Monday Morning Manager
Mon Dec 10 04:55PM
Three consecutive road games without four of your most influential players. Regardless the caliber of the opposition, that was always going to be a tough spell for Arsenal. And their results (2-1, 1-1, 1-2) show that they couldn't maintian the pace. SAF may be a cunning old fox, but he said that Arsenal would be dropping points and they have. Granted, he probably didn't see United losing to Bolton by a goal to nil, but foresight isn't 20-20.
That being said, the Manager isn't in the mood to look back. So stepping on to the soap box and peering ahead...
Now the the big four top sides meet (MAN@LIV, CHE@ARS) on what's surely being billed as "Super Sunday". As a lot of fantasy managers have loaded up on players from these teams - not only are they are the top players on top sides, but also they have had favorable matches over the last few weeks - there are a lot of questions being asked about whether to hold them or sell them. And this is complicated by the upcoming festive program where the clubs face two weeks of two games apiece. The big clubs are more likely to do well over this period but often that is because the size (and quality) of their squads allow them to rotate players.
ManU
- Carlito Tevez - if you have him below cost, I think you keep him. All the talk at the beginning of the year was of him playing behind a more advanced Rooney. But over the last two weeks it has been Carlito who has been the spearhead of ManU's attack. Two goals against Derby and though he didn't score against Fulham he did everything but that day.
- Roonaldo - he's not much above cost from last week - ~0.60 - and at north of 17 that's a lot of money invested. I'm thinking Rooney may be sacrificed for the matchup this week - say for a BF. DB @ Wigan or AY @ Sunderland.
- CRon - remember last season's festive period? Remember CRon's consecutive 2 goal, 50 fantasy point weeks? Good times... Gooood times.
- Giggs/Nani - your guess is as good as ours... probably better.
Liverpool
- El Nino - Another quality player at just above cost (from last week). If you have him cheap, keep him. He's proven himself to be +10, to fantasy managers and even to Rafa. But there are other stikers out there at the same price who could be better for this week - Martins and CJerome (NUFC & BRM Cake Walks, anyone?) are two good options listed just below Torres in price.
- Gerrard - buy. hold. don't sell. he's been playing out of his skull for a month now. The only player close has been CRon. And if you have Gerrard for $10 less than othes have CRon, you're sitting pretty today.
- Kewell - still cheap, and we're still watching him, but not one for this week. One of these weeks for sure. Question will be knowing on Friday, not Monday.
- Arbeloa - you're not searching him out, butif you have held on to him from when he was cheap -- good for you. He's quietly performing at a steady 6pts/per pace. Even on a day when Reading puts three past Liverpool he gets his. Fantasy defender of the season so far (albeit due in large part to Bale's fragility).
Arsenal
- Just keep reading the injury reports. Doesn't sound like anyone but Flamini has a chance to return this weekend. But seemingly van Persie is close and could figure in your holiday plans.
- K2 - even when he scores a goal, something he does fairly regularly, he doesn't do much else. A better bet than similar stikers - Kitson and Ashton come to mind - as he doesn't collect fouls. But he's not your fantasy dream and probably not worth being your premium priced player.
- Eboue - still not convinced by him on the right wing (though I admit to having been very excited by the prospect). And he's gone in January anyway. Hold him, but don't buy him.
- "Ho"Sicky - this is off the cuff, but when was the last time 'Sicky scored a meaningful goal? Right? Is it just me, or is he the king of the garbage time points? Don't get me wrong, I live for players like that. Ask Neal and they guys - my favorite player ever is probably Laurent Robert. Fantasy stud because he was sure to have at least two cheap shots on target, be it from a dead ball or open play - though more likely the former, after the 80th minute of every game. 'Sicky stikes me as a similar player. Runs around. May get a shot off or win or take a few corners. But it isn't until the game is already decided that he'll make any impact - be it an insurance goal against Wigan or a consolation at Boro. If the match is on the line, don't look to him. That's a long intro to - I have 'Sicky at below 10, which is a good price for a player averaging 8pts/per. But tough matchup this week (obviously) and I'm just not sure I want to stay with 'Sicky if I can move him to another player with a better short term schedule. Will try to keep him, but he may be sacrificed to afford someone else. Just saying.
Chelsea
- Drogba - See you in February.
- Sheva - Too expensive by half, at least until we see what he can do against Premier League opposition. (And yes, that's a slam on Sunderland. Do I need to 'splain all the jokes to you?)
- Kalou - See Sheva, above.
- JCole - Finally he starts a match in which I have him on my fantasy team. 4.5 isn't a terrible return for a 5-6 middie, but I wouldn't pay more for him. And I'll try to improve on the position if I can afford it. But if I can't I won't worry too much about it.
Ok, so Chelsea get the short end of the stick but the Manager was just hit with the news that Bale is out for three months. It's hard to come back to one of these posts with the same enthusiasm. It's kind of a momentum thing. I don't know how Neal writes so many words in TWA, I&S, and the BD Watch each week. Kudos to him.
Hope you have enough to start your week. Looks like it's going to be a doozy!
Until next,
The Manager
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IM this storywow, that's a lot to write for Monday Morning. I feel he coffee'n'bagel strategy really work great for the Manager. time to get the cup of tea and read these lines through
From vitali_oiltrade on Mon Dec 10 05:37PMsuper sunday...cant wait
From jigga_drs on Mon Dec 10 05:59PMHi Jeremy. Thanks for your insightful posts, as always. Do you have any comments on Newcastle's run of games over the next month?
From ginger_management on Mon Dec 10 06:01PMSold Rosicky the minutes after he scored that late goal @Mid, can't see him contributing anything this weekend against Chelsea at home. got myself a third striker in Villa county
From vitali_oiltrade on Mon Dec 10 06:34PMNeal wrote, "In "The Week Ahead" I mentioned the easy schedule that Newcastle has coming up. It starts this week with Birmingham coming to St. James' Park. If you don't buy in now you should at least be paying attention because BRM is followed by @FUL, DER, and @WIG. I'm not a huge fan of the Magpies but with Given obscenely cheap, N'Zogbia relatively inexpensive, and Martins reasonably priced those three should headline your Barn Door Watch this coming weekend. Yes, it's been since the first day of September that NUFC kept a clean sheet but if there is going to be another one this season, it's going to come during this stretch of matches." I say CAKE WALK!!!!
From jspitzberg on Mon Dec 10 07:05PMDowning this week topple derby with a goal or two?
From raphealccf on Mon Dec 10 09:12PMDowning this week to topple derby with a goal or two?
From raphealccf on Mon Dec 10 09:12PMMy 2c... Might as well keep sicky. Dude shoots from everywhere. Definately the new Robert. Good for fantasy since he'll get points, even though from a non-fantasy EPL perspective, the angled pass to the guy making the run is probably a better decision than the 35 yard shot. From the fantasy EPL perspective, keep shooting. He's worth keeping for the price. As for NUFC, average game this weekend, then the softest sched over the next two weeks. Given at $2 last weekend is a keeper, so to speak, and maybe nzog and/or milner after this weekend. Martins on travel and Owen odds on to be reinjured against derby so points from midfield probably the best bet.
From mikelanglais on Tue Dec 11 12:49AMi know its early, but hows this team? torres (at +4) santa cruz, kitson, ronaldo, gerrard, n'zogbia, savage (cheap), parnaby (cheap), arbolea, mokoena (cheap), given (cheap). i needed all the cheap people to get cron and gerrard. do you think its worth it or not?
From matt.chizzy on Tue Dec 11 01:01AMGreat insight, and a lot of valuable information! i'm eager to see if there are any injuries during the Champions league game this week. Also, we have all been overlooking Man City. Just as NUF, they have an easy schedule ahead, starting at home vs Bolton.
From benam23 on Tue Dec 11 02:09AMi know its early, but hows this team? torres (at +4) santa cruz, kitson, ronaldo, gerrard, n'zogbia, savage (cheap), parnaby (cheap), arbolea, mokoena (cheap), given (cheap). i needed all the cheap people to get cron and gerrard. do you think its worth it or not?
From matt.chizzy on Tue Dec 11 03:42AMbenam23 @ 10: Through the holiday matches, MAC play BOL, @VIlla, Rovers, LIV, @BORO. I wouldn't call that a great sched. Mixed at best, with this weekend home to Bolton being the pick of the bunch. Though if Isaksson and co. ever put together a decent performance, I'd have to think about putting the Swede on the barn door. And boy, does that ever read poorly! Anyway, I would say that NUFC and BRM have much softer schedules. And don't sleep on ManU after their Liverpool double dip. @LIV, EVE before @SUN, @WHU, BRM, NUFC, @RED, POR through January.
From jspitzberg on Tue Dec 11 04:24AMknow its early, but hows this team? torres (at +4) santa cruz, kitson, ronaldo, gerrard, n'zogbia, savage (cheap), parnaby (cheap), arbolea, mokoena (cheap), given (cheap). i needed all the cheap people to get cron and gerrard. do you think its worth it or not?
From matt.chizzy on Tue Dec 11 04:41AMas for those amazing cron weeks last year, i dropped him the week before. after the first one, i though "hmm, he'll never do that again, lets wait till he drops in price again". next week, he gets a hat trick, and im sitting in the middle of the foyer at the san diego hilton absolutely shocked as he shoots up to about 32. even worse, i lost my league by about 100 poinst last year
From matt.chizzy on Tue Dec 11 04:52AMJeremy, how are you and Neal doing points wise? I'm curious who has the lead in your duel and how far behind the Eurosport fantasy guys are in your super-liga.
From betonjuventus on Tue Dec 11 10:58PMYahoo! has stopped pubilicizing the "expert" league again, haven't they? But to be fair they have new fantasy features on Friday and Monday. Here are the standings -- Neal in the lead w/ 1,321.50. I'm second w/ 1,282.50 and finding myself unable to really close the gap. The rest come in at 3. Team America (1,123.50); 4. Parker's Warriors (1,081.00); 5. The Steve Savidan Experience (972.50); and 6. Stavros United (827.00).
From jspitzberg on Wed Dec 12 12:17AMre(11):matt chizzy,same with you,my squad is rooney,kalou,ronaldo,lampard,rosicky,joe cole,mikel(cheap),eboue,Parnaby(cheap),mokoena(che
ap),,given(cheap).what do you say?From shunshetzbhoy_10128 on Wed Dec 12 08:57AMWith Martins gone for Africa Cup soon.. Smudge, at less than 4 pts... is tempting... as I have posted before. He'll play up front more often. I moved into first place in my pool grabbing Nolan on the cheap last week. I feel the same about Smitty... Howard/Derby... Potagetz/Boro... Rozenhal... perhaps... Harper/Reading.... Kitson... all tempting ways to free up some pts.... (Whitehead, too - I think he is due a goal soon...) (I missed first two weeks of fantasy season, starting in Week 3... and now sit on top by .5 pts!! Proud of myself... took a lot of risks to get there, which makes it more fun!!)
From donegal08 on Wed Dec 12 05:04PMAny updated on Eboue receiving his CS points? He'd be a much more attractive defender to have on your roster (at least until ANC) if he actually was SCORED as a defender.
From jamesdowney on Wed Dec 12 08:01PM
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