It’s that time of the year where the season is quickly approaching and with only two weeks to go, football supporters up and down the land are considering whether or not they should include Wayne Rooney or take a risk on a less profile name like Darren Bent.
Yes it’s that time to pick eleven players and maybe some subs (depending on the site) for your fantasy football team again. If you had a few players that let you down last year like the normally consistent Frank Lampard or perhaps you even thought that Joe Cole was going to be the next big thing at Liverpool, it is time to make amends for these errors of judgement and get it right this time round.
It is really important to find out what you gain points in the fantasy game you are playing as the different ones give points out for various things and these could help sway your selections. If you have to select a captain as you have to in some games look for that player who will contribute the most to your team.
You should try to select an all-round team and players who take set pieces must be included as should goal scoring defenders. Then you look at maybe one or two players who you think will have a big season and can surprise people.
Before you start, it is vital to make sure you understand the scoring system of your chosen game. You should make a short-list of players you want wish to include and check their performance from last year as it is not always the obvious players who score highly and aslo be prepared to take some risks.
This is a list of 10 players who you should try to include as they are all likely to score highly and may make or break how successful your fantasy team is. Remember if you realise you have made a mistake you can always make a transfer so it is not the end of the world but getting it right from the start gives you a better chance.
Click on Luis Suarez to see the selections you would be mad to miss out in your team.
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I have been a follower of FFC for a year or two now and often get involved in some of the competitions, up until now I had not won anything so when I saw the opportunity to win Premiership tickets I jumped at the chance.
I found out on Saturday morning (via email) that I had not only won tickets to Man City v Bolton at the Reebok, but I had won corporate hospitality tickets for me and a friend.
Having never experienced hospitality I did not know what to expect, and to be honest, the experience was miles better than I could have imagined. First we went to the ground and picked up our tickets and were shown to our seats in the Platinum lounge, on the way up to the lounge I spotted Martin Tyler and realised the day was going to be fun. Once in our lounge we were offered a drink (free of charge up to £20 per person) and asked if we would like our starters. We then had a wonderful three course meal.
On each placemat was a programme, team sheet, betting sheet and a quiz. Whilst we ate and chatted, the lounge compare kept us amused with jokes and stories whilst a magician worked the room. All in all the pre match entertainment couldn’t be faulted.
On my way down to my seats I bumped into Harry Redknapp and Joe Jordan and had a bit of banter with them on the way to my seats. Being a lifelong Tottenham fan and season ticket holder this really was the highlight of my day. The stars continued to appear including Patrick Viera and Nigel De Jong who were only a few yards behind us. The seats we had were situated just behind the Man City dug out and gave a real insight into Mancini’s tantrums and touch line demeanour. The game itself was a really entertaining one, topped off by a David Silva 1st goalscorer – coming in at 7/1 for me. Happy Days!!!
After the game we heard from Brian Gunn the ex Norwich keeper who told stories of old and we also had the chance to meet the man of the match Gary Cahill, who I managed to pull aside for a photo and autograph.
All in all a fantastic experience and something I will remember for a long time. I am very grateful to the sponsors for the fantastic day out.
Written By Robert Humphries
This week we have Bolton tickets to give away for their trip to Liverpool – click on the banner below
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If I’m completely honest, I’ve enjoyed something of a rollercoaster relationship with Michael Owen , over the past few years. When I first heard he could be heading to Old Trafford, I was adamant we shouldn’t sign him, “it’ll make us a laughing stock” were my exact words, following the whole brochure affair and his struggles on Tyneside.
Then I allowed myself to become convinced that he’d be a great signing, once the deal had been done, even going as far as to put a cheeky fiver on him finishing Premier League top scorer- not my most savvy wager admittedly- and telling anyone who’d listen “if he stays fit, he’ll score more than Tevez this season, trust me” – I won’t bring up the stats to show you how wrong I was.
Then came THAT derby goal, where even the most critical Owen detractor had to warm to him and seemingly accept him into the bosom of the United family. Since then however, there’s been times when I’ve doubted the wisdom in keeping Owen at the club, there was the Jamie Carragher testimonial, where his decision to wear a Liverpool shirt again, made me positive he should never be allowed to don the Red of United again.
Once I’d “calmed down” I realised Owen’s worth, but was left disappointed when he got injured in the Carling Cup final of 2010 – when towards the end of the season we would really need him.
Since then, I’ve questioned Owen’s value to the United squad not based just on his fitness and performances but more because of my unadulterated love for Danny Welbeck and my worries that his progress at Old Trafford may be scuppered somewhat by Owen. I felt we needed to move forward and Welbeck was the future, while Owen represented the past, however I’ve been proven grossly wrong, mainly due to the former Liverpool hit-man’s attitude.
Owen is willing to play his part for United, however big or small and unlike some modern footballers, won’t kick up a fuss or make silly comments if he doesn’t figure in the more important games.
I’ve always thought Owen one of the worst interviewees of all modern footballers, full of obvious, boring answers that lack passion or even the slightest hint of subjectivity. That view has been changed of late, when I’ve come to realise that just because a footballer is a quiet family man with little enthusiasm for the trappings of fame, or for needless comment, shouldn’t make him the subject of my anger. Paul Scholes didn’t give interviews at all and I don’t recall feeling anything but adulation towards the Ginger Prince.
Recently Owen has risen in my estimation with some honest and refreshing points, both on twitter and via press interviews. Today he’s been quoted as praising the United dieting staff.
The Manchester Evening News notes:
Michael Owen has paid tribute to United’s backroom staff for keeping him tuned up to take advantage of his rare chances.
“Physically, you have to prepare for any opportunity you get as well as mentally,” said Owen.
“That is hard because you are in match-day squads all the time, so you prepare with the team, eat the same, do the same things they do but when you don’t play you don’t use the energy. You are probably getting more days off but putting more energy food in your system and it is a bit of a vicious circle.
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“After doing that five or six times you don’t exactly put on weight but you have to be careful. Your body hasn’t played 90 minutes though you are preparing it all the time to do that.
“There is more to it than people thinking ‘well he is fresh and should score a hat-trick’.
“It is tough and it is also a challenge for the staff at United. It is a test for the medical people and the sports science people to get the balance right. They have to manage it to ensure when your chance does come along your body is ready for it.”
“I still feel I have to prove myself every time I play,” he said. “If I was playing every week, you could afford a bad game here or there because you can always score one in the next game and nobody will remember your bad games.
“The Leeds game was my first match of the season and if I didn’t play well I would have a long time to stew on it and people would have a long time to criticise me. It puts the pressure on me.
“I have had some massive games in my career but you almost feel yourself getting nervous more these days because, as I say, it has been a while since I started.
I was recently touched by Owen’s comments regarding the criticism he’s received from some ‘pundits’ claiming he’s at United for money:
“I am not ‘content’ if I am not playing – I don’t want anybody to think that. I get criticised a lot by people who say I don’t play but I pick my money up. I am not proud of that fact. I want to play all the time.
“I am doing a lot of training and putting in a lot of hard work people don’t see. I don’t feel my touch will go or anything like that. But anybody can have a bad game – even the best players in the world.”
Even Owen’s tweets following the Leeds game left me with a lot of respect for the United striker:
“Our fans in the stadium 45 mins after the game singing their hearts out. When I emerged from the dressing room they sang you scouse b******! #magic”
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In response to accusations of greed: “For success maybe but if I wanted money the last place I would have signed for is United.”
Sir Alex Ferguson proved yet again why he’s the master, as keeping someone with Owen’s experience and attitude around at Old Trafford, is a win-win situation, even if he doesn’t play, he’s a positive influence on the younger players.
Owen may not be the most exciting man when it comes to being interviewed and if I’m honest I still consider him United’s fourth choice striker, but seeing a player, who’s nearing 32, willing to take his limited chances and defend himself to all the ‘haters’ has made me warm to him. Let’s hope there are a few more big moments in the career of Michael Owen.
Read more of Justin’s articles at Red Flag Flying High
Manchester City coach David Platt has revealed that Roberto Mancini wants to win all four competitions this season, and is focussed on beating Wolves in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.
The Etihad Stadium outfit destroyed cross-town rivals United 6-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, giving them a five point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Given the amount of money spent on the playing staff, the Italian coach is eyeing an unprecedented quadruple sweep of all tournaments this campaign.
“Immediately when the players came back into the dressing room, straight away there’s a euphoria,” Platt told Mirror Football.
“It’s bound to be like that, not just because of who it was against or the scoreline, but because of where we are in the table.
“But it’s only after nine games and the manager straight away in his media interviews and in the dressing room said it’s three points like any other game.
“At the back of the manager’s mind, he does not want to let anything take away his focus on what is next in hand and that is preparing for our Carling Cup tie. There will be changes, but that’s not to say we don’t give this tie equal treatment in terms of every game we go into.
“The manager is someone who wants to win all four trophies,” he concluded.
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City take on Wolves twice in four days, as Mick McCarthy’s men also travel to the Etihad Stadium in the league on Saturday.
Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has stated that the club are desperate to win the Carling Cup and end their trophy drought.
The Anfield club have not lifted silverware since winning the FA Cup under Rafa Benitez back in 2006, but progressed through to the Carling Cup quarter finals in midweek with a 2-1 win over Stoke at the Britannia.
Despite most clubs putting the league and European competition first, the England under-21 star feels Liverpool should give this cup their full attention.
“It’s been a long time without a trophy for the club, but we’re just concentrating on winning every game and getting that winning mentality back,” the ex-Sunderland man told Mirror Football.
“We’re quietly confident. We’ll just keep looking forward to every game, keep building the team spirit and hopefully we’ll keep putting in performances like we did in beating Stoke.
“We’re not bothered who we get. We’ll take whoever we get and then focus on playing West Brom in the league [on Saturday].
“It will be a difficult game, but we’ll go into it with confidence and we need to keep building on the progress we’ve made,” he concluded.
The draw for the next round will be made on Saturday, with Manchester United, City, Arsenal and Chelsea all still in the mix.
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Football has always been a game which divides opinion and certain issues polarise people further. In many a debate or commentary will you hear someone branded as “quality.” Actually defining it though is difficult.
Classifying quality is something very subjective; such is the gregarious nature of football. Everyone involved in the game whether they are a fan, player or chairman has their own views on how it should be played and how it should be run. In this way, even in England, each fan will have their ideas of what quality is. A Stoke supporter used to the direct style of Tony Pulis may have a differing vision of quality to an Arsenal fan used to the flowing football Arsene Wenger has preached in North London for the last 15 years.
What’s more they will have an opinion on who is quality and who isn’t quality. The greatest player of all time, that is to say the player with the most quality, is something consistently debated for example. Some feel the best players were from yesteryear and include the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff in their argument. Others more familiar to 21st century football can’t get their head around the twinkle toed maestros that are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However this is the beauty of the debate for several and the bane for others. No matter how strong your opinion is on the matter or whether you have a plethora of statistics at your mercy, there is no correct way of proving which player is the best.
Even if the statistics may show for example that Pele has a much better record than Messi, the debate will probably have to wait until the Argentine finishes his playing career to do a more accurate comparison. What’s more, who you play against affects your supposed quality. Was Pele playing against lesser defenders than Lionel Messi is now?
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This is where the argument becomes relative, for a team or a player’s quality is dependent on what league they are playing in. Gateshead’s striker Jon Shaw is quality in the Blue Square Premier as the current top scorer in the division. However, compare him to Wayne Rooney and it’s much harder to call him quality.
At the higher level, it’s perhaps easier to define. “Barcelona are absolute quality,” is a phrase you would have probably heard from many a begrudging Manchester United supporter after the demolition their team suffered at their Catalan rivals in the Champions League final in May.
If the best are “quality” though, then where does everyone else fit in? Football is not necessarily worse off from not knowing exactly what quality is. Trying to decide who’s good and who’s bad in football fuels hours of endless debates on the radio, in the pub or at work.
Raphael Honigstein’s book “Englischer Fussball” appreciates how fans in different countries appreciate different styles as the German football writer recounts a conversation with José Mourinho. “Italy has the tactical league, Spain the technical one.” He continues, “And in England passion dominates,” emphasising how various elements are valued in different footballing cultures.
There is one quote which accurately pinpoints the nature of quality in football.
“Beauty is in the eye of beholder.”
Ultimately, there is no correct answer as to what quality is. It comes down to any lover of football’s personal taste. It’s for the best that quality remains indefinable in the sport. After all, it leaves greater room for new sides to leave an impression on us and the beautiful game. Quality is something that as long as football is played will be redefined for years and years to come. That doesn’t mean however there will be any universal agreement on what it is in football.
Do you think it can be defined? What are you views? Feel free to comment below.
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If you’ve enjoyed this article, then why not follow me on Twitter – @arhindtutt – Or visit my blog ‘Gone with the Rhind’ for more football opinion
With January fast approaching, Arsenal and Tottenham are preparing to battle it out for the signature of Brazilian superstar Leandro Damiao. The 22-year-old striker currently plays his football in his native Brazil but could be open to a move to Europe if the £25million asking price is matched. Juventus have also expressed an interest in the Internacional striker and the player’s agent has held talks in Turin this week. Damiao earned his first International appearance this year in a friendly with Scotland after scoring 40 goals in 52 games for his club.
Arsenal are looking to sign the striker to bolster their attack, along with proving to Robin Van Persie that they don’t lack ambition as the Dutchman ponders over a new contract. Van Persie has been on great form for the Gunners this season but appears to be the only Arsenal player capable of putting the ball in the net. Arsene Wenger has money to spend from the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the summer and Damiao would certainly give them much needed strike power to combine with Van Persie.
So, Wenger has money to spend and the Brazilian forward could be right up his street. He is young, quick and composed for someone of his age. Along with wonderkid Neymar, Damiao is a part of a young breed of South Americans who could be taking over the European game. With Marouane Chamakh not getting a look in at the Emirates and Niclas Bendtner on loan at Sunderland it is looking ever more likely that the Gunners will sign a striker in January.
Harry Redknapp had two bids rejected in the summer for the Brazilian striker but Spurs fell short of the asking price. With Jermaine Defoe perhaps looking to move away from the Lane to find regular football in January ahead of Euro 2012, and Emmanuel Adebayor only on loan at the North London club, this promising youngster could be the answer to their long term striker problem.
Roman Pavlyuchenko is almost definitely leaving White Hart Lane and two strikers may not be enough to get the title chasing Spurs through the second half of the campaign. Damiao’s deadly touch in front of goal would suit a side that create as many chances as Spurs do. Width of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon can gift a striker numerous chances in every game. Damiao came to London last year and scored at Craven Cottage for Brazil in a friendly, where Kenny Dalglish was an interested onlooker and Liverpool could also come in for the striker who is attracting plenty of attention from our shores.
Damiao is not your stereotypical Brazilian player, his awareness and off the ball play is more noticeable that his silky skills and dribbling, although he has both. A goalscoring record as a youngster which could compare with the great Ronaldo, it is not hard to see why the £25million price tag is just the beginning price. Damaio can score with his left foot, right foot and head all equally and is a natural in front of goal that is clear to see in his video. A future World Cup star in the making, Damiao can also rough it with the best and would suit European football down to a tee.
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Damiao would fit in to both North London rivals squads extremely well but whether they match the £25million asking price or Juventus get their first, he is certainly one to look out for in the coming years.
Leon Osman rescued a point for Everton after Norwich threatened to upset the odds and leave Goodison Park with all three points leaving the Mersysiders just four points above the drop zone.
It proved to be a frustrating afternoon for the blue half of Merseyside as the hosts failed to break down the stubborn Canaries despite dominating the game from start to finish. After failing to keep a clean sheet all season Paul Lambert’s side were only nine minutes away from recording their first shut out of the season before Osman’s deft finish found a way past John Ruddy to break Norwich hearts. They looked on course for a rare away win following Grant Holt’s third goal in two games just before the half hour mark but will consider themselves lucky after being forced to defend for much of the games as the Toffees threw everything at them in search of victory. Moyes’ side had lost their last two games without scoring and it looked like they would have to endure another strike out before the last gasp equaliser.
Supporters will be unhappy that their side’s weaknesses in front of goal cost them dearly once again with Marouane Fellaini seeing his toe poke from Tim Cahill’s knock down saved by Ruddy. Osman then saw his strike headed away by Russell Martin before Magaye Gueye volleyed wide and Cahill tried his luck with a tame effort. Chances were coming and going for the home side and they should have had the game wrapped up before Holt opened the scoring for the Canaries. The bruising striker scored twice against Newcastle again and found the net again showing great strength and composure to swivel on Steve Morison’s knockdown to power the ball home from inside the six-yard box via the far post. His afternoon should have ended soon after he appeared to elbow Fellaini in the face following an aerial challenge with referee Lee Probert deciding to keep his cards in his pocket.
Everton were clearly rattled after going behind with Moyes deciding to send Louis Saha on for the second half and the Frenchman almost made an instant impact playing in Osman who saw his shot tipped wide by Ruddy. He then forced the Norwich keeper into a superb instinctive block after latching onto Denis Stracqualursi’s flick. Ruddy then almost cost his team rashly coming off his line allowing Saha to clip the ball towards goal only for Martin to clear it to safety. With time running out it looked as if an equaliser would never come with the away side not giving the Toffee’s a sniff. However they were finally breached with nine minutes left on the clock as Osman improvised to cleverly flick Royston Drenthes free kick into the net to lift the doom and gloom that was seeping in around Goodison Park. Drenthe then tested Ruddy twice before Stracqualursi was denied the chance to write his name in lights by a Martin who produced a goal saving tackle to thwart the striker as he closed in on goal.
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None of the top six face each other this weekend but they should nevertheless be wary of slipping up against seemingly inferior opposition. The likes of Stoke and Swansea are unlikely to tamely roll over against Liverpool and Arsenal respectively. So who are the players to look out for on the 21st Matchday of the Premier League?
The Captaincy Debate
One man who had an excellent Christmas period was Gareth Bale. The Welshman’s performance at Norwich in particular earned him plenty of plaudits from the media. With Spurs playing their second home game in the space of four days, Bale will be in amongst any attacking activity for Harry Redknapp’s men. The last time Wolves visited North London though, they snatched a point as they only conceded one. It might not be as free-flowing as Bale would like.
In that case, it’s certainly worth looking at Sergio Aguero as a possible alternative. The Argentinian has found the net in his last two performances against Liverpool and Manchester United. He travels to Wigan on Monday night looking to further his total of fourteen league goals this season. The Latics have been very inconsistent this season but can take heart from the fact the league leaders haven’t scored in their last two Premier League away days.
If you’re worried by this statistic, then why not consider Wayne Rooney. Despite reports claiming Rooney could be sold off by Sir Alex Ferguson , the United No.10 turned in an unblemished performance against fierce rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup last Sunday. However, in his last thirteen Premier League games, the former Everton star has only netted four times. He faces Bolton on Saturday as the Trotters try desperately to stave off the threat of relegation. He scored a hattrick in their first encounter earlier this season.
The Captain – Gareth Bale – The stage seems set for Bale this weekend to continue his excellent form against a Wolves side vulnerable to the Welshman’s quick turn of speed.
The Vice Captain – Sergio Aguero – The Argentinian should be confident of netting at the DW Stadium on Monday night as he faces the third worst defence in the Premier League.
Long Term Look
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Let’s focus on a player who has revelled under new Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill – Stephane Sessegnon. The attacking midfielder who hails from Benin has had a terrific Christmas period for the Black Cats netting twice and creating three. Priced currently at a modest £6.5 million on Fantasy Premier League, Sessegnon offers a good alternative to more pricey midfield options.
Sunderland have upcoming home games against Norwich and Swansea meaning it is all the more tempting to draft in the Benin international. That said the way the Wearsiders have been playing with O’Neill in charge, you wouldn’t bet against Sessegnon having an impact in this weekend’s match against Chelsea, considering the plight of both sides.
As the January transfer window closed for business on Tuesday night it would be a total understatement to suggest that the Preston North End that left it was a completely different one to the team that entered it.
Not only have we appointed a new manager, who achieved massive success at Stevenage, but he has gone on to bring in seven new players during the window. With Chris Holroyd, Jamie McAllister, Andy Procter, Alex Marrow, Chris Robertson, Rhys Murphy and Graham Cummings all arriving at the club.
Overall nine players came in as Jake Jervis and Harry Bunn were brought in by the caretaker managers but they have both returned to their parent clubs. Not only were seven players signed but there were a handful of departures as well. Club captain Ian Ashbee was released from his contract just over a year after signing, Juhvel Tsoumou has been loaned out to Plymouth Argyle and Clarke Carlisle has had his loan deal cancelled and he has since gone on loan to Northampton.
Personally I think all three departures are very beneficial to the club and we have certainly left January in a stronger position than we entered it. On the field I believe we badly need these signings to be successful as Preston’s form was highly erratic with one win, two draws and 2 defeats in January. It is almost fair to say that any chance of the play offs have now disappeared.
Subsequently Westley would need to dramatically turn around the fortunes of the club if we were to be plying our trade in the Championship next season. It seems highly unlikely with Preston languishing in fourteenth place in the table and nine points off Stevenage in sixth who also have a game in hand.
With Ashbee out the door we now will also need a new full time captain. Coutts would have been the obvious choice to succeed him, but Westley has since stripped him of the captaincy, citing a poor attitude and a lack of professionalism. As he is suspended for the next two games, he has been granted leave from the club for a few games to get himself mentally in shape again. I think this is crucial to our hopes both this and next season as undoubtedly Coutts is one of our best players and we are a poorer team without him. However I completely agree with Westley’s actions and we have to remember that no man is bigger than Preston North End and that is how it should be.
The Graham Westley revolution is in full swing now and it will be tested by the visit of play-off contenders Brentford. They will be out for revenge after Preston won 3-1 at Griffin Park in September, back when we were on our seven game winning streak.
Any Preston fan would give a lot for a similar winning streak right now and it would certainly make Westley extremely popular at the club. It is very apparent now that it will take a long time before we are pointing in the right direction but I have every faith in Westley turning us into a successful Championship team again.
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