial-may!
[Burnley manager Brian]Laws said: "I know Steve Bruce very well as we were at Wallsend Boys Club together. That's how far back we go. We have gone our different ways but got back together in the management side. He is a good friend.Ummmm... me thinks Laws should shut his trap. It's a funny joke and all, hahhahaha! But isn't there a wee chance that Bruce takes that back to his players, who are probably safe but not wildly so, and use it to gee them up for this match? I don't know that I'd be poking Sunderland if I were Laws. Besides, doesn't he know that Sunderland last used the beachball to score a match winning goal?
"I saw him the other week and said 'I am going to send you a bucket of sand, a spade and a beachball. You enjoy yourself on holiday. It starts before we turn up on Saturday'. Let's hope they are thinking like that.'"
Gunners suffer Vermaelen blow
Arsenal have suffered a blow with the news that key defender Thomas Vermaelen has been ruled out for at least two weeks.
The Belgium international suffered a calf strain in the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham at White Hare Lane, a loss which dealt a hammer blow to Arsenal's title hopes.
The 24-year-old lasted just 19 minutes of the clash before having to hobble off and now faces a period on the sidelines.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger told the club's official website: "Certainly it is a calf strain. (He will be out for) two to three weeks."
It's all unraveling a bit for the Arsenal. Their title hopes are on a thread and now they lose the one player they could probably least afford to lose. Did you see Silvestre trying to mark Bale last night? Bale had the freedom of the penalty area and Silvestre was only receded rather than being able to close him down.
On top of that, their schedule stiffens a bit. Yes, Wigan are lousy but they can put in a shift at home. Just ask Liverpool. Then Manchester City who still have fourth to play for, not to mention K2 (and possibly Viera?) carrying a grudge. Then at Rovers who are strong on their pitch (just ask ManUtd and Chelsea) and then a local derby against Fulham, who granted may not have ANYTHING to play for in that match. But then again, nor may Arsenal by then.
Vermaelen has been on many a fantasy team from week one (or week two as @EVE didn't look a good bet at the time). And he's been a great choice. For 6 you could just leave him there and forget him - until he popped up with another goal. But now it's time to ship him out. Another Villa defender perhaps?
Indian Player Debuts in Major League Soccer
Sunil Chhetri makes debut for Wizards in loss to Rapids - Soccer - SI.com
I know we have at least some following in India and who I'm sure will be interested to know (if they don't already) that one of their own, Sunil Chhetri, has made his professional debut in Major League Soccer on Tuesday.
I had a chance to watch some domestic league matches in India when I was there last summer and it is definitely a few steps down from MLS but with the growing popularity of the world game, India's huge population, and the widespread proliferation soccer/football as a participation sport among kids in India you have to think that this will be the first of many. I'd guess that India will mirror the progress of US players as they emerged on the world scene in the 80s.
This will be an interesting story to follow over the coming years.
Matchday Open Thread
I'm a little late to the party as Cahill and Rose (???) have opened the scoring for Everton and Spurs, respectively.
Honestly, I'm just trying to get through the week with minimum of damage and move on to Villa's double.
You?
Hmm, Nice Gossip But Hardly Seems Realistic
Football365 | All The News | Football News | UNITED PREPARING TO SELL BERBATOV
News in this feature that SAF will offload Berbs (not unrealistic) and spend big dollars on Benzema and Villa (wouldn't be surprised if it they ended up with one of the two). Elsewhere in the feature it indicates that Fergie has asked for 60MM to spend on new recruits. Something doesn't add up if you estimate the cost of those two at 60MM, the "return" on Berbs as 20MM. That would leave only 20MM to reconstitute the midfield that has been non-existent for most of the season and potentially shore up the back line (although Smalling has already been purchased, you hardly get the sense that he's ready to be half of one of the top two or three central defensive pairings in the league since he doesn't start for Fulham).
If you're a United supporter, you shouldn't take these rumors too seriously and you should be MUCH happier if some central midfield help finds its way to OT in the summer. Heck, maybe Berbs would be more useful if he had more help from players not named Rooney when attacking.
Just some food for thought as I digest Chelsea's 1-0 win over Bolton and Drogba's mediocre day in that win. Hopefully, we'll see better from Verm, Bale, and Bendtner tomorrow.
Cheers - Neal
Match Day Open Thread
Chelsea vs. Bolton - I have Drogba and FloMal playing in this one (or at least I hope they'll be playing). If you'd like to connect with your fellow blog followers, please feel free to do so in the comments section below.
I'll be back with TWA and Injuries and Suspensions later in the week and we'll both be posting as things come up during the week. The big thing to watch on the BD comes tomorrow with RvP possibly returning for Arsenal. The price is high now but will how might an appearance vs. Spurs change that?
Enjoy the match.
Neal
I'll be back with TWA and Injuries and Suspensions later in the week and we'll both be posting as things come up during the week. The big thing to watch on the BD comes tomorrow with RvP possibly returning for Arsenal. The price is high now but will how might an appearance vs. Spurs change that?
Enjoy the match.
Neal
Sprint Distance Dedications
Please excuse this interruption to our usual footy blogging but I would like to share something that I'm involved in, and ask for your help.
###
Welcome to your Sprint Distance Dedications.
I'm your host, Jeremy "Casey Kasem" Spitzberg.
In an effort to raise money and awareness for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, I'm competing in the Solana Beach Triathlon with my company, Active.com.
In the spirit of American Top Forty and its "Long Distance Dedication", I'm offering you the chance to send a Sprint Distance Dedication, in honor of the triathlon being a sprint distance race, to someone you love, miss, want to thank, or even anonymously tell to leave you alone already! Just visit my fundraising page and make a donation of any amount. You'll be asked for comments and please let me know what song you'd like to dedicate, to whom, and why. I'll update the Sprint Distance Dedications blog with that song's video, if I can find it, and share your dedication with that person and the world.
Thank you, and remember:
Sprint Distance Dedications
###
Welcome to your Sprint Distance Dedications. I'm your host, Jeremy "Casey Kasem" Spitzberg.
In an effort to raise money and awareness for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, I'm competing in the Solana Beach Triathlon with my company, Active.com.
In the spirit of American Top Forty and its "Long Distance Dedication", I'm offering you the chance to send a Sprint Distance Dedication, in honor of the triathlon being a sprint distance race, to someone you love, miss, want to thank, or even anonymously tell to leave you alone already! Just visit my fundraising page and make a donation of any amount. You'll be asked for comments and please let me know what song you'd like to dedicate, to whom, and why. I'll update the Sprint Distance Dedications blog with that song's video, if I can find it, and share your dedication with that person and the world.
Thank you, and remember:
Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.
Sprint Distance Dedications
No Arteta at Villa
Mikel Arteta and Victor Anichebe will miss Everton's game at Aston Villa on Wednesday.
The Spaniard has been missing since the Blues' 2-0 win over Manchester City last month, while Anichebe was stretchered off against Bolton earlier in March.
The news means David Moyes is expected to draw from the same squad that drew 2-2 with West Ham last time out.
"I don't see Mikel being fit for the game," Moyes told the media at his pre-match press briefing.
"Victor Anichebe won't be fit for the game either. I see everybody else as being okay though."
Decision Tomorrow
Seemingly unimpressed by my attempts to jinx him
From Carlo Ancelloti's press conference:
'Some players I want to rest, for sure will start from the beginning Ballack, and Kalou in place of Joe Cole. For the strikers I want to take a decision tomorrow.
'All players want to play 90 minutes and Deco was not happy when he came out [against Aston Villa] after doing a good job for 70 minutes. I said it is better to play well for 70 minutes than bad for 90 minutes.
'Defensively we are doing well, I don't have a possibility to change some players, Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Zhirkov are doing well.
Finally on a defensive note, Ashley Cole trained for the first time today with the rest of the squad, after fracturing his ankle in February. He is still pencilled in by the medical department for a return to action against Stoke a week on Sunday.
And in related striker news:
"Fernando Torres was examined by a knee specialist this afternoon in Spain. He received treatment and will continue to do so over the next few days, with the injury being reassessed later this week."
The Barn Door Live - April 10
So, here we go for FA Cup Semi Final weekend. Only two matches and I have Hull vs. Burnley on TV and my line-up is...
Kirkland, Verm, Bale, Onuoha, Arteta, Nani, Jummy, FloMal, Drogs, Bendtner, and K2
Kirkland, Verm, Bale, Onuoha, Arteta, Nani, Jummy, FloMal, Drogs, Bendtner, and K2
The Week Ahead/Injuries & Suspensions Combined Entry
Sorry that the big post is running late but I got back from my soccer safari in London on Wednesday afternoon and have been catching up with work since then. The trip was a pretty remarkable journey to three clubs - Arsenal, Fulham, and Crystal Palace - that each provide their own unique experience for the fans who attend their matches. From the stadiums to the fans to the atmosphere at the ground I was struck at the fact that each experience was unique which differs a great deal from professional sports here in the States which offer very similar experiences across cities, stadiums, and different sports leagues (e.g., football, baseball, basketball).
I'll post something longer on my month in sports which includes Spring Training baseball, the three soccer matches in London, a regular season baseball game, and then the Philadelphia Union/DC United match on Saturday night which will also serve as the home debut of the Union. I'll probably throw in some observations from my trip to Argentina as well and end up with a bit of a comparative review for anyone interested in such things.
Since I'm already running late, lets get right to the news and the player recommendations.
I'll post something longer on my month in sports which includes Spring Training baseball, the three soccer matches in London, a regular season baseball game, and then the Philadelphia Union/DC United match on Saturday night which will also serve as the home debut of the Union. I'll probably throw in some observations from my trip to Argentina as well and end up with a bit of a comparative review for anyone interested in such things.
Since I'm already running late, lets get right to the news and the player recommendations.
Robin van Persie in line for shock Tottenham return
The headline is a bit in-artful. No, he's not rejoining Spurs. But he could be playing against them next week According to the Mail Online.
Robin van Persie could be in line for a sensational return against Tottenham next week after Arsenal's chief physio Colin Lewin revealed the striker will begin full training 'imminently'.
The Dutchman looked set to be ruled out for the remainder of the season after damaging ankle ligaments in an international friendly against Italy in November.
Flying Dutchman: van Persie is set to return to full Arsenal training 'imminently'
Flying Dutchman: van Persie is set to return to full Arsenal training 'imminently'
But Van Persie could now be included in Arsenal's injury-hit squad for the crucial north London derby on Wednesday, as the Gunners look to bounce back from their defeat in Barcelona and ensuing exit from the Champions League.
'Robin will be joining the squad for full training imminently. That is a big boost for the club and will give everyone a big lift,' Lewin told Arsenal.com.
I'll believe it when I see it, but if I see it I'll sure as hell be trying to get him into my fantasy team!
Arjen Robben Haunts Ferguson Again
Robben travelled to London and met with Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and Robben's liking; PSV chairman Harry van Raaij told Manchester United the most that their €7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph. Almost immediately, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offered € 18 million (£ 12.1 million), and PSV accepted...
On 7th April 2010, Arjen sent Bayern Munich into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League with a stunning volley against Manchester United from the edge of the area into the corner of the net. The game ended 3-2 to United (4-4 on aggregate) with Bayern advancing due to away goals. This goal means there is no English club in the semi-finals for the first time since 2003.
Does anyone else think that Robben and Lance Armstrong look alike, or is it just me?
Arsenalona to Africa via Argentina
Messi's master-class in last night's demolition of (an admittedly under-strength) Arsenal side, and their semi-final match-up with Inter, had me thinking about the fast-approaching World Cup. Well, I'm thinking about the World Cup a lot for other reasons, but more on that soon. [ed. note: We're published in the World Soccer Unofficial Guide to the 2010 World Cup!]
Certainly Maradona's focus - or what of it he has remaining - should be tuned in to that match as five, possibly six, of his players could feature. Samuel, Zanetti, Cambiasso and Milito (Diego) for Inter and Milito (Gabriel) and Messi for Barca. Throw in Lopez and Delgado from Lyon who will likely progress today and there is a strong Argentine representation in this year's premier European tournament.
Is that the strongest contingent from outside the club's home countries? France has two teams involved today, but also heavy representation at Arsenal, Henry at Barca, and even Evra and Ribery who meet in today's other match. Oddly the Brazilian representation is focused on the defensive side of the pitch with Cris, Maicon and Lucio coming to mind.
All this is probably apropos of nothing, but an excuse to post Messi's highlights and a chance to share my building anticipation of the World's Greatest Sporting Event™ presented in glorious high-definition by the World Leader™.
Fulham Stoke Rearranged
STOKE's Premier League match against Fulham has been rearranged for the final week of the season.Oh well, back to the drawing board. Another week of just one-gamers, though stretched through midweek. There's probably much gnashing of teeth over "wasted" barn door efforts. Schwarzer not looking so hot @LIV this week, for instance. But it's a level playing field. I don't know that I want either Eth or certainly Gera any longer. My current green players (selected, but not bought/saved) are Torres, Bullard and JCole having moved from Tevez, Eth and Gera. I'm liking that the for the week.
The game will now take place on either Wednesday, May 5 or Thursday, May 6 at Craven Cottage.
The match was originally scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 14, but Fulham have requested both to the FA and Stoke to move the game in an effort to spread their current fixture commitments.
Then next week it has to be all Aston Villa, doesn't it? As ruinous as they were last time they had two good fixtures, they will play @POR and then
We're Going Up
Newcastle United gained immediate promotion back to the Premier League without playing on Monday after Nottingham Forest's failure to beat Cardiff City in the Championship (second division).
A 0-0 draw between Forest and Cardiff at the City Ground meant league leaders Newcastle, who were facing Sheffield United later (7:45 p.m.), are guaranteed to finish in one of the two automatic promotion places a year after their relegation from the top flight.
"It's a wonderful achievement by everybody at this football club from day one this season," delighted Newcastle manager Chris Hughton told Sky Sports before his side's match.
"Everyone has had a real desire to get back to the division that everyone in this city believes we should be in. The title is important now ... and that's the target."
Newcastle, who have led the Championship for most of the season, have 86 points with six matches to play, three points clear of West Bromwich Albion, who seem set to go up with them.
Monday Morning Manager
I was boarding a plane on Saturday morning and saw the ESPN crawl as I walked by a wall-mounted television. Burnley 0 Man City 4 it read at the time. I spent the next three hours dreaming up scenarios of how many goals of the four Tevez was involved in and what the final scoreline was going to be. I decided that he had probably scored a second consecutive hat-trick. With visions of that dancing in my head, I was disappointed to find out he had only scored one. But following up later I saw the assists, and AJ's contributions as well and was happy with the outcome. Then of course, the points didn't come in on Saturday. Or Sunday. How frustrating! But they're up now and Carlito and AJ both put up ~20 and even Fox brought points to the table - which was far from a sure thing.
Carlito is owned by over 20% of teams. To be honest, I'm surprised that more teams around me - in my private group - didn't have him. Playing Burnley, even at Burnley was nailed on for points. I stayed away from K2 as he's been so inconsistent this season, and after that hat-trick against Wigan, clearly Carlito was the hot hand. Foot, sorry. But I wasn't selling AJ, even after an anonymous few weeks. And I even looked into Viera and Kompany, but didn't pull the trigger on those moves, choosing instead to gamble on Maxi despite his matchup. While that didn't work out for me - Viera with 19 and Kompany with 14 - Maxi earned a respectable 8.5 and came oh-so-close to scoring. As he's cup-tied in Europe, he's sure to be fresh and ready for a flagging Fulham next week.
Speaking of Fulham, congratulations to them again for their European success so far. It's come at the cost of their interest in the Premier League, but they did have the luxury of coming up against Wigan, a team who is trying even less hard at the moment. Wigan's win at Liverpool was a great performance but it seems like they might have over-estimated the worth of that victory. They're not safe from the drop yet and will have to pick up points against Portsmouth, @West Ham and Hull City from their remaining fixtures. That should be possible, but it will be needed because their other two matches are Arsenal and @Chelsea.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out this particular gem from Neal's Week Ahead post:
Hangeland - reasonably priced, good match-up, and hasn't done anything yet going forward this season - I'm saying he's due;Thankfully for me, Neal's back-line is otherwise set, but he sure got that pick spot on.
One pick that Neal didn't get right was Nasri.
Nasri - see Walcott above, he's been at his best when he's been in Cesc's role so if I were you I'd pick him up now and keep him for the rest of the season as he's likely to see his fortunes rise in his most comfortable position;At least not yet. It was inexplicable how Wenger left him (and Bendtner, but that's more of a personal gripe because he's in my team so cheaply) out of the starting line-up against Wolves. I didn't go for Nasri because I was afraid that even in the "Cesc role" (Is that like the Makelele role? I mean are we coining the phrase yet? No offense to Fab4, but if we're calling out attacking middies, shouldn't that be the Messi role or the Gourcuff role?) Nasri would still be the guy behind the guy behind the guy scoring the points. Also, I knew that Wolves would be tough opponents (Hi, Chris Jones!) and that they might be more vulnerable to pace, so I went with Walcott in my fantasy team.
All that being said, Nasri's introduction saw Arsenal ratchet up the pressure - and yes, Henry's dismissal after Sicky went down like a little girl didn't help Wolves - and eventually... like virtually the last touch of the game eventually... score and win.
I'm not going to keep Walcott despite his 14 point return. At Spurs is not the same as home to Wolves (no offense, Chris Jones) and Walcott never seems to deliver medium- or long-term in fantasy. Instead I'm selling him and Osman (who was a virtual spectator against West Ham) for the two-match pairing of Etherington and Gera. I'm also going to be thinking about selling Tevez for Torres. But I'm leaning, thanks to a game-in-hand, towards keeping the Argentine.
Where are you on the barn door? Two-gamers? Well-chosen one gamers? Argentinians or Spaniards?
Matchday Open Thread
photo courtesy Lynchie999
Easing my way back into the blog with a matchday open thread. I'm going to try to follow Ful/Wig, Brm/Liv and then Eve/WHU today. After a decent Saturday - goals from Drogs, Bendt and Tevez and hopefully three assists from AJ - I'm looking for points from THo, Gardner, Osman and Maxi.
You?
The Week Ahead/Injuries & Suspensions Combined Entry
The blog is coming to you live from London today. That's right, the heart of it all. The birthplace of footie, the cradle of the Prem and all that. I'm hoping that by tipping my toes in (metaphorical) holy waters, I'll be reborn (again, metaphorically) and this communing with all things footie-related will only take my powers of fantasy soccer prognostication to a new level. Wishful thinking I'm sure but can't hurt to try.
The week started off with a visit to World Soccer Magazine and editor Gavin Hamilton who has given Jeremy and I our first opportunity to write about fantasy soccer - in this case, the World Cup - in an actual print publication. As far as I can tell, our article and team-by-team fantasy ratings will appear in the US edition of World Soccer's The complete unofficial guide to World Cup 2010. Very cool to see our names in print. Also great to have a chance to chat with Gavin for a while yesterday as he has been with World Soccer for 15 years and has great insight into the world of writing about soccer.
The next step on my footie journey will be tomorrow (Saturday) when my wife and I travel to the Emirates to see Cesc-less, Arsh-less, and Gallas-less Arsenal host Wolves. I know the Wolves supporters who regularly show up on the Live Chat will be hoping I come away disappointed but how could I possibly after having a chance to worship at the alter of one of football's great cathedrals. I'm thrilled for the experience and while I hope that the outcome is a positive one for the home crowd, I'm more excited just to be there as they say. (A side note - I actually played a match at Highbury but the season had ended so I didn't get to see Arsenal play a match there). From the Emirates it will be on to Craven Cottage on Sunday for Ful/Wig and then Selhurst Park for Palace vs. Preston North End and a taste of life in the Championship. Good times.
OK, on to the compressed week ahead/injuries and suspensions posting...
The week started off with a visit to World Soccer Magazine and editor Gavin Hamilton who has given Jeremy and I our first opportunity to write about fantasy soccer - in this case, the World Cup - in an actual print publication. As far as I can tell, our article and team-by-team fantasy ratings will appear in the US edition of World Soccer's The complete unofficial guide to World Cup 2010. Very cool to see our names in print. Also great to have a chance to chat with Gavin for a while yesterday as he has been with World Soccer for 15 years and has great insight into the world of writing about soccer.
The next step on my footie journey will be tomorrow (Saturday) when my wife and I travel to the Emirates to see Cesc-less, Arsh-less, and Gallas-less Arsenal host Wolves. I know the Wolves supporters who regularly show up on the Live Chat will be hoping I come away disappointed but how could I possibly after having a chance to worship at the alter of one of football's great cathedrals. I'm thrilled for the experience and while I hope that the outcome is a positive one for the home crowd, I'm more excited just to be there as they say. (A side note - I actually played a match at Highbury but the season had ended so I didn't get to see Arsenal play a match there). From the Emirates it will be on to Craven Cottage on Sunday for Ful/Wig and then Selhurst Park for Palace vs. Preston North End and a taste of life in the Championship. Good times.
OK, on to the compressed week ahead/injuries and suspensions posting...
Match Day Open Thread
My line-up is Gomes, Verm, Bale, Hutton, BFDB, Modric, Arteta, AJ, FloMal, Drogs, and Bendtner
Heading into next week, I'm looking at Arsenal (home to Wolves and I'll be at the match live), Fulham (home to Wigan and I'll be at the match live), Rovers (at Pompey), Stoke (home to Hull), and Everton (home to WHU). Lots of options on the BD to consider.
I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Cheers - Neal
Blooper Reel
Divot or no divot, James is a step slow - retreating actually - in coming out for this ball.
Injuries and Suspensions
Just a flesh wound.
Premier League team news - Barclays Premier League - ESPN Soccernet
The team news is still coming in but there's still plenty to report...
There are suggestions that Silvestre will partner Sol Campbell for Arsenal which - if you ask me - diminishes the value of the entire Arsenal back line including Almunia. I'd feel much better with Song/Campbell with Denilson or Diaby holding than I would with Silvestre's corpse combining with Campbell's ghost with Song in front of them. On the plus side, Arsenal should have Bendtner available to start which is a great sign for the attack.
Across North London, the team report indicates that Pav may only be ready for the bench - not sure what they're basing that on since he seemed quite effective in his mid-week test. If you're worried that he won't start because a) he's a risk to be re-injured or b) because Spurs are playing Pompey and should be able to beat them with any line-up they throw out there then you'd probably be better off with Bentley/Eidur or Bentley/Crouch than with spending a ton of money on Pav. Not sure what I'm going to do on this topic yet. Probably will make a change late in the day that I'll regret when the matches start.
Oh yeah, SeaBass is also a question mark and Corluka appears to be out. Not sure there's much to be made of the central defender pool but Kyle Walker might be a great and inexpensive play at right back for the low-low price of 5.93.
In ManYoo news, looks like the Rooney injury scare was just a media creation than a real risk this week (at least according to SAF's most recent statement). Looks like Rooney should start and keep ManYoo pushing toward another title. (and no, I'm not trying to jinx them in any way with that statement, really, I'm not).
Dunne...Milner...Heskey...Gabby...all in doubt for villa as they travel to Chelsea. There was some healthy debate on the Live Chat last weekend over the depth of Villa's squad and whether they had added enough to make a realistic push for 4th. I'm sorry I don't remember who was taking the optimistic view for Villa but seeing this list I have to re-iterate the point that I (and many others) have been making for the last few years...Villa are too thin at key positions and tend to wear down during the home stretch. The above injuries - if they cause absences or mediocre play from the above gentlemen - mean that Villa have no spine to their team as their best central defender, best (and only) attacking midfielder, and two of their three best strikers would all be out or functioning well below their potential. And who exactly are the alternatives? Cuellar moving infield with one of Villa's fullbacks (Beye or Luke Young) deputizing works well but there is N...O...T...H...I...N...G... behind Milner/Heskey/Gabby if they were to be out. I don't want you to get the idea I'm hating on Villa, I actually like them and hope they do well but I'm trying to be realistic about their squad. When you compare the reserve options at Villa with those at Spurs/Everton/Citeh - their main competition for the 4th spot and Europa Cup places - then Villa comes up wanting. Same can be said of Liverpool - the depth just isn't there and there is too much dependence on a few key, very skilled players.
At Hull, Stephen Hunt and Andy Dawson are doubts while Jozy Altidore should be back from injury.
My read on Zamora is that he should be healthy after having severe cramps in mid-week. Really? Cramps? Couldn't Fulham/Hodgson have come up with some better excuse for him coming out of the match that would have preserved Bobby's manhood a bit?
THo will have a late fitness test for the match against Wolves - a major concern for those of you who have him at a huge discount and want to keep him. I'd guess he'll make it but at least something to think about.
At Chelsea, Carvalho is added to Ivanovic, ACole, and Bos to give the training room a fantastic starting defence. Looks like JT, Alex, Yuri, and Paulo will be the starting quartet (Villa fans can ponder that for a minute when they want to discuss squad depth).
Finally, Citeh who face an N'Zobgia-less Wigan but will have their own concerns over Ireland (a doubt but not ruled out entirely ruining both his own and SWP's value). K2 is back from suspension so they do have that going for them, which is nice (I guess).
Good luck. I'm on the road and hope to have a Live Chat going tomorrow but am not sure how late we'll get to go. Will definitely be there for the early match but am uncertain after that as the in-laws will have their say in the planning process.
Cheers - Neal
The Week Ahead
Carew made fantasy managers so happy last week that they could just... oh, you get the idea.
It isn't too often that you put up something in the neighborhood of 150 points in a week and still consider that week to be a disaster but that's what I'm coming off of. It really came down to two decisions - Friedel over Howard and MGP over Carew. That's a difference of about 60 points right there. And that's the worst part about writing this column...it's right there in black and white on last week's TWA. I knew those guys were both excellent picks, you guys all know that I knew that they were excellent picks, and when it came time to choose my eleven - they didn't make it. Finally, I had to suffer through the Live Chat where everyone else had done a better job with my advice (and their own insight) than I did with it. Would I trade that occasional downer for not doing the blog and sucking in anonymity when I have bad weeks? Of course not but it is definitely a downside.
A few other random notes before we get to the meat of the feature here:
- Well done to Major League Soccer and its Players Union for averting a strike - now about the fact that there isn't a decent MLS Fantasy game to be had - what the hell is up with that? At the very least, MLS needs to take the "Fantasy" link off their web site;
- I was very happy to hear that Ful/Wig (which had been schedule for this coming Friday) has been moved to a week from Sunday. Not so much for the fantasy implications as for the fact that I have tickets for the match and was worried that they'd reschedule for after my trip to London ended (as an FYI, I'll also be at Arsenal/Wolves on Saturday and Palace/PNE on Monday) - if you're going to be at any of them, drop me a note on Facebook and I'll be happy to meet up;
- Another MLS-related note (I'm sure most of you don't really care but it's my column...) - tonight marks the debut of the Philadelphia Union in MLS. As I have noted many times in the blog, I grew up in Philadelphia and while I haven't lived there full time in 22 years continue to support my old home teams in every sport where they have a team (Baseball, American Football, Basketball, Hockey, etc). In the absence of a Philly soccer team, I have been a supporter of DC United in MLS since the inception of the team and league 15 years ago (I have lived in DC for most of my adult life). Now that there's a team in Philly (whose stadium is mere minutes from my parents' house) who will no doubt attempt to market themselves as a major rival to DC United - I have no idea how my passions will evolve. Do I stick with DC? Do I adopt Philly? Can I in good conscience support both? Who do I root for when they play each other? The funny thing is, I'm not sure I can make the decision intellectually. I think I'm going to have to watch and see how I react to the new team. The first test will be on Saturday, April 10th when the Union host DC United for their first home match ever. I'll be there but the question is - who will I find myself supporting?
Bendtner Doubt for Birmingham
Other absentees against Birmingham will be Thomas Vermaelen through suspension, and possibly Nicklas Bendtner, who went off injured against West Ham.
Wenger admits that the Dane is not yet back in training, but hopes to have him back in time for the weekend.
He said: "He should be OK. He is not back in training yet because he has an ankle problem, but he will have a late test tomorrow morning and should be available.
"I have not picked the team yet, but I expect him to be available.
I'm not likely to sell him at 5 and change. But something to think about for anyone with him closer to or at current value.
UPDATE: All that goes double for Drogba.
LATER UPDATE: All that also goes double for Rooney. Though of the three, he seems the most likely to miss out this week. So maybe it goes for half.
Cech return boosts Chelsea
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is fit to return for Wednesday's Premier League game at bottom club Portsmouth but defender Branislav Ivanovic will be sidelined for a month.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti also said Ashley Cole was back in light training after breaking his left ankle at Everton at the start of February and he expected the England defender to return to the first team before the end of the season...
Third-choice keeper Ross Turnbull, who has played the last three games, will drop to the bench against Portsmouth. Ancelotti also said he expected second-choice Henrique Hilario to be fit again for Saturday's home game against Aston Villa.
Two from Turnbull is still three more than -1 from Friedel (for half the price), but at least with Friedel I get another bite of the cherry. And that's what you pay for with two gamers... hope.
Zola Looks To Carlton Cole And Scott Parker
I just can't help thinking of this:
Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station!When reading this:
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has called upon his star names Carlton Cole and Scott Parker to help his relegation threatened side to safety when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Upton Park on Tuesday night.It's silly, and probably a bit petty. I knew in picking CCole that the meat of the week was today's game at home to Wolves and that the Arsenal match was gravy. Still, I'm horribly bitter than he didn't start at the weekend and that he lost a point having hit the post with a shot. But today is another chance to set things right.
Both English players were left out of West Ham's 2-0 loss to Arsenal at the weekend due to reported fitness reasons, and Zola will be left hoping for a reverse in fortunes for the pair.
"Cole has not been training much recently," Zola said, according to the Guardian.
"We had a game on Saturday and now another one on Tuesday so I couldn't think of playing him 90 minutes and 90 minutes.
And yes, I know how it works out in the end for the Empire.
Ivanovic out for a month
Now they're both injured.
Chelsea's miserable week has taken another turn for the worse with Branislav Ivanovic ruled out for a month, leaving them without both first-choice right backs.Looking for a Vermaelen replacement?
After crashing out of the Champions League and drawing with Blackburn, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti could have done without another headache — but Ivanovic has torn a knee ligament. Jose Bosingwa is already out for the season with an injured knee.
Left back Ashley Cole is also sidelined until May after fracturing his left ankle.
A scan yesterday confirmed the Serbia international has torn a medial collateral ligament. After playing in 24 of Chelsea’s 30 league games this season, he will now miss the key clashes against Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa on April 10.
Yuri Zhirkov replaced Ivanovic at Blackburn on Sunday and Paulo Ferreira could also fill in on the right.
Zhirkov (listed as a middie) 4.68
Ferreira 6.59
Oh, and as for Le'Scott, he's having a scan this week and will yet again miss playing against Everton. As Church Lady might say, "How convenient!"
Big Guns
Alternate title, "In Praise of Well Chosen One-Gamers". From the BBC's live commentary:
Liverpool goal: Old Trafford is stunned into silence as Liverpool take the lead through a Fernando Torres header. Steven Gerrard plays in Dirk Kuyt down the right and the Dutch international delivers a teasing cross that a completely unmarked Torres heads home.
Manchester United goal: Wayne Rooney equalises, tucking home the rebound after Pepe Reina makes a brilliant save to parry the spot kick. Rooney is a touch fortunate that the rebound falls so invitingly to him. The penalty is awarded after Javier Mascherano brings down Antonio Valencia. Mascherano is fortunate to stay on the pitch, yet it looks as though the foul started outside the box and thus should have been a free-kick.I know the "point per unit spent" rule and I think it has value in setting up your team week to week. But sometimes you have to pay for quality.
The Barn Door Live - March 20
Line-up...
Friedel, Verm, Bale, Hutton, Arteta, Milner, AJ, Malouda, MGP, Drogs, Bendtner
Barn Door Watch:
Fulham and Wigan DO NOTE have two matches despite what Yahoo has on the schedule. Fulham's Europa Cup match vs. Wolfsburg has been scheduled for Thursday the 1st so the match with Wigan will not happen on the 2nd.
Friedel, Verm, Bale, Hutton, Arteta, Milner, AJ, Malouda, MGP, Drogs, Bendtner
Barn Door Watch:
Fulham and Wigan DO NOTE have two matches despite what Yahoo has on the schedule. Fulham's Europa Cup match vs. Wolfsburg has been scheduled for Thursday the 1st so the match with Wigan will not happen on the 2nd.
Injuries and Suspensions
One of these men will not be starting for Chelsea in goal.
Premier League team news - Barclays Premier League - ESPN Soccernet
The big news sure to throw your squad selection for a loop is the news that Cech AND Hilario(us) have returned to training and are "in contention" to replace Turnbull. For me, this makes Friedel and Howard the clear choices in net this weekend with the trio of Chelsea stoppers virtually worthless to fantasy managers due to their collective uncertainty.
No other news of note from the Chelsea camp.
What a useless update from Villa Park where it says - MON will "check on the fitness of...Gabby Agbonlahor" - no indication if Gabby is probably, doubtful or anything in-between. My intuition is to stay away from him due to this uncertainty and focus on Friedel, Downing, Milner, and Carew among the Villa players.
He wasn't really on my radar but the information on Stephen Hunt "may be available" is in the same "useless" category as Gabby.
Defoe is out for Spurs with a hamstring injury along with King, Jenas, Lennon, and Bentley (plus Woody who has been out forever). Don't know if this means we'll see RPav and Crouch together or if Spurs will load up on midfielders with one or the other of the big strikers playing in a lone role.
Kenwyne Jones is our third "who the hell knows if he'll play or not based on the team news" entry. This means that both he and Benjani (his likely replacement) are virtually useless. Certainly seems unlikely that Benjani will play two so even if you're betting strongly that Kenwyne will miss out tomorrow, there are probably better options.
One of last weekend's heroes (N'Zogbia) is doubtful so probably best to dump him despite the home match with Burnley and the great performance from last weekend.
Cesc is back for Arsenal. If I were Wenger, I'd use him only as a late substitute if necessary but Wenger seems to be more willing to risk his best player than I would be so I'm guessing he'll start. Probably too expensive given only one match and the proliferation of worthwhile 2-match players that you'll want in. Gallas is still out so Sol Campbell will continue as a pretty decent fantasy bet.
Giggs is back for ManYoo and Vidic should be on red card alert given the opposition but otherwise pretty quiet at ManYoo - Liverpool are likewise pretty static in terms of injuries with Aquilani the only real question mark.
Garrido will likely replace Wayne Bridge for Citeh...K2 is still suspended and MPet is hurt. Otherwise, expect the normal tinkering from Mancini and the resulting pulling out of your own hair...
Good luck and I'll see you tomorrow for a Live Chat (really, I promise) during the early game for sure and then as far into the afternoon matches as I can go.
Cheers - Neal
Fulham and Liverpool Advance to Quarters
As Neal talks about knock-out tournaments Stateside, we have to offer our congratulations to Fulham and Liverpool for advancing to the Europa League Quarter finals. In particular, Fulham's overturning a 1-3 deficit by beating Juventus 4-1 today at the Cottage is a great achievement.
And what a goal-scoring return for Clint Dempsey!
The Twitterverse is, um... atwitter!
Clint Just scored an ill goal! who saw that? lol love it
What a goal from clint!! Can't believe fulham have battled back here.. great finish from fellow TEXAN!! yeehawww
The Week Ahead - March Madness Edition
It used to be that the Men's NCAA College Basketball Tournament here in the US was my favorite sporting event of the year. And for so many reasons...imagine all the drama of the FA Cup packed into 3 consecutive weekends in March. Throw in the fact that the weather here on the East Coast of the US is generally getting nice just about now and you have a great excuse to take some time off of work and watch basketball and perhaps enjoy a few adult beverages on an outdoor patio. Well, as it turns out, life changes and despite the fact that today is a beautiful day outside and is also the first day of the tournament known here as "March Madness" I'll be in the office all day. Life is all about choices for me these days and the fact that I spend what some would consider a pretty crazy amount of time on the Premier League means that something has to give from late August through early May and one of those things has been the amount of time I have for college basketball.
Before we get to the player ratings, I do have a few rants from last weekend...
Before we get to the player ratings, I do have a few rants from last weekend...
- How did Wilshere only get 1.5 points as an attacking midfielder playing 90 minutes when his team scored 4 goals (OK, 3 goals since one was an OG)?
- At the same time, how does Adam Johnson come in for 20 minutes when Citeh were C...R...A...P... for nearly all of the first 70 minutes of the match and manage to put up 12 points (admittedly, his goal was sweet)?
- How does N'Zogbia get 17 points against Bolton when his team is losing 4-0?
- How big a disaster was the Gabby Agbonlahor pick? I was thinking briefly about RPav but just couldn't justify taking one game from him vs. what I thought was going to be two from Gabby...oops;
Card Confusion
Red suits him, doesn't it?
The Ivory Coast striker’s four-match ban for ranting at Ovrebo as Chelsea crashed out in the semi-finals to Barcelona 12 months ago also carried a two-match suspended penalty, which could be triggered by Uefa after his sending-off for violent conduct. A straight red card in the Champions League carries an automatic two-game suspension so Drogba could begin next season’s competition with a four-match ban, just as he did during this campaign.Alternate title, "Card Cheat Reggae". And yes, I've been listening to a lot of The Clash recently.
But to clear up any confusion, Drogba's red card in the Champions League has NO BEARING on the Premier League. He will be available to play @Blackburn and then Portsmouth. So keep him if you have him, at whatever price If you don't have him... well Chelsea have some good enablers - Belletti 1.65; Mikel 3.71; Zhirkov 4.71; and most tempting Turbull at 5.98 - if you're trying to scrounge around for the 26.11 Drogba will cost you this week.
Robinson sidelined for a month
Blackburn Rovers have confirmed that goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been sidelined for a month.Hard to imagine a Rovers keeper being cheaper than PRobbo, our enabler with upside. But Jason Brown is 4.02 and has matches against Chelsea and at Birmingham this week. The way he let Pavlyuchenko's shot go under him may give you pause, but along with Villa and Portsmouth, Rovers are the only two-gamers with both matches at home this week.
Robinson limped out of Blackburn's weekend defeat to Tottenham and there were initial fears he would be out for six weeks.
The club have now confirmed that Robinson has torn a calf muscle and will be sidelined for four weeks.
Benjani will step in for injured Jones
UPDATE: Never mind.
Kenwyne Jones will be able to play a part in Sunderland's Barclays Premier League run-in after being spared a lengthy spell on the sidelines.---
Manager Steve Bruce feared being without Jones for a month after the striker limped off at half-time during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester City, but Bruce was handed a major boost when scans revealed no lasting damage and Jones could even retain his place in the squad for Birmingham's visit to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Bruce told the club's official website: "Kenwyne's had a scan and, thankfully, the damage isn't as bad as we first feared. It's too early to say whether he will make Saturday's game, but we will keep an eye on him, give him all the treatment we can and keep our fingers crossed."
Kenwyne Jones could be sidelined for at least a month and miss half a dozen games after limping off at half-time yesterday with a muscle strain.Benjani at 5.76 could be a nice option for Sunderland's upcoming 2-game week at home to Birmingham and at Aston Villa. He's even cheaper than Frazier Campbell (5.96) who will likely play wide right, if he continues to start.
But manager Steve Bruce will resist any temptation to recall Martyn Waghorn from his loan spell at Leicester City and will instead hand Benjani his opportunity to shine alongside top scorer Darren Bent.
In praise of well-chosen one-gamers
Fernando Torres
2 GOALS SCORED
2 ASSISTS
3 SHOTS ON TARGET
Wayne Rooney
2 GOALS SCORED
5 SHOTS ON TARGET
Didier Drogba
2 GOALS SCORED
2 SHOTS ON TARGET
Making a mockery of our insistence on having 2-gamers in our fantasy football teams.
Live Chat for Hull vs. Arsenal
Unfortunately, I am not available for either of the earlier two match slots but fear not, for those of you who are planning to watch the Arsenal match, I'll be back to comment on that match, recap Barn Door options from earlier in the day, and answering your questions.
In the meantime, here is my line-up and some early thoughts on the Barn Door for next week:
Line-up: BBBF, Verm, Bale, Hutton, Milner, Nasri, Wilshere, Arteta, Drogba, Gabby, Bendtner
BD Notes: West Ham, Wolves, Chelsea, Rovers, Pompey, and Brum have two matches each - Chelsea are particularly interesting with Rovers and Pompey the opposition albeit both on the road. Probably worth keeping a close eye on Turnbull and Ferriera as inexpensive alternatives for getting in on that action. Among the one-gamers Arsenal host WHU and Villa host Wolves are the most attractive.
More later on the chat!
Cheers - Neal
In the meantime, here is my line-up and some early thoughts on the Barn Door for next week:
Line-up: BBBF, Verm, Bale, Hutton, Milner, Nasri, Wilshere, Arteta, Drogba, Gabby, Bendtner
BD Notes: West Ham, Wolves, Chelsea, Rovers, Pompey, and Brum have two matches each - Chelsea are particularly interesting with Rovers and Pompey the opposition albeit both on the road. Probably worth keeping a close eye on Turnbull and Ferriera as inexpensive alternatives for getting in on that action. Among the one-gamers Arsenal host WHU and Villa host Wolves are the most attractive.
More later on the chat!
Cheers - Neal
A Theory Tested (well, if the MLS actually decides to play its season)
Collins John signs with Chicago Fire - Soccer - SI.com
So, for some time, Jeremy and I have had a running list of players who have had modest success in the Prem but not been able to really break through as first team regulars that we think would be great players in Major League Soccer here in the States. We're of the opinion that MLS should be focused more on younger players who have some upside but may never be superstars rather than the fading stars losing their powers (like Becks or Henry or Raul or any of the others frequently linked to an MLS pre-retirement tour).
One of the first guys on our list when we created it a number of years ago was Collins John. He showed flashes of talent at Fulham when he was there but he couldn't sustain it and was destined to be a reserve at best if he tried to stick around the Prem. Others who have made it into this conversation are Alidiere, Jeffers, Laurent Robert (who did eventually make it to decidedly mixed reviews but he was too old at that point to really qualify for this category), Marcus Bent, Ebanks-Blake, James McFadden, and the like. I guess you should think about this list about the same way you think about the "wow, this guy isn't Prem quality but he'd be awesome at Celtic/Rangers list" but with taking into consideration that there is less money to spend.
Anyway, the reason I'm telling you this is that we get to test our intuition by finding out what one of our original nominees for this designation does now that he's done the right thing and come to MLS (again, assuming they have a season and all).
Now back to your regularly scheduled blog...
Cheers - Neal
So, for some time, Jeremy and I have had a running list of players who have had modest success in the Prem but not been able to really break through as first team regulars that we think would be great players in Major League Soccer here in the States. We're of the opinion that MLS should be focused more on younger players who have some upside but may never be superstars rather than the fading stars losing their powers (like Becks or Henry or Raul or any of the others frequently linked to an MLS pre-retirement tour).
One of the first guys on our list when we created it a number of years ago was Collins John. He showed flashes of talent at Fulham when he was there but he couldn't sustain it and was destined to be a reserve at best if he tried to stick around the Prem. Others who have made it into this conversation are Alidiere, Jeffers, Laurent Robert (who did eventually make it to decidedly mixed reviews but he was too old at that point to really qualify for this category), Marcus Bent, Ebanks-Blake, James McFadden, and the like. I guess you should think about this list about the same way you think about the "wow, this guy isn't Prem quality but he'd be awesome at Celtic/Rangers list" but with taking into consideration that there is less money to spend.
Anyway, the reason I'm telling you this is that we get to test our intuition by finding out what one of our original nominees for this designation does now that he's done the right thing and come to MLS (again, assuming they have a season and all).
Now back to your regularly scheduled blog...
Cheers - Neal
Injuries and Suspensions
Premier League team news - Barclays Premier League - ESPN Soccernet
The big news is that it would take a "miracle" for Cesc to play for Arsenal at the weekend. For all those who have him at a discount and were hoping to keep him through Arsenal's run of pretty easy matches, you're now at a crossroads. The next match is just as attractive (home to WHU) with away to Birmingham a tougher match to follow that. I'm inclined to drop him and suck it up and pay more if he is ready for WHU next week. Too many points available via Gabby or someone like that to keep Cesc for the savings of a little budget.
Elsewhere for Arsenal, Sicky faces a fitness test and even if he passes I'm guessing he'll be on the bench and Sagna is also a doubt meaning Eboue will get the start at right back. Campbell looks like he will make it back making him a more attractive option at the back for the Gunners based on his price. Song is still suspended which makes it likely that Denilson, Nasri, and Diaby will play off of each other in the center of midfield with Denilson likely playing the deepest role but also getting a lot of the kicks.
At Spurs, the midfield continues to be a M*A*S*H unit with THud, Jenas, Lennon, and Bentley all missing. This likely means that Bale will continue in midfield with Kranjcar and Modric the other attacking components.
For Rovers, DDunn is back and would be worth a look if he weren't so expensive (11.36) and on the road against a better team.
At Everton, Osman, Cahill, and Saha are all likely out which would be great for fantasy managers if Everton players weren't so expensive after last weekend's drubbing of Hull.
Nothing much of note from two-gamers Wigan or their first opponent Bolton on the injury/suspension front. Ditto Burnley and Wolves with the minor exception of Fletcher likely coming back from his injury.
At Chelsea, Hilario is out (fill in your own joke about him being out even when he's technically present in net here) meaning that Ross Turnbull will get the call against the Hammers - certainly an interesting option if you want to roll the dice. I'm a little wary after the Hilario debacle last weekend and I have the money for BBBF but if you don't and you can't stand the idea of Jensen and betting on Burnley then Turnbull might be your guy.
Also at Chelsea, with much of the defence injured, Ferreira is an inexpensive way to buy in if you think CHE will get a clean sheet against the Hammers.
Looks like Villa will be essentially at full strength to start their two-match week. Gabby should be back from his virus.
USMNT fans will be happy to hear that Dempsey is likely to get a start for Fulham against ManYoo as he recovers from his injury. Otherwise not much of note in that tie other than Scholes likely dropping to the bench for Carrick.
Finally, Yousi Benayoun faces the dreaded "late fitness test" - probably wasn't on your radar for this weekend but this should seal your lack of interest...
The Live Chat schedule for tomorrow is that I will not be available until the Hull/Arsenal match. I will be online then to get the live chat started. See you then!
Cheers - Neal
The big news is that it would take a "miracle" for Cesc to play for Arsenal at the weekend. For all those who have him at a discount and were hoping to keep him through Arsenal's run of pretty easy matches, you're now at a crossroads. The next match is just as attractive (home to WHU) with away to Birmingham a tougher match to follow that. I'm inclined to drop him and suck it up and pay more if he is ready for WHU next week. Too many points available via Gabby or someone like that to keep Cesc for the savings of a little budget.
Elsewhere for Arsenal, Sicky faces a fitness test and even if he passes I'm guessing he'll be on the bench and Sagna is also a doubt meaning Eboue will get the start at right back. Campbell looks like he will make it back making him a more attractive option at the back for the Gunners based on his price. Song is still suspended which makes it likely that Denilson, Nasri, and Diaby will play off of each other in the center of midfield with Denilson likely playing the deepest role but also getting a lot of the kicks.
At Spurs, the midfield continues to be a M*A*S*H unit with THud, Jenas, Lennon, and Bentley all missing. This likely means that Bale will continue in midfield with Kranjcar and Modric the other attacking components.
For Rovers, DDunn is back and would be worth a look if he weren't so expensive (11.36) and on the road against a better team.
At Everton, Osman, Cahill, and Saha are all likely out which would be great for fantasy managers if Everton players weren't so expensive after last weekend's drubbing of Hull.
Nothing much of note from two-gamers Wigan or their first opponent Bolton on the injury/suspension front. Ditto Burnley and Wolves with the minor exception of Fletcher likely coming back from his injury.
At Chelsea, Hilario is out (fill in your own joke about him being out even when he's technically present in net here) meaning that Ross Turnbull will get the call against the Hammers - certainly an interesting option if you want to roll the dice. I'm a little wary after the Hilario debacle last weekend and I have the money for BBBF but if you don't and you can't stand the idea of Jensen and betting on Burnley then Turnbull might be your guy.
Also at Chelsea, with much of the defence injured, Ferreira is an inexpensive way to buy in if you think CHE will get a clean sheet against the Hammers.
Looks like Villa will be essentially at full strength to start their two-match week. Gabby should be back from his virus.
USMNT fans will be happy to hear that Dempsey is likely to get a start for Fulham against ManYoo as he recovers from his injury. Otherwise not much of note in that tie other than Scholes likely dropping to the bench for Carrick.
Finally, Yousi Benayoun faces the dreaded "late fitness test" - probably wasn't on your radar for this weekend but this should seal your lack of interest...
The Live Chat schedule for tomorrow is that I will not be available until the Hull/Arsenal match. I will be online then to get the live chat started. See you then!
Cheers - Neal
The Week Ahead
I know I'm running terribly late with this post but the last two days (and really the last two months) have been a bit of a whirlwind of activity in my little corner of the world. Since no one has seen fit to pay us enough to make this our day job, we occasionally have to bow to the pressures of schedule conflicts.
Speaking of schedule conflicts (in the media biz, we call that a segue
- As I was watching Everton's match this past week, I was struck by the fact that they're REALLY deep now that they're healthy - does ManYoo have a single midfielder that would break into the Arteta, Donovan, Osman, Rodwell, Pienaar, Gosling, Cahill, and (eventually) Fellaini group? Nani on a good day (but they're few and far between)...Valencia is maybe at par with the EVE wide players but certainly not clearly better...Giggs was certainly better than them all on his day but at his age he'd be a sub at Everton. The defence - even minus Lescott - is now deep with Rodwell, Yobo, Heitinga, Hibbert, and Senderos all quality squad players behind the first team. The striking depth is a little weak but with so many attacking midfielders, there really isn't much of a need for cover beyond Saha and Yakubu.
- Donovan specifically has been excellent - he isn't a star and he isn't the cause of Everton's drive up the table (he's helped but a lot of players have returned to health) but he's a great piece to the ensemble cast that Everton have assembled, his teammates and the supporters seem to have taken to him, and while his presence for the rest of this season is probably irrelevant to the outcome of the Toffee's season - he'd be a great boost to a Champions League chase if they could land him for all of next season.
- Finally, for those Toffee supporters in the audience - here's an update on MLS labor negotiations which, if they lead to a player strike, could lead to Lando sticking around at Everton. Certainly doesn't look good for the new season to start as scheduled.
O'Neill fearful of virus
... and no, he's not talking about Nigel Reo-Coker.
MARTIN O’Neill fears a virus could be spreading through his Villa camp ahead of this weekend’s trip to Stoke.
Striker Gabby Agbonlahor was laid low with the bug for last Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final thriller at Reading and a member of O’Neill’s backroom staff has since been taken ill.
Now, as Villa prepare to recommence their push for a place in the Premier League’s top four at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, the Villa boss is keeping his fingers cross that the illness doesn’t claim further victims. “One of our physiotherapists, Stuart Walker, has gone down with something similar (to Agbonlahor) so I’m hoping this won’t be spreading around the team for the weekend,” revealed O’Neill. “But we’ll see how it goes...
“Gabby missed training earlier this week and I’m hoping it’s one of those 48 to 72-hour viruses or something like that.”
Toot toot!
Like a broken clock, even your intrepid bloggers are right once in a while.
How many times does it happen that clubs face each other in consecutive Cup and League matches? Mark my words, Pompey will win this weekend, but Birmingham will beat them in the League come Tuesday. Their respective priorities are SO different right now.
Blog Roundtable
In which we discuss Fabregas, Aston Villa and their upcoming double match week, and look at keeper choices for the remainder of the season.
Late Fitness Cesc
On the one hand...
On the other...
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas says he wanted to play through the pain barrier against Porto, but took the advice of doctors in a bid to return to action at the weekend...
Scans have revealed that there is no major damage and there is a chance Fabregas could make his comeback against Hull this weekend.
Arsenal are facing up to a month without William Gallas after the defender aggravated his calf injury.Of course the last time he returned from this hamstring injury he came off the bench to score two against Aston Villa. And speaking of Villa and twos. they travel to Stoke and Wigan this week. Perhaps Cesc to Milner or Young is the play here.
What was just a few days ago considered to be a minor issue has turned in a major setback - and one which leaves Arsene Wenger with a major selection complication as he reshapes the centre of his defence.
Although Sol Campbell has been passed fit for tonight's meeting with Porto, he has so far proved unable to play more than one game a week since resigning with the Gunners in January and Wenger has admitted he may have to rotate the former England defender with Mikael Silvestre on a match-by-match basis...
As well as confirming that Cesc Fabregas would be unable to play against Porto and is unlikely to return for Saturday's trip to Hull, Wenger also acknowledged that Andrei Arshavin was not yet fit enough to play ninety minutes after his recent hamstring injury.
Early Late Fitness Test
Wenger accepts the loss of Arsenal's talisman - who has an outside chance of returning for the trip to Hull on Saturday - is a big blow. However, the Gunners boss insists his side have the quality to nevertheless secure their place in the quarter-finals by overturning a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
"Cesc has a hamstring problem and we could not even take a gamble with him," said Wenger. "I was hoping he would recover after the Burnley game because we were cautious with him. We don't know how long he will be out. He is having a scan and we are convinced it will only be a small time, and he has a small chance of getting back for next weekend against Hull, but to play him again (Tuesday) would mean significant damage."
No Live Chat Today - Open Thread Here
With no early Premier League match (which I could have Live Chatted for) and life to attend to at the same time as the mid-day matches, there won't be a Live Chat today. I invite you to participate via the comments thread if you're so inclined.
My team is as follows: THo, Verm, Bale, Fox, Hutton, Cesc, Gerrard, Arteta, Maxi, Drogs, and Bendtner
Looking ahead to next weekend, Villa have two matches (as do Wigan) and Arsenal (@Hull), Spurs (vs. Rovers), and Liverpool (vs. Pompey) have favorable one-game match-ups. I'll be watching them most closely for the BD.
Cheers - Neal
My team is as follows: THo, Verm, Bale, Fox, Hutton, Cesc, Gerrard, Arteta, Maxi, Drogs, and Bendtner
Looking ahead to next weekend, Villa have two matches (as do Wigan) and Arsenal (@Hull), Spurs (vs. Rovers), and Liverpool (vs. Pompey) have favorable one-game match-ups. I'll be watching them most closely for the BD.
Cheers - Neal
Injuries and Suspensions
Premier League and FA Cup team news - Barclays Premier League - ESPN Soccernet
So, here's the latest rundown that might have an impact on your team for this weekend and beyond...
Arsenal are a bit of a disaster at the back with Song suspended and Gallas and Campbell hurt. This reduces the value of Almunia pretty significantly - I still think they'll beat Burnley handily but they may do so 5-2 vs. 3-0 or 4-0. The news is better up top with Diaby, Arshavin, and Denilson all back - my guess is that the impact will mostly be on Walcott and Nasri with Bendtner continuing to start. The question you have to ask yourself is whether it is worth it to take a risk on someone like Silvestre who may deputize for Gallas/Campbell. He's not terribly expensive but I don't have a hard time envisioning him getting a card and NOT getting any clean sheet points.
The interesting note for Burnley is the return of Graham Alexander who isn't insanely priced and famously takes PKs to the tune of 5 goals thus far this season. At 8.20, that wouldn't be bad business.
Not much insight from Bolton on which of their midfielders (MTay, Weiss, Wilshere, etc) might get most of the minutes across their two matches. If I had to guess, I'd say that Wilshere is the best bet for big minutes but I'm certainly not saying that with any confidence.
ManYoo's match-up with Wolves is interesting with Rio and Nani back from injury and suspension respectively while Giggs and Owen are out and Rooney is listed as "doubtful" with a knee injury. Unless you're positive Rooney is going to start then I'd go with Torres or Gerrard for the money as that is too much money to have sitting on the bench if there is actually a real worry that he won't play. Wolves would be a reasonable spot to rest him (although I wonder if the League will fine ManYoo for fielding a diminished line-up if that's the case). If Rooney is out, Berbs value increases dramatically as he will theoretically be the focal point of an attack that should have plenty of chances.
Cahill is listed as "being in contention" for Everton but he hasn't trained yet so I'm guessing that he'll be a substitute if he plays at all. Saha is ruled out which presumably means that the Yak will get a start at striker. Otherwise, the big questions are which midfielders (I'm including Donovan in this group) between Donovan, Pienaar, Bily, Osman, and Arteta play? and where do they play? and who takes the majority of the kicks? I have to admit, I'm really not sure what the answers to those questions are.
On the Hull side, Jummy "could start" which means you have to consider him for fantasy purposes. At the very least, you should be thinking BD because at his current price, he's a huge bargain if he's back at even 3/4 of his previous form.
Looks like Liverpool's defence is going to be somewhat intact with GJohnson coming back from his long term injury, Agger shaking off his knee injury from last week, and Kyrgiakos back after his suspension. If all three are present, then Reina is better value than I was thinking when writing TWA. Agger is still good value as is Kyrgiakos.
Good luck with your selections.
So, here's the latest rundown that might have an impact on your team for this weekend and beyond...
Arsenal are a bit of a disaster at the back with Song suspended and Gallas and Campbell hurt. This reduces the value of Almunia pretty significantly - I still think they'll beat Burnley handily but they may do so 5-2 vs. 3-0 or 4-0. The news is better up top with Diaby, Arshavin, and Denilson all back - my guess is that the impact will mostly be on Walcott and Nasri with Bendtner continuing to start. The question you have to ask yourself is whether it is worth it to take a risk on someone like Silvestre who may deputize for Gallas/Campbell. He's not terribly expensive but I don't have a hard time envisioning him getting a card and NOT getting any clean sheet points.
The interesting note for Burnley is the return of Graham Alexander who isn't insanely priced and famously takes PKs to the tune of 5 goals thus far this season. At 8.20, that wouldn't be bad business.
Not much insight from Bolton on which of their midfielders (MTay, Weiss, Wilshere, etc) might get most of the minutes across their two matches. If I had to guess, I'd say that Wilshere is the best bet for big minutes but I'm certainly not saying that with any confidence.
ManYoo's match-up with Wolves is interesting with Rio and Nani back from injury and suspension respectively while Giggs and Owen are out and Rooney is listed as "doubtful" with a knee injury. Unless you're positive Rooney is going to start then I'd go with Torres or Gerrard for the money as that is too much money to have sitting on the bench if there is actually a real worry that he won't play. Wolves would be a reasonable spot to rest him (although I wonder if the League will fine ManYoo for fielding a diminished line-up if that's the case). If Rooney is out, Berbs value increases dramatically as he will theoretically be the focal point of an attack that should have plenty of chances.
Cahill is listed as "being in contention" for Everton but he hasn't trained yet so I'm guessing that he'll be a substitute if he plays at all. Saha is ruled out which presumably means that the Yak will get a start at striker. Otherwise, the big questions are which midfielders (I'm including Donovan in this group) between Donovan, Pienaar, Bily, Osman, and Arteta play? and where do they play? and who takes the majority of the kicks? I have to admit, I'm really not sure what the answers to those questions are.
On the Hull side, Jummy "could start" which means you have to consider him for fantasy purposes. At the very least, you should be thinking BD because at his current price, he's a huge bargain if he's back at even 3/4 of his previous form.
Looks like Liverpool's defence is going to be somewhat intact with GJohnson coming back from his long term injury, Agger shaking off his knee injury from last week, and Kyrgiakos back after his suspension. If all three are present, then Reina is better value than I was thinking when writing TWA. Agger is still good value as is Kyrgiakos.
Good luck with your selections.
The Week Ahead
I'm really not a big fan of international friendlies - either as something to watch or as a distraction from/possible source of injuries related to the Fantasy Premier League season. I guess there is more utility in them now as teams start preparing for the World Cup but still more negative than positive in my view. What do I mean?
Huddlestone blow for Spurs
Tottenham have been rocked by the news that has suffered ankle ligament damage.I just realized why 'Arry recalled Jake Livermore from loan and not Jamie O'Hara. He's going to move Modric infield and play Bale on the left wing!
Huddlestone picked up the problem when he was challenged by John Heitinga during Spurs' 2-1 victory over Everton on Sunday.
The midfielder could not complete the match and left White Hart Lane in a protective boot.
The extent of the injury has now become more clear and Huddlestone will next consult a specialist as he faces up to a period on the sidelines.
I'm doomed.
The crazy thing is that, if this is true, Bale would be 11.47 well spent. I'd just be competing with everyone who has him at 2-something. Which, it looks like I'll be doing regardless. That's like gifting your opponents another player of the Jarvis/Lee/Bullard caliber in ADDITION to the ten points per week Bale is likely to put up over and above any defender in that spot.
I'm doomed.
Mike, Neal... save this link for future reference.
Sports Guy Doubles Down on Donovan
From Friday's chat with Bill Simmons, The Sports Guy:
Dan (NJ)And then Lando goes out on Sunday and hit Rodwell's cross wide of an open net. It was so bad he had to apologize to the team after the match.
Landon Donovan playing great for Everton. Ready to jinx it for him?
Bill Simmons (12:19 PM)
It's very tough to root for anyone but Everton right now in EPL when they have Donovan and Tim Howard. I am an EPL sports bigamist - like Everton and Spurs.
Landon Donovan issued an apology to his team-mates in the White Hart Lane dressing room after missing an open goal against Tottenham yesterday and costing Everton a point.
The United States forward, who came on as a substitute, admits he cannot understand how he stabbed his finish wide after being picked out by Jack Rodwell at the far post.
"Landon said sorry to us afterwards," said midfielder Mikel Arteta.
This of course after Simmons famously had a long discussion with Donovan about his cool under pressure in taking spot kicks days before Donovan missed his penalty in the MLS Cup shootout with Real Salt Lake.
Oddly enough, he's also being blamed for Canada beating the USA in Olympic hockey. Fun!
Monday Morning Manager
If to dare is to do, I've certainly gone and done it. Despite his great run of form - and amazing fantasy returns - I've sold Gareth Bale. Spurs don't have a game this week because of the FA Cup and Benoit Assou-Ekotto (didn't even have to look that up!) is back from injury. Also, I bought Bale at 5.45, not the 2-something at which most fantasy manager had him. I feel like my fantasy season hinges on good old idiosyncratic 'Arry benching Bale again. Please, please, please, please, please... puh-lease!
Elsewhere,
Saha missed Everton's game with Spurs due to "injuries to his hamstring and Achilles". Just when he was looking like a great barn door candidate. In fact, I had him on the team Saturday afternoon along with Arteta and Bale. But wary, let's call it "mindful", of what might happen on Sunday I gutted Bale and Arteta to Hutton and Rodwell to move Saha to Torres. I'm happy to have squeezed another blue-chip player into my line-up, but I worry. Other than Fabregas, my midfield is Rodwell, AJohnson and KRichardson. That's just untenable.
Other than Everton's good matchup with Hull, Bolton and Burnley are two-gamers. But yuck... could there be a worse pair to choose from? Burnley are at Arsenal then home to Stoke. Bolton - they of one goal in seven matches - are at West Ham and at Sunderland. Not terrible match-ups, but I'm not sure I'm ready to bet on (or against) Bolton on the road. Twice.
There's sure to be much hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth as the weekend approaches. International matches, FA Cup weekend which takes lots of teams, and their players, out of fantasy contention this weekend, two-gamers... oh my!
Are you betting on Bolton? Loaded up on the Barn Door? Let's hear about it in the comments.
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