Fantasy Premier League

Monday Morning Manager

Mon May 18 04:46PM

When someone asks you about the 2008-2009 fantasy English Premier League season (and you KNOW it comes up in conversation like ALL THE TIME!) what will you say?  How will you answer that succinctly and accurately?  I'll tell you how.

"Kuyt 17.  Torres 8."

Doesn't that just say it all?  The lead-the-line center forward, one of the best strikers in the world musters two shots on target against the worst team in the division. But so does the grafter listed as a striker but playing on the right of midfield.  The difference is the less-heralded player comes up with a goal.  Of course you can guess which player the Manager spent his money on this weekend.  Let's just say that Kuyt, playing behind his listed position in the fantasy game is against the rules.

As for the keeper conundrum we went over in the MDOT, as it turns out Hull's desperation combined with their ineptitude resulted in a good day for Jussi.  Even if he allowed a late equalizing goal, his seven saves brought him up to 12.5 points.  Seemingly a foul suffered or some other phantom half-point above the Manager's man, Sorensen.  Wigan certainly lived up - or down - to their billing as well as Sorensen only had one save to make in a clean sheet win.  

A bit more on Stoke - congrats to them for their achievements this season.  Not only staying up, but finishing eleventh or thereabouts which will give them that much more money to spend this summer.  And with their recent track record you'd have to bet on them to spend it well. This was the third match since Beattie came over in January that both he and Fuller have scored for Stoke in the same match.   Compare that to the list of strikers the other promoted and/or other relegation-threatened teams have used - off the top of my head: Simpson, Bednar, Moore, MAFortune, Folan, Manucho, Cousin, King, Owen, Ameobi, Martins, Viduka, Carroll, Alves, Emnes, Aliadiere.  Not exactly a murderers row of talent there.  Combine those striker's goals with being relatively strong in defence, especially at home, and just enough flair from midfield in Lawrence and Etherington and job well done to Pulis and the Potters.

Elsewhere, however, relegation looms.   Hull's point at Bolton means that they're safe if they can win against what is likely to be a Manchester United reserve side.  But ask Everton's first team how easy that is.  Newcastle will need a Hull loss or tie and a win of their own @ Aston Villa.  The Manager picked BFAY and Shorey last week because he thought that their counter-attacking style would be well suited to play against a desperate Boro.  And he's not changing my mind this week. 

Which brings us to this, which I wrote in anger and sadness on Saturday: 

Magpies Lament

Here's NUFC's squad today:

Harper, Beye, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Duff, Guthrie, Butt, Nolan, Gutierrez, Martins, Viduka. Subs: Krul, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Smith, Ameobi, Lovenkrands, Carroll

And here's a potential squad - a FULL SQUAD - of former NUFC players WHO ARE ALL STILL PLAYING IN THE EPL:

Given, Griffin,Woodgate, Hughes, Distin, Milner, Parker, Jenas, N'Zogbia, Bellamy, Saha. Subs: Friedel (signed but never played), Bramble, O'Brien, Amdy Faye, Diagne-Faye, Dyer, Sibierski

Don't the former players beat the current ones? Handily, even? Of the current players, who would crack the other starting XI? Beye over Griffin is the only one I see. And yes, I realize that the former team was/is hurt a lot - Dyer, Bellamy, Parker, Saha - but it's ridiculous that this much talent has gone through NUFC... like bran... leaving little to no trace.

I claim to only follow my fantasy team, but that's not entirely true. My grandfather visited England and looked to buy me a souvenir. The clerk at the store couldn't sell him a Man U shirt in good conscience, so I ended up with an NUFC jersey (it was the year SAF pipped KK to the title) and therefore they were the first team I followed. So while I realize that NUFC have become an organizational joke, and while I think relegation is nothing they don't deserve, it really is a shame.

 --- 

Until next week,

The Manager

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