Matchday Open Thread
Sat May 16 04:16AM
A lot of the commentary around Hull City's incredible slide down the table focuses - and rightly so - on the public dressing down Phil Brown gave his team at Manchester City on Boxing Day. But looking back over their season, it looks to me like the wheels came off earlier. Early November, to be more precise. After their amazing start, they were spanked by Chelsea on Oct 29 and then lost a heartbreaker to Manchester United 3-4 the following week. That come back that came up short may have punctured the balloon of Hull's self-belief. They followed up that back-to-back against the top of the table with a 0-1 loss at home to Bolton Wanderers and they never really got back on track. See... stick with me and I'll eventually get to the point.
Hull now travel to Bolton desperately needing a win. However, they desperately needed a win at home to Stoke last week but couldn't get one. I don't know why I think this week might be any different... and to be honest I don't. But I can't get the "image" of Hull 2 - Fulham 1, and Schwarzer's -2.5 fantasy points that week, out of my head. Little did I know at the time that it would be just the first of many, many terrible decisions at keeper. And this week I have enough money for Jussi, a nailed-on clean sheet, but I just can't shake that image of Schwarzer giving up two to Hull. So I'm dropping down to Sorensen. Stoke have less to play for than Bolton, and Wigan are a better team than Hull. But Wigan have nothing to play for themselves and I'm thinking that their showing against ManU was nothing more than a dead cat bounce. I guess we'll know one way or another later today.
Other teams with it all to play for include NUFC and Boro. The loss on Monday all but put Boro in the Championship but it also threw us a curve ball along their forward line. Marvin Emnes got his first start of the season and looked dangerous. Marvin Emnes costs 1.25. That's one penny more than Aaron "The Enabler" Mokoena! And with the weakness at striker this year, as Neal pointed out, maybe it's worth a gamble up front instead of at the back.
There are teams with something to play for, but not in the League. Everton and Chelsea have the FA Cup final hanging over their heads and Manchester United still have the Champions League coming up. If players don't get rested - and it's really only a matter of whom - I don't know that we can expect 100% from any of these sides. That may still return good fantasy points, but it sure does put the fear into a fantasy manager.
Back to teams with nothing to play for, Liverpool could find themselves in that position come their Sunday kick-off against West Brom who are fighting their own Quixotic campaign. I'm thinking that either way, Rafa will put out his A team and go for a result. If I were the manager, the last thing I would want to do would be to mess with a run of success, regardless of what else was happening. Liverpool need to get into the habit of winning and a team can only do that by winning. Win out, don't worry about what ManU does and try to take that momentum into next season.
And with that as prologue, we head into the penultimate weekend in the English Premier League. Good luck to all managers, fantasy and otherwise. It's sure to be interesting and we'll be here to talk about it in this, your match-day open thread.
Doyou think Quaresma will play in the las week? He's a very tallented winger, who doesn't play because he simply refuses to defend, as he admited he thinks he's the best... My point is: Chelsea will not be interested in that game... or not?
From daniel_menezes on Sat May 16 04:34AMNeal & Jeremy - you didn't show us your picks 4 this week. I'm not in beat the bloggers group so i'd like to know (&i'm certainly not the only one)
From daniel_menezes on Sat May 16 04:44AMK.Richardson/S.Downing or M.Taylor/Kilbane
Please Held me
From iceman_tsc on Sat May 16 05:01AMMTay/Kilbane
From kellz_86 on Sat May 16 05:23AM@daniel_menezes, your wish.... Sorensen, Bale, Shorey, Paintsil, Gerrard, Lawrence, BFAY, MPet, Emnes, Torres, Arshavin. God help us, everyone.
From jspitzberg on Sat May 16 05:28AMthank kellz_86
From iceman_tsc on Sat May 16 05:35AMlikewise: Given,Paintsil,Givet,Bosingwa, Trinity+Downing,Arshavin,Kamara,Hot Rod.
From owen1981 on Sat May 16 05:36AM@ Anybody. Heeeeeelp...!!!
Drogba,Woodgate or
Defoe,Paints
I would be grateful for my "whole fantasy life"...
From fidan_recica on Sat May 16 07:08AMDrogs/Woody
From wrigavin on Sat May 16 07:23AMUh oh here it is: Myhill, Arbeloa, Aurelio, Moke, Gerrard, Lamps, Yossi, Brown, Rodallega, Torres, Arshavin
cheers
From kellz_86 on Sat May 16 07:33AMwrigavin. Thanks man, I appreciate it!!!
From fidan_recica on Sat May 16 07:35AMMyhill
Bosingwa, Shorey, Bale
Fellaini, Malouda, Gerrard, MPet
Arshavin, Torres, DrogbaFrom striker_4eva on Sat May 16 07:37AMpaintsil & Gera or shorey & Mpet?
Need help...From nicky_chan1985 on Sat May 16 08:00AMI dropped all my key folks, starting with Arshavin (Had him at 6), these two weeks, i am going to rely on only players with something to play for, ie. players from West Brom, Middlesborough, Sunderland and Portsmouth.
Do not want to jinx Newcastle by selecting any of their players
From shrivathsaiyengar on Sat May 16 08:20AMDrogba/Woodgate/Sorensen or
Lamps/Paints/Myhill
Need help, pleeeeeease!!!From fidan_recica on Sat May 16 08:55AMcan Usain Bolt be added into the system?
soccernet says for Man Utd: ... and will be joined in the stands by 100 and 200 metres Olympic champion Usain Bolt.
lol, just joking around
From fung9815 on Sat May 16 08:57AMmy squad...
harper
paints, bale, givet, bassong
gerrard, lampard, lowrence
torres, HRod, vidukaFrom nicky_chan1985 on Sat May 16 09:22AMRe: 16. You are sooo funny!!
From iansanderson197 on Sat May 16 09:30AMif Man Utd take the trophy today, will Liverpool become the "nothing to play for" team?
From fung9815 on Sat May 16 09:59AMactually it looks like i'm putting my bet on Jeremy, blame me being a copycat....
Reina, Paintsil, Bale, Hutton, Lamps, Gerrard, MPet, Delap, Arshavin, Torres, Emnes.From michaelyuanwf on Sat May 16 10:19AMRe: 19. I guess they would still play well enough for the sake of Rafa, esp against the poor WBA
From michaelyuanwf on Sat May 16 10:22AMGiven
Pantsil; Mokoena; Bale
Gerrard; Lamps; Modric; Tonge
Torres; Arshavin; Drogs
2 enablers... players who have nothing to play for...defying the odds...From vriesjan on Sat May 16 12:06PMGuys, these are professional athletes. 9 times out of 10, when they step on the field, they are trying to win. The better they do(even in a meaningless game), the better the contract that they can sign.
From gentrykirby on Sat May 16 02:40PMBale on the Bench
From barnosking2 on Sat May 16 02:42PMA third successive league title for Man Utd after a draw 0:0 against Arsenal!
From cdburok on Sat May 16 02:57PMOwen not even named? Yikes, and Shearer was touting him as the linchpin just two weeks back. For what it's worth:
Myhill
Givet, Paintsil, Kompany
Lampard, Gerrard, Essien, Fellaini
Arshavin, Defoe, TorresFrom the_burning_pen on Sat May 16 02:57PMThanks a lot for the Bale tip. Thanks a lot.
From marcus7aurelio on Sat May 16 03:08PM27: Don't blame the bloggers, man, gotta make your own calls. Knowing that BAE was back and guys like Chimbonda and Hutton and Zokora are packing the mid-def and that Keane can wing the midfield, there were too many possibilities for crowding young Gareth Bale out of a start. Just too many variables to bank on it for sure.
From the_burning_pen on Sat May 16 03:30PMTrue, nothing is granted in football.
From marcus7aurelio on Sat May 16 03:33PMNo one else in my group has Defoe. Today could prove the difference for me. Good to see the small man back in the league and in YFF.
From the_burning_pen on Sat May 16 03:51PM
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