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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  • (51)

    "West Ham striker Dean Ashton has a back injury, in case any of you thought his exclusion today means he is on his way out of Upton Park." -from BBC live text-

    Posted by: goeasy27 on Sun Jan 20 04:03PM | Report abuse
  • (52)

    whats the story with the villa blackb game next sat. it says that the cut off point is on the 29 jan.does this mean we can load up with players from these teams for saturday and change them for the games on the tue and wed.will we get the extra points

    Posted by: sophiesmightymacs on Sun Jan 20 04:18PM | Report abuse
  • (53)

    Yikes, the lockdown definitely needs to be moved to the 26th or the whole week is thrown off.

    Posted by: the_burning_pen on Sun Jan 20 04:58PM | Report abuse
  • (54)

    Have I just missed it or has no one asked who K2 is this week?

    Posted by: sangrerojo2003 on Sun Jan 20 05:21PM | Report abuse
  • (55)

    K2 is kanu the second ... current ars striker Adebayer ... (whatever the correct spelling is) ... why do ppl ask these repetitive ques every week...

    Posted by: cal_eternity on Sun Jan 20 06:01PM | Report abuse
  • (56)

    (55) Thanks, but I was merely commenting that no one had actually asked that question yet this week, which in and of itself, amazed me.

    Posted by: sangrerojo2003 on Sun Jan 20 06:04PM | Report abuse
  • (57)

    jeremy and neal you need to get next weeks deadline moved back to 26th to cover the aston villa match. if it is left as is a moment on 29th it will be a disaster and wreck the whole season.

    Posted by: keith_r_stewart on Sun Jan 20 08:07PM | Report abuse
  • (58)

    I had the Owen or Benjani dilemma, thought, Owen, not scored in a while, played midweek and has suspect fitness levels, has previous fall out with new boss undermining his confidence, OR do i go with Portsmouth top scorer at home against poorest team in the league? I chose Benjani of course!! 36 pts rather than 0.5 ;)

    Posted by: petegoddard11996655 on Mon Jan 21 09:28AM | Report abuse
  • (59)

    neil,my league mate,ACTUALLY HAS OWEN AS HIS MIDFIELDER(Noy G.Owen,and not as Forward),can u help me to find how could it happen?

    Posted by: shunshetzbhoy_10128 on Mon Jan 21 01:09PM | Report abuse
  • (60)

    it is really M.Owen form NUF,

    Posted by: shunshetzbhoy_10128 on Mon Jan 21 01:11PM | Report abuse