Football Blogging Awards 2014 - Please Vote For FPLH

Folks,

It's that time of the year... the Football Blogging Awards are upon us again!  We were fortunate enough to make the shortlist in 2013 for the "Best FPL Blog".  To put things into perspective, we were up against the juggernauts of FPL and had a lot of fun at the awards in Manchester.  We know that we have no chance of winning the awards, but it would be fantastic to make the cut and be nominated again.

Why should you vote for FPLH?

Our blog had its 3rd birthday this week.  Since our inception, the blog has accrued thousands of Twitter followers, over ONE MILLION blog hits and our dedicated FPL Blog Team has finished 110th in the world.  Come rain or shine, holiday or busy day, I have posted my weekly first XI up for over 1,000 days without fail.  This has been at my behest, as it has required me to make early transfers, when I could have easily made changes to my team on Saturday morning to my benefit.  All this adds up to our quality - We have finished in the Top 1.1% of FPL since 2011/2012.

This isn't about "one man and his blog".  Over the years we have had numerous guest writers and in-house writers.  Each with their own pedigree, persona and previews.  From "Called It" to "Marco's Maverick", we have given a platform to talented FPL writers who in turn have enlightened us all with their insight.  We believe that everyone should benefit in having a good FPL team and be top of their mini-leagues.  Finally, we don't write for our own self-benefit; we do it for fun and to help fellow FPL managers.

So there you have it.  Has that swayed you to vote for us?  Send us to Manchester!  Go on...

VOTE FPL HINTS as the "Best FPL Blog 2014"

Voting closes on 10th October.  You can vote for us by tweeting this:

https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+am+voting+in+%40TheFBAs+for+%40FPLHints+as+the+Best+%23FPL+Blog

Or by Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/FootballBloggingAwards

Or fill in this form:

http://www.footballbloggingawards.co.uk/vote-now/

Regards,

Chief @FPLHints & my fellow FPLH writers.

Marco’s Maverick GW6 – Sadio Mané

This is the latest news article to roll off the @fplhints production line as the blog leaves no stone unturned for a weekly FPL green arrow. This article covers exactly what it says on the tin, a gameweek maverick that is ready to catapult any daring manager into the big time. To sum up a maverick:

“a person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way”,

Someone with low ownership who is hiding in the lower reaches of the FPL transfer pages where only the brave dare tread. I’m sure most weeks I’ll be sat gazing at the laptop screen with egg on my face but we all dream of that top corner finish from the most likely of sources.

Let’s start with an absolute corker and one of the lowest owned players in the game with ownership of just 0.1% at the time of writing and ready to hit the big time. It’s Southampton’s Sadio Mane. The Saints mid currently priced at 6.9m after 1469 of the 3600 original takers for Mane ditched him at the first attempt after his no shows against Newcastle and Swansea. Since then Mane played his part in the demolition of Arsenal in the Carling cup at the Emirates winning the penalty with his lightning quick feet that Rosicky just couldn’t handle. QPR next up for the saints who are leaking goals like a second hand sieve, the Southampton front line could fill their boots with points and heap even more pressure on big spending Rangers.

Looking at Mane’s career path at just 22 he’s been playing first team football for three years. 22 appearances at Fc Metz in France yielded just 2 goals but it’s his time at Fc Red Bull Salzburg where Mane flourished. In his next two seasons and 63 appearances later he amassed a quite impressive 31 goals nearly a ratio of 1 in 2. Those performances alerted the premier league and with Southampton decided as his next destination with an 11.8m transfer agreed.

In the close season all eyes were on Tadic and more recently Pelle. Tadic may have spot kicks to himself but 0.6m more expensive may force managers to look elsewhere for Saints coverage. Pelle is currently the saints man to have but with the striking spots at a premium and Ulloa also looking great value for money in the third striing spot the ultimate differential Mane could catapult any manager wishing to take a gamble up the FPL pyramid in this all important opening few weeks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadio_Mane

@marcodelwattsio

Player Profile (Horses for Courses): Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard

POSITION: Midfielder

FORMER CLUBS - West Ham United, Swansea & Chelsea 

CURRENT FPL PRICE: £5.4 Million

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Lampard has scored over 200 career goals.

Lampard is one of only two central midfielders to score 20+ goals in an EPL season.

Lampard has scored 3 goals in his last two competitive matches for Manchester City.       

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PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS (2014/15)

VS CHELSEA (1-1) - 1

PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS (2013/14)

VS STOKE (3-4 & 3-0) - 2

VS WEST HAM UNITED - 2

VS HULL (2-0) - 1

PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS (2012/13)

VS ASTON VILLA (1-2 & 8-0) - 3

VS WEST HAM UNITED (2-0) - 1

VS WIGAN ATHLETIC (4-1) - 1

VS NEWCASTLE UNITED (3-2) - 1

VS READING (2-2) - 1

VS ARSENAL (2-1) - 1

VS STOKE CITY (0-4) - 1

VS EVERTON (1-2) - 2

VS NORWICH CITY (4-1) - 1

VS WIGAN ATHLETIC (0-2) - 1

PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS (2011/12)

VS FULHAM (1-1) - 1

VS BOLTON WANDERES (3-0 & 1-5) - 4

VS SUNDERLAND (1-0) - 1

VS WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (1-2) -1

VS MANCHESTER CITY (2-1) - 1

VS BLACKBURN ROVERS (0-1) - 1

VS ARSENAL (3-5) -1

VS NORWICH CITY (3-1) - 1

PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS (2010/11)

VS MANCHESTER UNITED (2-1 & 2-1 ) - 2

VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (2-1) - 1

VS WEST HAM UNITED (3-0) - 1

VS  WEST BROM (6-0 & 1-3) - 2

VS BLACKPOOL (1-3) - 2

VS SUNDERLAND (2-4) - 1

VS ASTON VILLA (3-3) - 1

Chief's #FPL Team - Gameweek 6

#FlyBuy - GW6

Oh man, here we go again. It's time for FlyBuy. I'm beginning to dread this time of the week. If @PatheticoMorbid hadn't already trademarked #TheCurse, that's what I'd seriously be considering renaming this feature! Another spectacular fail for last week's pick - Yaya Toure - although he did decide to kick me in the slats by scoring a penalty in the League Cup the other night. Grrr!!

I've decided, for this week, to spare little or no time analysing form or fixtures and just go with my gut. I guess you can argue that careful analysis has failed miserably, so what have I got to lose? I know that many of his owners will have dumped this week's pick over the last few days, but I believe this will prove to be premature. Act in haste, repent in leisure. This guy is the real deal. OK, he hasn't proved it (yet) this season with a measly return of just 8 points in 5 games which includes no goals and only one assist. And he's a striker. It should have been 11 points, but he rather stupidly got himself sent off last week. This is the reason why I think why over 21,000 FPL managers have transferred him out over this past week, assuming he would serve a ban for GW6. Not so. The ban was served during his team's League Cup game mid-week, so he is good to go on Saturday. Away at already-relegation-fodder Sunderland.

It is, of course, Wilfried Bony. Yours for only £8.3m and a stunning potential differential with an ownership stat of just 4.8%. He's proven, and he will start to accumulate points in a Swansea side that started well with 3 consecutive victories, but have stuttered recently with back-to-back defeats. They will see Sunderland as a chance to get back to winning ways, and over the next few Gameweeks I predict it will be Bony that makes that happen.
Will you "double-down" with him and Sigurdsson? It could just well pay off...

FLY

@meet_the_gadfly

FlyBuy picks to date:

GW1 - Calum Chambers (ARS) - Points: 1 / 0 / 8 / 1 / 5

GW2 - Steven Pienaar (EVE) - Points: 1 / 0 (inj) / DNP / DNP
GW3 - Siem de Jong (NEW) - Points: 2 (inj) / DNP / DNP / DNP

GW4 - Marko Arnautovic (STO) - Points: DNP / 1
GW5 - Yaya Toure (MCY) - Points: 1

Profile: Seamus Coleman (HORSES FOR COURSES)

SEAMUS COLEMAN

POSITION: DEFENDER/FULL BACK

CLUB: EVERTON

CURRENT FPL PRICE: £7.0 Million 

PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS 2014/15

VS ARSENAL (2-2)

PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS 2013/14 

VS NORWICH CITY (2-2)

VS STOKE CITY (4-0)

VS FULHAM (4-1)

VS SWANSEA CITY (1-2)

VS SOUTHAMPTON (2-1)

VS CARDIFF (2-1) 

PREMIER LEAGUE CLEAN SHEETS 2013/14

VS MANCHESTER UNITED (2-0)

VS WEST BROM (0-0)

VS CARDIFF (0-0)

VS SPURS (0-0)

VS ARSENAL (3-0)

VS HULL CITY (0-2)

VS WEST HAM UNITED (1-0)

VS NORWICH CITY (2-0)

VS ASTON VILLA (0-2)

VS CHELSEA (1-0)

   5 - Five of Coleman's last Premier League 7 goals have been scored at home.

Coleman was the highest scoring full back in the Premier League last season (2013/14).

Coleman is expensive and 2 of Everton's next 3 Premier league matches are away from home against teams that finished in the top 7 last season (Liverpool & Manchester United).

Despite having scored two own goals against Southampton (2-0) and Chelsea (3-6) this and last season respectively, Coleman has been involved in (scored/assisted) in 2 goals as well as picking up a clean sheet against West Brom (0-2) in the Premier League this season. 

From GW 8 to GW 12 Everton face last season's bottom 10/newly promoted teams.  

Coleman is expensive and 2 of Everton's next 3 Premier league matches are away from home against teams that finished in the top 7 last season (Liverpool & Manchester United) but may well be worth considering in the long run given his exciting, attacking prowess as well as being able to deliver the goods at both ends of the pitch.

#FlyBuy - GW5

It's time to admit it - I am having a total DISASTER with my FlyBuy picks this season! In fact, rather than take my advice and draft one of my picks in, do the opposite; if you already own him, SELL IMMEDIATELY!

Aaarrgghh!! Another flop last week, my pick of Marko Arnautovic of Stoke didn't get the recall I predicted and missed out. Meanwhile, the other guy on my shortlist last week, Tadic, picked up 6 points for an assist and a clean sheet. Nuts.

I'm afraid to say I may have lost my touch somewhat. So what to do? Call it a day? Nope. Not my style. Instead I will plough on. The worm MUST turn soon, right?

This week, I am going to tip a guy who - like me - has lost his way somewhat. A former shining light who is struggling to recapture previous form. Another year older, but not necessarily wiser. Someone who - like me - can be prone to sulking if things don't go his way. Not in a Nicholas Anelka type way, but you get my meaning.

Yep, despite tough opposition in the form of Chelsea, I am going for a Man City player for this week's FlyBuy pick. A return to form is surely imminent, although I admit, he looked really poor against Bayern Munich the other night. But this could be the fixture to finally spark him to life.

It is, of course, last season's FPL points magnet (and my DGW31 nemesis!), Yaya Toure.

His price tag is hefty (£10.8m), he got dropped in GW4 for the trip to Arsenal, his form is cruddy (no goals, no assists, no bonus, 2 yellow cards in 3 games) BUT, if he turns it on, he has the potential to go mad. I know he won't be on penalties now Aguero is back and I realise his role in the team has fundamentally changed from last season. But I think he'll manage to score some good points in the next 5 weeks (the criteria I use to select FlyBuy's from). He still has an ownership stat of 10.6%, although I suspect there's a lot of ghostships amongst that.

Anyone tempted?

Don't all rush at once...

FLY

@meet_the_gadfly

FlyBuy picks to date:

GW1 - Calum Chambers (ARS) - Points: 1 / 0 / 8 / 1

GW2 - Steven Pienaar (EVE) - Points: 1 / 0 / 0

GW3 - Siem de Jong (NEW) - Points: 2 / 0

GW4 - Marko Arnautovic (STO) - Points: 0

Chief's #FPL Team - Gameweek 5

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.