Fantasy Premier League Blog

This week's team news

Meanwhile, back in Major League Soccer

While the Premier League fantasy season is heading towards its dénouement, domestically, Major League Soccer fantasy is just hitting it's groove. I had a TERRIBLE week overseas, but a top-15 week in MLS did ease the pain a little bit. Cold comfort, but comfort none-the-less.

The bright spot in my line-up over the last two weeks has been Chicago Fire midfielder Marco Pappa. I remember him coming in late last season and playing well. But this year he's taken it to a new level. Two goals and two assists over his last three matches have helped Chicago cope without Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who is coming back from a pre-season injury. It will be interesting to see how both players combine when Blanco is starting and likely hogging all the limelight and kicks.

Otherwise, my team got goals from Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Brian McBride and Dwayne DeRosario. Robbie Findley and Chris Pontius chipped in with assists, and Omar "OG" Gonzalez and Pat Onstad kept clean sheets.

MLS fantasy is a crazy, unsatisfying game. But I had to comment on it really as tonic for my overseas woes.

This week's team news

Kit Off

Looks like it's back to the future.

First be sure to check out this list of the "inaugural edition of the English Premier League in the 1992-93 season". Classic color choices and detail. I especially love the tie-up neck, which it seems could be making a come back if the rumours are to believed.

Olsson on ice-cream diet

West Brom defender Jonas Olsson has been on an ice-cream diet for three days after clashing with Kevin Davies, but has cleared the Bolton striker of any blame.

Davies caught the Baggies centre-back with his elbow during Saturday's 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns and Olsson needed six stitches in a mouth injury.
In his previous game the Swede clashed with West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green at Upton Park, with the England squad member claiming he was left with 'bits of tongue falling off in my mouth'....
Olsson said: "I have been eating ice cream for three days! I have had six stitches (in the mouth) and it has made eating and talking interesting.

Photo of the week

It's a bromance

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (L) celebrates with Albert Riera

photo courtesy Yahoo!UK and AFP

Premeir League Team News

MLS First Kick

Oh. My. God.

Congratulations to Seattle on their resounding (Sounders. Resounding. Get it?) win over NYRB tonight. But before anyone in the Pacific Northwest gets carried away the NYRB looked... HORRIBLE. They looked like the expansion team. They looked like a pub team. The looked like shit!

Somehow the were crowded out in central midfield where they were playing three - in Rojas (who should have been further upfield), Pietrovalla and Ubiparipovic who were equally abject. For all the pre-season talk of the Red Bulls being built around speed, they played short, careful passes through the midfield. Or tried to. I don't think Richards and JPA had a half dozen touches between them as I don't think there was a ball played forward more than 10 yards until the 54th minute. And I can't begin to count how many passes they misplayed. Too often there were two Red Bulls attacking a ball in midfield, from opposite sides and just getting in each other's way... leaving the ball for Seattle.

Seattle's third goal was typical as the defense dwelt on the ball too long and were too sloppy with their touches, allowing Montero to nip in an finish nicely.

So again, kudos to Seattle for a great performance. Montero looks the real deal. Jaqua was a handful. And in Le Toux, Zakauni, Nyassi and Evans they have plenty of creativity even without Freddie Ljundberg, who will be back soon enough.

As for NYRB it looks back to the drawing board again.

This week's team news

Quote of the Day

I read that Portsmouth have spent this week out in Dubai so even if they don't play particularly well they'll have nice tans.

-- Mark Lawrenson

Just Not Good Enough

Today brings us two more entries for the "Just Not Good Enough for the Premier League" team. You know, that player that looks great in Holland or in the Championship but can't make the step up to the big time. The Darren Huckerbys and Mateja Kezmans of the world. (And why are these players invariably strikers?)

Kitson returns to Reading on loan

Stoke City's record signing Dave Kitson has gone back to Championship side Reading on loan until the end of the season, reports BBC Radio Stoke.
The 29-year-old striker signed for City for £5.5m in the summer, but has failed to find the net for the Potters in 18 appearances for the club.

Prica quits Sunderland for Norway

Sunderland have allowed striker Rade Prica to join Norwegian side Rosenborg for an undisclosed fee.
The 28-year-old Sweden international held talks over the weekend and has clinched a move in time for Saturday's season-opener against Valerenga.
Prica played six times for the Black Cats, all of them as sub, after a £2m switch from Aalborg in January, 2008.

Photo of the Week

photo courtesy of AFP

Chelsea's Brazilian player Alex(R) challenges Portsmouth's Peter Crouch during the Premiership football match at Fratton Park in Portsmouth. Chelsea won 1-0.

There is no substitute for quality

Carlos Vela's class goal to open the scoring for Arsenal against Burnley. The touch... the acceleration... the cool finish. Worth watching again and again.

Toffees pair awarded gongs

Looks like I wasn't too far off on my Torres/Arteta rant.

Phil Jagielka and David Moyes have been rewarded for Everton's fine form in February by being named the Premier League's player and manager of the month.

The Toffees recorded two wins and a draw without conceding in their three top flight games last month, a run which saw the Merseyside club gain ground on Aston Villa and Arsenal to move within two points of a Champions League place.

Sweet, sweet vindication.

La Brujita's Spell in Manchester

A very interesting article today on Soccernet looking back at Juan Sebastian Veron's time at Manchester United and what was and what was not the reason for his lack of success with the Red Devils.

Verón became a scapegoat, rightly or wrongly, for United's failings when his manager was truly the man to blame.

Sir Alex unsettled his team's shape, their style, and more importantly his best players in a narrow pursuit of European glory. The signing of La Brujita really was the cat that pulled the string that unraveled one golden United era, for the many reasons that the article goes into. But to Sir Alex's credit, he has rebuilt his team with the lessons learned from that time.

The highlight for me of the Veron era was his pre-match ritual of exchanging 60-yard passes with Beckham. Such incredible skill displayed so effortlessly.

Torres lands monthly gong

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has been named the PFA Fans' Player of the Month for February.
The Spaniard, who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, was back to his lethal best at the beginning of last month when he struck two late goals against Chelsea, before hitting another dramatic winner to break Portsmouth hearts.

I'm sorry, but this is crap! Yes, he scored three goals to win matches. But two were at home against a 10-man Chelsea side and the last was after coming on as a substitute against a Portsmouth team that were (and still are) falling apart.

If one wanted to recognize a Spaniard on Merseyside for their performances in February they should look no further than Mikel Arteta. Period. End of story. He scored two goals in February. Granted they were penalties. But he was the main creative force in a team shorn of their strikers and who still managed to dump Liverpool and then Aston Villa out of the FA Cup. That they haven't scored in two of the three matches they've played since he went out for the season with a knee injury is testament to his importance to the side.

His being overlooked for the Spanish national team I can understand, as they have so many exceptional midfielders at the moment. But this award going to Torres? That just isn't right.

Donovan returning to Galaxy after loan

The Galaxy announced Thursday that Donovan, last season’s team MVP, will return from an overseas loan to play for the MLS team this season. Donovan, who was playing with Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga, will begin training with Los Angeles on March 10...

"I am very excited to be returning home to my teammates and the LA Galaxy,” Donovan said in a written statement. “Although the results were not what we had hoped for, the time in Germany still was very positive for me. I am fit, motivated, and excited to be coming back as a better, more experienced player."

This is obviously great news for the Galaxy. Though I'm not sure they have enough players left on their roster to fill the other ten spots - Beckham or no Beckham! But the league starts in two weeks... time to start doing the research in front of what's sure to be another slightly entertaining fantasy summer.

Strikers - Some Stricken, Some Stout

McSheffrey makes Forest loan move

How the mighty have fallen.

Birmingham winger Gary McSheffrey joins Nottingham Forest on loan for the rest of the season.

Two years ago McSheffrey was the engine behind Birm's promotion to the Premier League, and I was touting him - albeit just a little tongue in cheek - as the next Frank Lampard. And now he can't get a game and is being shipped off to the wrong end of the Championship table.

Here's hoping that Sheff can regain his fitness and find his form. Who knows, maybe he'll be back in the Premier League next season after all.

MM the New ZZ

To be fair, I'm a big fan of the old New Zidane, Yoann Gourcuff. Saw him against Argentina and he can play! Great delivery from set pieces as well - accurate and with pace. So in the interest of equal time: