Fantasy Premier League

Monday Morning Manager

Mon Apr 21 04:33PM

Reading are in trouble.

Reading should be fine.

But Reading are in trouble. They're just out of the relegation zone having lost three in a row and having not scored in four matches. And their overall goal difference is -28, two worse than Fulham. They've recalled Lita from Charlton as Charlton have been eliminated from playoff contention, but is that the answer? They had better hope so because things are very dicey for them at the moment.

Their saving grace could be the schedule. They have to play @Wigan, home to Spurs, and @Derby. A point from Wigan might be optimistic considering Wigan's home form and Reading road (and general) woes. I've got Capt. Kirkland in my fantasy side for this week so am betting on a clean sheet for them. But say they get a point, nil-nil. Then their next games are against teams that aren't playing for anything any more and I think you can expect them to take the last six points on offer. Hahnemann on the barn door next week?

So seven points eliminates Fulham - who do seem doomed already. That leaves Birmingham and Bolton. BRM play LIV (who will be resting players for the CL), @FUL, and Rovers. LIV's second string has proved to be good enough this year and I'm betting on Pennant (got him on the barn door) to do the business again this week. That sets up @FUL as the quintessential six-pointer which always ends in a tie that helps neither club. Then home to a Rovers team with nothing to play for. So 4 points from the three matches.

Bolton would then need to just match that haul over the final three matches. A point at Spurs and a point at home to Sunderland - Keane won't do anyone any favors, leaves them with a mountain to climb at Chelsea. Whether or not Chelsea are still in the title race and the Champions League will go a long way to determining what side Chelsea sets out and could impact this year's relegation much as Liverpool's loss to Fulham last year.

Maybe it doesn't come down to that. Maybe they get the win home to Sunderland. Not unlikely, really. That would be four points and would seal BRM's fate.

Fulham we just gloss over. They're going down. Four points off the pace and two of their final three matches on the road against teams trying to get into Europe (MAC & POR) and one, as we've said, against a fellow relegation battler. I can see them falling apart and only collecting the one point at home to BRM. That won't help them, but may doom BRM.

How do you see this shaping up? DER, FUL, and BRM going down? Or does BOL fall despite their recent good work?

Comments1 - 24 of 24

1st post!!! i don't see bolton going down this season. they have been performing exceptionally well i can't believe i am saying this. especially upsetting man utd once. fulham and birmingham to join derby.
From zzzeclipse on Mon Apr 21 04:50PM
Report abuse
1st post!!! i don't see bolton going down this season. they have been performing exceptionally well i can't believe i am saying this. especially upsetting man utd once. fulham and birmingham to join derby.
From zzzeclipse on Mon Apr 21 04:53PM
Report abuse
oops sorry double posted!
From zzzeclipse on Mon Apr 21 04:58PM
Report abuse
I'm going to stick with my mid-season prediction and say that RED, FUL, and DER will go down. I know it's unlikely for RED to drop that far, but I don't see Spurs dropping all of their last 3 matches without a fight, and Derby is going to try to salvage some level of respect (if you could call it that at this point) before going back to the Championship. I see RED pulling no more than 3 points from the next 3 matches.
From wrigavin on Mon Apr 21 06:12PM
Report abuse
not sure portsmouth and man city are fighting for a european place. seems to be between aston villa and everton really, and with the teams playing each other next week that could be the match to get in on if you want to make sure a) full strength teams are being played b) the teams actually care about the game.
From joshtottenham on Mon Apr 21 07:46PM
Report abuse
Are things that bad you're not even commenting of the Fantasy side of things these days Jeremy? ;)
From ocuk_kaiowas on Mon Apr 21 09:54PM
Report abuse
Jeremy, Neal, is there any way that we can find out how your teams are doing in the league? You guys give great advice (most of the time as Rooney gave me 4.5 points this week :P) but I would be very interested to know how you are fairing week in week out. Also, do you both reside in Europe? Seem to post very early in the morning compared to where I am.
Later,
From dyosh15 on Mon Apr 21 11:21PM
Report abuse
@7 -- I am "Stop When the Gorilla is Tired" -- http://uk.premiership.fantasysports.yahoo.com/foot
ball/752 -- Points: 2796; Overall Rank: 4,698; Percentile: 98th. Not a very good season for me. I did finish in the top 40 in each of the last two seasons. But this year is all Neal. He has an almost 300pt lead on me, and the only reason I haven't asked him his overall placement is that I don't want to jinx it. So, @6, things are that bad. Hard to look back over the weekend that was, but I did try to include some fantasy information/opinion in the post.
From jspitzberg on Tue Apr 22 12:20AM
Report abuse
Hi guys, I am missing clean sheet points for Toure and Eboue this weekend. Anyone else notice the same problem?
From drdannywu on Tue Apr 22 01:15AM
Report abuse
9- I had those CS problems with eboue so many times that i decided just to drop him.
From daniel_menezes on Tue Apr 22 03:54AM
Report abuse
8- Jeremy you're still the best. I'll believe you week after week. P.S. ok Neal don't cry, you're greatttt too!
From daniel_menezes on Tue Apr 22 03:56AM
Report abuse
Holy @#$%, JSpitz! Didn't think you'd provide me with the info you did. You're still kicking my butt though by about the same margin as Neal is yours so even though this is my first season of playing fantasy football let alone really watching EPL I still realize that I have a lot to learn.
Thanks for the reply.
From dyosh15 on Tue Apr 22 05:00AM
Report abuse
No worries. And for what it's worth, both Neal and I are Yanks; albeit on opposite coasts.
From jspitzberg on Tue Apr 22 05:34AM
Report abuse
I'm missing my CS points for Jose Enrique! Someone from Yahoo please can you look into this?
From ellis_tsang on Tue Apr 22 06:40AM
Report abuse
Nice Chris Coleman reference! Btw who are Neal's team?
From fansarigt on Tue Apr 22 10:18AM
Report abuse
The full quote is: Football is like fighting a gorilla. You don't stop when you're tired; you stop when the gorilla is tired.
From fansarigt on Tue Apr 22 12:54PM
Report abuse
speaking of toure, he has a clean sheet problem too? i feel like dropping him now. i got him for the derby match.
From zzzeclipse on Tue Apr 22 03:51PM
Report abuse
Re-(9), I think the guys at yahoo have figured out that eboue now plays in midfield (even though listed as def) so have stopped giving him clean sheets. Toure not getting his is suprising, i had gallas and they gave him his though he ended up just getting 3 pts!!!
From mamur_a on Tue Apr 22 03:53PM
Report abuse
Derby can be tough at home, which is not good for Coppell's boys, who are not so tough away from home. Not to mention Wigan at home on the rugby pitch, as Jeremy did above. That will be a 3 pt. loss, no doubt. Bolton seems to get points when they need to - a sign of experience and an organized group, defencively. I like Reading, so I hope they stay up. I like BRM, but they looked like Derby in last weekend's derby at Villa. BRM may end up back in the Cola league, but not for long. Derby and Fulham may end up where Norwich currently resides, and for some time, though I'd love to see the Rams back up. A likeable side. Fans who have suffered. Looking forward to the next three promoted. Look for Leeds to be back in the Premiership very soon, as well. Say, 2 years time. Now, if Forest can get promoted to the Cola league... and Hibs can make it to European play... !
From donegal08 on Tue Apr 22 03:58PM
Report abuse
Lita on the barn door??
From donegal08 on Tue Apr 22 03:59PM
Report abuse
As a Reading fan, I'm afraid they are likely going down. They just look lifeless, and there's dissension in the locker room, pretty much bad news all around. A lot probably depends on that Spurs match at home. If they find some way to pull that out, they'll probably be ok, but I'm not seeing how that happens unless things change in a hurry.
From jddunn13 on Tue Apr 22 07:30PM
Report abuse
hey guys... thinking of dropping Torres for Park or maybe Benayoun ... and getting another keeper (right now have Carson) with the cash the change brings.. ....
Comments?
From arpit_nand on Tue Apr 22 09:39PM
Report abuse
Re-18, yea I had Gallas too,a clean sheet,no bookings and ended up with only 3pts??!!....is that correct?
From betty_swol_locks on Tue Apr 22 11:13PM
Report abuse
Re-18. Unless Yahoo change Players status, it is only fair to award eboue CS points even though he plays in midfield. There is a reason for the rule book - so that points can be awarded on an unbiased objective manner. For example Walcott plays in right wing but awarded points for scoring as a forward.... there are too many players that their positions vary. The fairest way to do it is award the points as the position listed when i purchased the player. If u want to change it , make it clear and alter the listing.
I apologise if I sound like Arsene with all these petty complaints
From drdannywu on Wed Apr 23 03:40PM
Report abuse