Fantasy Premier League

Matchday Open Thread

Sat Jan 19 02:55PM by Jeremy

Sophie Ross poses with her new shirt outside the ground before the FA Cup 3rd round replay football match between Newcastle United and Stoke City at St James' Park in Newcastle, northern England January 16, 2008.

The King is dead.  Long live the King. 

So King Kev is back on Tyneside.  The days of wine and roses are here again.  It's great that his appointment has brought such good feelings to the club and its supporters.  We'll see today if that emotion can be translated into points.  Beating Luton Town was important... no wait, that was important for Liverpool.  Beating Stoke was important but a result against Bolton would really help.

Bolton have brought in Matty Taylor and we expect him to be in an advanced midfield role.  But withouth Diouf and Anelka, Bolton could be toothless.  Especially on the road.

Certainly I'm hoping that's the case.  Like I'm sure a lot of you are, I'm betting on Given and hoping he at least gives me some positive points.  I'm not convinced that the cheap keeper du jour is a winning strategy this season, but until the new transfers enter the system and the ones that are there show their true nature - Robert, are you for real this time around? -what seem to me to be the better bets are the more expensive players.

So I'm sticking with EdS against Fulham who won't have their new defender in and are missing Konchesky - insert your own joke about how much they'll miss him here - and Tevez, whom I expect to hold all season, against a struggling Reading side.  Dropping from Cesc to MPet (home to WHU then @DER next weekend) gives me the money to move from AJ, who killed me last week with a late injury, to the Elk.  He's pricey at 15, but the ceiling is high.  He'll probably drift through the game without making an impact, but if he goes off and puts a goal or two past BRM I want to be on the bandwagon.

The same can be said for SWP whom I brought into the midfield for the other of last week's missing men, Harry Kewell.  I'm hoping SWP continues to play at the top of CHE's diamond and can dovetail well with the Elk, his old Citeh teamate.  

CRon and KRich complete the midfield.  The rest of the team is cobbled together from scraps - Sagna, Mok, Nelsen, and Given.  That's 4 players for 11 units with Sagna almost half the total.  Rovers play Boro who may be on a down after playing up against Liverpool last weekend but matchup, smatchup they're cheap!  And the Mok is the ultimage DNH (do no harm) defender at the moment.

Whom are you betting on this weekend?  Whether they live up to your wildest expectations or play down to your worst fears, consider this your matchday open thread to talk about it. 

(61 user comments)

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  • (1)

    i have torres at +5.98. would you advise keeping him for the season, or dropping to eduardo and trying to swap j cole for swp?

    Posted by: matt.chizzy@btinternet.com on Sat Jan 19 05:19AM | Report abuse
  • (2)

    Any thoughts on dropping Fabregas or even Gerrard to pick Anelka?

    Posted by: krokodil_g on Sat Jan 19 05:28AM | Report abuse
  • (3)

    i would keep Torres. He's a stud - frustrating as he can drift through a match without doing anything, but he'll pop up with a goal more often than not. You can't sell that kind of quality, especially at that discount. I don't think JCole to SWP would be enough of an upgrade to make it worth your while.

    Posted by: jspitzberg on Sat Jan 19 05:29AM | Report abuse
  • (4)

    krokodil_g (2), see the post above. but as the song goes, "what might be right for me might not be right for some."

    Posted by: jspitzberg on Sat Jan 19 05:32AM | Report abuse
  • (5)

    I'm sticking with my current line-up, as it seems whenever I make a move, it's the wrong one. Dropped Samba last week for instance, to add Nelsen. Oh well. This will be the week that not making a change turns out to be the bad move... (Murphy's Law, Fantasy Football version) Torres, Agbonlahor; Cesc, Cahill, Dempsey, Kranjcar, JCole; Warnock, Lescott, Nelsen; Friedel. I'm a Newcastle fan, but that's one reason I'm staying away for now... too much emotion involved... the other reason is I'm waiting to see if the barn door will begin to swing...

    Posted by: pusich@sbcglobal.net on Sat Jan 19 07:21AM | Report abuse
  • (6)

    P.S. (off topic, kinda) I almost *retched* when I saw the pic, I thought that was Paris Hilton. Upon closer inspection, of course, it can't be... this lassie actually looks like she has some curves! Thanks for posting it!

    Posted by: pusich@sbcglobal.net on Sat Jan 19 07:23AM | Report abuse
  • (7)

    no1 fancies spurs to beat sunderland at home? i'm backing Jenas and Keane! the fact that i'm a newcastle supporter helps there! for that reason also i've put faith in Robert hoping that he rediscovers his form and his confidence to shoot from anywhere inside 35 yards! made 7.34 on tevez so he's a keeper for the season unless something drastic happens! given, nelsen enrique carvalho, arteta jenas duff robert, tevez keane anelka.

    Posted by: tottyteaze on Sat Jan 19 10:00AM | Report abuse
  • (8)

    Should i get Berbatov or R. Keane? someone please advice..

    Posted by: notorious_ed on Sat Jan 19 10:07AM | Report abuse
  • (9)

    I'm tempted to believe that Berbs home to SUN has got to be a better bet than the Elk @ BRM. He was rested midweek, still wants a move, so might actually try this afternoon. So i've gone for Torres(+5),Berbs, Eds,Cron,Hleb,Mpet,Kran the man,Mok,Neslon,Senderos & Given. No doubt a hatrick for the Elk this afternoon then...

    Posted by: gingerlouiemac on Sat Jan 19 10:37AM | Report abuse
  • (10)

    elk,k2,tevez,cron,mpet,kran,savage,nelson,parnaby,senderos and kirkland,any comment anyone?

    Posted by: shunshetzbhoy_10128 on Sat Jan 19 11:15AM | Report abuse