Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Fantasy Premier League Tips: Midfielders for Gameweek 29
Drop
Dusan Tadic
Remember him? The Serbian who strenuously
bagged in assists in the opening half of the season, especially four assists
against Sunderland in the 8-0 riot. He was labelled as the best bargain signing
of the summer plus constantly had been compared to Cesc Fabregas. However,
since the 17th of January, Tadic hasn’t contributed a goal or an
assist for the team, resulting in limited playing minutes too. Evidently,
Southampton are struggling to find the back of the net, as once again Saido
Mane huffed, puffed and scuffled for a late winner against Crystal Palace at St
Mary’s last weekend. Well, Mane could be rewarding for the dream team but not his teammate who
only played 31 minutes in the match. If this Sunday, Tadic gets the nod, he
will face the likes of Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas as well as Hazard, could be
an ordeal afternoon for the confidence-hit midfielder.
Punt
Ander Herrera
The Spaniard was nominated as
Manchester United’s Player of the Month for February after handful of
fascinating performances. Herrera has the ability to run the midfield, demands
for the ball at all possible opportunities and never hesitates to try
long-range strikes, no wonder he is adamant on filling Paul Scholes void. On
the other hand, he was completely inefficient in the FA Cup quarterfinal defeat
to Arsenal plus did not make it to the second half, as Van Gaal had enough from
the former Athletic Bilbao player. The 25-year old isn’t a player who has
earned a sure-starter identity at Manchester United, well under the new boss
nobody seems to besides David De Gea. This Sunday, Old Trafford welcome the spirited
Spurs who have couple of strong contenders in midfield. Herrera and United need
to jostle away their downfall in the FA Cup and attach full focus on Mauricio
Pochettino’s team.
Hot
Jordan Henderson
The Kopites were very much worried
on who would be the next Steven Gerrard as he departs from Anfield coming end
of the season. Striking wonderful long-range goals and fantastic all-round
midfielder, Henderson has been grabbing the headlines in recent weeks. The former
Sunderland man is part of an energetic plus accelerating midfield that easily
holds possession and creates openings for the attackers upfront. Undeniably,
the skipper’s armband pumps an extra gusto for these commanding performances!
Liverpool will travel to the Liberty Stadium, which could be a tricky match,
yet analyzing the Reds’ league form, mission should be accomplished. Henderson,
who is never short of running, could find the back of the net this weekend too.
Star Picks
Eden Hazard – The silky and skillful Belgian has been an
influential individual for the Blues this season.
Alexis Sanchez – His series of mazy dribbles brought chaos in the QPR defense and
he went on doubling Arsenal’s lead last weekend.
Raheem Sterling – The Liverpool winger is never afraid to take on
multitude of defenders and has notched six goals this campaign.
David Silva – The Spaniard is on sizzling form, three goals in
the last two appearances.
Christian Eriksen – Free-kick specialist of Spurs and has scored couple
of mesmerizing long efforts.
“Disclaimer: This article
represents the writer’s point of view, not FanXT. Readers discretion is
advised.”
Friday, 13 March 2015
Chief's #FPL Team Gameweek 29
CHANGES: I will now captain Aguero in GW29, the VC will be Hazard.
Latest Rank:
56k (1k fall)
Transfers*:
Yoshida & Walcott OUT / Ivanovic & Cork IN (-4 HIT)
Bank Balance:
£3.5M
*I needed to break up my faux "Power 8" as I have lost points on the bench from it. Also with Theo not playing it didn't make sense having an expensive player on the bench - instead, a cheap 2 point banker player as sub 3 material made sense, hence Cork was drafted in. All this was done for CFC defensive coverage - I hardly ever take a hit for a defender, but it made sense to get Ivanovic with his impressive stats as a sound investment for the remainder of the season - he could smash the £8m barrier if he carries on performing.
Notes:
What a strange DGW. I had 4 players who played twice and captained Kane who bagged a cool 30 points. In spite of this I fell 1k down the rankings. This was in part due to having a full slate of £shop defenders who didn't do as good - all the more worst when the bigger teams kept clean sheets. This further motivated me to get a high value defender that performs consistently - Ivanovic is worth his price. I know Cork sounds like an odd FPL choice for a midfielder, but with the luck I have had this season, I couldn't afford losing more points on the bench from a high value player - he fits the bill as a replacement and unlocks funds. I decided to captain Hazard as he has form on his side. He may have played 120 mins earlier in the week, but that shouldn't hopefully prevent him from getting a fantasy return as captain. I'm still 20k away from the top 1%, let's hope that can change for the better.
Please note, GW33 will be blanks for Arsenal, Aston Villa, QPR and Sunderland. If Liverpool beat Blackburn in the FAC replay, they will also have a blank along with Hull. This means that DGW34 may get bigger or there will be another DGW the week after. I have my wildcard at hand and will be ready to use it, just before or just after this period.
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Thursday, 12 March 2015
#FlyBuy - GW29
Regular readers and eagle eyed observers will have noted that there was no FlyBuy blog post for DGW28, and for that I can only apologise. From time to time real life does impinge on fantasy commitments. Twitter followers may recall that I did select a FlyBuy pick, and to be honest he did ok. With QPR and Spurs both playing twice last week, it would have been perhaps foolhardy to select from outside of those two teams. The popular transfer targets were considered, and discarded. This was only due to one particular player quietly going about his business and racking up a handful of points here and there. Read on to discover whether he was a hit or a miss - and to find out who this week's FlyBuy pick is...
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Monday, 9 March 2015
FA Hands Down Bans: Spitting Costs Evans 6 Matches
It was no surprise that Papiss Cisse was banned for seven matches following his clash with Jonny Evans in gameweek 28. The Senegalese forward admitted the conduct and was summarily banned (with one extra for an earlier violent conduct charge this season). Evans, however, sought to challenge the allegation and denied the charge.
In the end, he was found guilty and will miss Manchester United's FA Cup clash with Arsenal in the 6th round as well as four or five League matches - pending the outcome of Monday's FA Cup match. It is an interesting situation now at Old Trafford where Evans has the fourth most minutes played of any acknowledged defender (1039') but is fifth once Antonio Valencia (1680') is added to the mix. The suspension leaves Louis van Gaal with a first-choice pair of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in the centre of his defense. Certainly not a bad pair, though no one any FPL manager is rushing to acquire.
The suspension may have more of an impact on Valencia and Rojo, with van Gaal electing to keep four at the back given his limited options. Neither player has a goal nor an assist to their credit - in fact in salary-cap leagues like the Official game it is Chris Smalling and his three goals who is the desired United defender - but both possess the ability to attack down the wing.
Where Rojo and Valencia would have considerably more value is in fantasy premier league draft leagues like Togga. In any FPL league where you earn points for crosses, successful take-ons and chances created, Rojo and Valencia would typically be snatched-up. The Red Devils, however, face a murderous row in the coming weeks with Tottenham, Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea interrupted only by a visit from Aston Villa in GW31. Each of those sides figure to attack United's weakened defensive ranks, exploiting the slower centre-backs with explosive counter attacking. It is unfortunate, but the 23.1% of FPL managers who still own David de Gea should see the writing on the wall.
Spanish Dave has played every League game for United this term and has only nine clean sheets to his credit. A certified shot-stopper of the highest order, he will be under constant pressure in the coming weeks and can not be counted on to keep a clean sheet in any of United's matches between now and gameweek 34. He must be considered a short-term sell and retains little value in daily/weekly weekly leagues against top six opponents.
The same is unfortunately true of Papiss Cisse. In fact, one could take it a step further and drop the Newcastle forward for the remainder of the season. Banned from now until 9 May, he will be eligible for only the final three fixtures this season. However, dropping Cisse and forgetting him is no wise move. Though the diminutive 29-year-old will be without match sharpness, he will have the opportunity to return at home against WBA, followed in quick succession by a trip to Loftus Road and the season finale home to West Ham. Cisse is likely without much value in traditional salary-cap leagues and should be dropped immediately but for players tracking possible under-valued commodities for daily fantasy sports leagues - Cisse is one to watch.
Finally - a bit of business. Togga, the fine purveyor of fantasy premier league games by whom I'm employed, is launching a new game this week! Perfect XI is your chance to pick your very best XI without any salary cap limits, team construction constraints or paying an entrance fee. Totally free to sign up! Equally as free to play! Build your own Galacticos. Go with your instinct. Pick on form or allow the dynamic duo of Chris Ramsey and Kevin Bond to do your dirty work and select an all Hoops XI!
Play in public leagues, create your own mini-league and play against the best in the World in the global league. For more information and to play against me, follow me using the button below!
Follow @FantasyGaffer
In the end, he was found guilty and will miss Manchester United's FA Cup clash with Arsenal in the 6th round as well as four or five League matches - pending the outcome of Monday's FA Cup match. It is an interesting situation now at Old Trafford where Evans has the fourth most minutes played of any acknowledged defender (1039') but is fifth once Antonio Valencia (1680') is added to the mix. The suspension leaves Louis van Gaal with a first-choice pair of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in the centre of his defense. Certainly not a bad pair, though no one any FPL manager is rushing to acquire.
The suspension may have more of an impact on Valencia and Rojo, with van Gaal electing to keep four at the back given his limited options. Neither player has a goal nor an assist to their credit - in fact in salary-cap leagues like the Official game it is Chris Smalling and his three goals who is the desired United defender - but both possess the ability to attack down the wing.
Where Rojo and Valencia would have considerably more value is in fantasy premier league draft leagues like Togga. In any FPL league where you earn points for crosses, successful take-ons and chances created, Rojo and Valencia would typically be snatched-up. The Red Devils, however, face a murderous row in the coming weeks with Tottenham, Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea interrupted only by a visit from Aston Villa in GW31. Each of those sides figure to attack United's weakened defensive ranks, exploiting the slower centre-backs with explosive counter attacking. It is unfortunate, but the 23.1% of FPL managers who still own David de Gea should see the writing on the wall.
Spanish Dave has played every League game for United this term and has only nine clean sheets to his credit. A certified shot-stopper of the highest order, he will be under constant pressure in the coming weeks and can not be counted on to keep a clean sheet in any of United's matches between now and gameweek 34. He must be considered a short-term sell and retains little value in daily/weekly weekly leagues against top six opponents.
The same is unfortunately true of Papiss Cisse. In fact, one could take it a step further and drop the Newcastle forward for the remainder of the season. Banned from now until 9 May, he will be eligible for only the final three fixtures this season. However, dropping Cisse and forgetting him is no wise move. Though the diminutive 29-year-old will be without match sharpness, he will have the opportunity to return at home against WBA, followed in quick succession by a trip to Loftus Road and the season finale home to West Ham. Cisse is likely without much value in traditional salary-cap leagues and should be dropped immediately but for players tracking possible under-valued commodities for daily fantasy sports leagues - Cisse is one to watch.
Finally - a bit of business. Togga, the fine purveyor of fantasy premier league games by whom I'm employed, is launching a new game this week! Perfect XI is your chance to pick your very best XI without any salary cap limits, team construction constraints or paying an entrance fee. Totally free to sign up! Equally as free to play! Build your own Galacticos. Go with your instinct. Pick on form or allow the dynamic duo of Chris Ramsey and Kevin Bond to do your dirty work and select an all Hoops XI!
Play in public leagues, create your own mini-league and play against the best in the World in the global league. For more information and to play against me, follow me using the button below!
Follow @FantasyGaffer
Saturday, 7 March 2015
Manchester United Host Arsenal in the FA Cup Quarterfinals
It doesn't get bigger than this,
two English powerhouses collide in the FA Cup quarterfinals to clinch their
most optimistic looking trophy this campaign. On Monday night, Arsene Wenger’s
men travel to Old Trafford to face a stubborn Manchester United who somehow has
the zeal and zest to secure wins regardless the style of play. It’s the oldest
association football competition in the world plus both this rivals are tied
with 11 trophies each, therefore the winners on Monday have the finest chance
to sit at the peak of FA Cup achievement. Louis Van Gaal and Wenger are under
skintight battle in the league for the nerve-wracking top four position.
Lifting the FA Cup at Wembley and securing Champions League football next
season will undoubtedly fulfill the board’s checklist this season.
Over the years, numerous classics
of excellence have been witnessed between the two prolific clubs, which ensures
the upcoming 90 minutes at the red half of Manchester would be a cracker! Back
in 1999, 10-men United defeated Arsenal with a sublime strike from wing wizard
Ryan Giggs. Then Paul Scholes scored from close range to end the Gunners treble
hope back in April 2014 and the Red Devils surged to the final against Milwall.
A year after, the North London team tasted revenge when Lehmann leaped as the
solo hero as he made a superb save out of Scholes penalty. In February 2008,
Old Trafford saw the home side roaring as Arsenal were hammered 4-0 where
Emmanuel Eboue was given the marching orders. Finally, in March 2011, the Red
Devils made life more miserable for Wenger. Coming into the match after being
knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona plus downfall in the League
Cup final to Birmingham City, the Gunners nosedived out of their third competition
in a week as United easily crafted their route to the semifinals.
It would be a battle between two
well-known bosses in the history of football, the professor Wenger vs the
philosopher Van Gaal. The Frenchman seems to have excelling tactics to
habitually ensure European football for his side plus seizing the FA Cup last
season after a rumbustious victory over Hull City in the finals. On the other
hand, the Dutchman has covered several leagues and tasted various achievements.
No matter which side you’re cheering for victory, both these talismans justify
immense respect. Van Gaal has previously
managed two giants, Barcelona as well as Bayern Munich who vastly pursued
Wenger’s availability, who was fixed to remain at Arsenal. Additionally, the
professor has not clinched a victory over the 63-year old. The holders’ boss is
renowned for his virtuoso of crafting young players into world-class stars who
at times end up with rivals. However, comparing the ratio of victories between
the clubs, Wenger’s side are reasonably stuttering on most occasions. The
13-time Premier League champs need to bump out from the mental block which
turns their performance lopsided. The best remedies for the visiting warriors
would be, pull up your sleeves and fight! On a good day, it’s purely delightful
to see them play with fluidity of passes and attacking flair that certainly get
opponents to run out of steam.
Manchester United and England skipper
Wayne Rooney is another key individual who has scored series of wondrous goals
against Arsenal. The childhood Evertonian has won five Premier League titles
and the Champions League once, yet has not tasted success in the FA Cup. The
dream team star has determinedly stated that he is ready to break down the
voodoo this time on! Both teams play with different strategies and embrace lethal
line of attack which could be the turning point to mount into the semifinals.
Will Wayne Rooney spark magic from the middle of the park or Sanchez’s
mercurial runs into the box bringing chaos in the penalty box for the home side?
Ensuring goals and stunning dramas!
Monday, 2 March 2015
Chief's #FPL Team - Double Gameweek 28
Latest Rank:
55k (15k fall)
Transfers*:
Defoe & di Maria OUT / Austin & Eriksen IN (-4 HIT)
Bank Balance:
£2.1M
*I sold Baird for Yoshida at 11.29am on Saturday, hence I lost my FT. If he is benched v CRY, I will probably sell him for Rose at the last minute.
Notes:
One step forwards. Two steps backwards. One step forwards. Two steps backwards. My FPL form has been inconsistent of late - pretty $%£$%. I can't deny it, ever since that Giroud red card on Boxing Day, I have been stuck in a horrific FPL rut (where as he has been scoring for fun ever since!) - benching midfielders and strikers (who went on to score), buying Given (WTF?!), buying Yoshida as a short-term purchase, when I could have bought Bellerin, etc. As with previous seasons, my primary target is to finish the season in the top 1% - 34,650. It will be an arduous slog to hit that target, but c'est la vie. Feeling dejected with a paltry 29 (I have only scored sub-30 only twice before in my FPL career), I was about to activate my wildcard, but decided to keep it for DGW34 as my final "Hadouken" of the season. I decided to sell AdM after his woeful performance v Sunderland - he's lost his bearings and Eriksen seemed a straight swap with his DGW. My other transfer was also fairly easy. Austin has a DGW, Defoe hasn't and the latter has been poor of late. In fairness, I could have also sold Cazorla, Walcott and Yoshida. But I will probably phase them out gradually now. Walcott will probably be sold for a cheap midfielder so that I can free up funds for a classy non-Poundshop defender and Cazorla will probably be kicked out for Ozil - but TBC on that front. Here's to hoping for some points. All the best!
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