Fantasy Premier League RETURNS!!
My phone started to buzz like crazy this afternoon in the car… My Mrs said Ohh Mr. Popular today?
I checked the phone and a wide grin sprung immediately to my face.
The Fantasy Premier League had launched this afternoon.
She looked at me , then paused, then said …
“You have got to be &£%$ING kidding me… Well you will still have to go to B&Q on Sunday”
Long Story short, I am delighted to see the return of FPL – Mrs isn’t .
With the league reopening today FantasyYIRMA.com will be taking a deeper look over the coming weeks at Player selection, one’s to watch, strategy articles, Bargain options and FPL advice. One of the first things that jumped out at us immediately is the change (again) to the Bonus Point system.
“new Bonus Points System (BPS) that has been created exclusively for Fantasy Premier League and makes its debut in this season’s game.
Utilising a range of statistics to create a BPS score for every player, the system is designed to reward contributions of players that may not necessarily earn traditional fantasy points, rather than re-reward players that already score handsomely against the current scoring criteria.”
You can read the full introduction to the new Bonus System here .
While we have yet to see this in action (There is a nice example using the WBA 5-5 ManUtd game) – the new Bonus System is something I wholeheartedly support and agree with – The previous system was flawed in my opinion however it is a very difficult measurement to get correct because of the number of variables and the concept of individual opinion on any one game.
Another link to check out is the full player listing for the FPL which you can check out here
To save you some time, Gareth Bale is 12M!
Quite possibly the most beautiful yet frightening set of figures I’ve ever seen, given that I know the next 33 days will be spent analyzing them!
It is brilliant to have the FPL back, please keep up to date with us Via twitter @FantasyYIRMA and of course here on the site.
Click the picture below to join the FantasyYIRMA.com Mini-League which has a £100 First place prize this year!
R
Footballer injury from backflip celebration! MUST SEE!
There is a reason why I don’t celebrate with a backflip after scoring a deflected tap in at 5-aside on a Tuesday night…
This is the reason…
The player here making a name for himself here is Brazilian player Maurides.
Playing for Internacional, this was actually Maurides’ first career goal for the club. Fiver says he moves on to an Alan Shearer-esque celebration for his 2nd goal onwards!
If you Play Fantasy Football don’t forget to get signed up for our free mini league for 2013/14… Free to play and as Always Cash Prize available to the winner
Full details on the FantastyYIRMA site from July 20th
Fantasy Premier League: World Class performance!
Well, it really depends on how one looks at it and especially WHEN. Immediately after the final GW I felt this overwhelming sensation of failure when I realized I finished »only« 15th overall in the official Fantasy Premier League 2012/13. Not so much because of finishing 15th, but because of being so close and yet so far at the same time. As I was asked to share my story with you by @FantasyYirma, allow me to explain.
Going into the final GW, I had some 30+ points to make up in order to be considered a contender for the top spot and, knowing I needed a huge differential, brought in Dempsey as captain, Carroll and benched Lukaku (you do remember his 45 minute barrage of the new champs in Sir Alex’s last game???). Sigh. Now, I would be lying if I was to say that I was seriously considering bringing in Nolan as the differential and captaining him, but it did cross my mind for a millisecond…and then got laughed at by the other, more sensible ideas. In hindsight, Dempsey was always a high risk selection. And so, after the final GW, there was this one consistent, annoying little thought lingering in my head, playing like a broken record over and over and over again.
Yes, what if, what if, what if? No sense in crying now obviously, but it had actually helped me realize that I had »blown it« already in the GW before the last one, to be honest. Sitting comfortably in 8th place overall at the time, I decided to play it safe (aaarrrghhhhh!!!) and opted NOT to bring in Sturridge. Why? Well, everyone else was bringing him in. No differential. And also, you know, not to take the dreaded 4 point hit. What if. We all know what happened next.
The rest is history. So, the real question for me, after the end of this season, is where do I go from here? The thing is, I know goddess Fortuna has probably kept a really close eye on my campaign last year as this is the only way I can explain my phoenix-like rise from embarrassment after my first two woeful years playing the game (where I finished 1,1 MM and 0,4 MM, respectively – you can read my story about it here). Sure, I have picked up a couple of useful things down the road (and based on this experience, I am already writing another article entitled »6 (Un)Conventional Wisdoms of finishing in the Top 100 in FPL« that I will be publishing in the weeks leading up to the start of the new season as an ongoing contributor on FPL Hints, blog written by @fplhints), but still, I highly doubt that I will be able to repeat such a feat. So if you ask me about the biggest low of the previous season, it would undoubtedly have to be the last two GWs. The two GWs where I actually had a small chance of claiming the trophy…and failed.
Obviously, this was a season to remember (if you allow me to switch to my positive side for a moment) in all aspects. I mean, c’mon, I did finish as #15 out of 2,6 million players! So the highs were plenty – starting from GW #1 when I amassed 96 points with 3 Chelsea players (actually captaining Torres, if you can imagine that), introducing both Hazard and Michu to my starting 11. I believe this was actually a »turning point« (yeah, I know it sounds stupid to call GW1 a turning point, but it still feels like that) as for once, I was quick out of the start gate – up and running from the get go.
The GWs that brought considerable smile to my face were also GW6 which coincided with introducing Suarez (when everyone else was ditching him – btw, I really love taking a gamble on great players in poor form, they are usually on the verge of exploding) and he rewarded me with an amazing output of 20 points (unfortunately I was too chicken to captain him), GW 16 with captaining Sessegnon and him scoring a goal in the waning seconds of the second game to bring the week’s total to 20 points as (c), GW 23 and Walcott’s 38 points as (c), GW26 with 117 points (season high) courtesy of Suarez‘ 30 pts (Enrique 19, Michu 18, Bale 16 and RVP 12, among others), GW 29 with Remy scoring a remarkable goal that had me thinking that QPR are actually gonna make it (and bringing me 16 points in the process) and cashing in my WC in GW 36 for 99 points and a jump to the season’s highest spot – 8.
Well, I have already set my goal for next season – finish in Top 1% in the next year’s season. If you are interested in how I do and get a few tips and ramblings along the way, you are invited to follow me on Twitter where I tweet as @matejp23 and see how I do. Tip-off is only a good 30+ days away and I am actually already looking forward to it; all those Saturday and Sunday afternoons when you are sneaking a view at the points total on your smartphone, while your dear is giving you the eye because there is for sure something to be done at home…can’t wait! J
All the best to all of you!
Many thanks to @matejp23 for this fantastic guest post!! Genuinely delighted to feature him on #FY. A season not to forget!!
If you would like to submit a Premier League related post – contact Ryan at FantasyYIRMA@homail.com
Football related Car Commercials – how bad could they be??
Football and wheels – is there a better combination of hobbies for men? Possibly, but while you are thinking about it, here is a fun list of curious football-related commercials sponsored by leading car manufacturers.
Arsenal
Let’s start with something quite nontraditional – famous football players who are taking ballet lessons. Yes, that actually happened and it actually worked out pretty well, too. Citroën, an official sponsor of Arsenal since 2008, and in 2012 it was high time they got some publicity for that. The DS5 make was released under the motto “The Refined, Redefined” and it was presented to the world in a rather unconventional TV commercial.
Four Arsenal players – Wojciech Szczesny, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Song and Bacary Sagna were shown dancing ballet next to professional ballerinas. You’ve got to check it out below – Clumsiness Level: 9000. Favorite moment – when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seems to intentionally pick up the tutu of one of the dancing ballerinas. On another shot you can see Alex Song wandering how he is to repeat a complicated set of steps .By the end Wojciech Szczesny makes a quite elegant jump. Who would’ve guessed? As Jules Tilstone, the Marketing Director at Citroën UK, put it: “With this project, we wanted to take their top-class footballers, renowned for their refined style of football, and put them into a new environment that would redefine their sporting talents.” I really hope that Citroen DS5 does not redefine refinement in a similar fashion! Jokes aside though – good job Citroen for a funny and catchy commercial.
FIFA WORLD CUP
Having seen a European car commercial, it would be interesting to compare it to an Asian competitor. In 2010 Hyundai was a sponsor of FIFA World Cup. Thanks to the leader in the advertising business M&C Saatchi, the South Korean car company released very intriguing short TV series on ITV. The clips were replaying the highlights of the football games with the main characters being replaced by Huindai vehicles. The “wheelball” look of the short broadcasts was rather weird though the spots were fun and well-made.
Again for the 2010 World Cup Hyundai signed with another advertising agency called Innocean. The promotional campaign included both print advertisements and TV commercials. The latter became very popular mainly for their insightful approach towards admiring the football fans’ dedication and loyalty. The first one: Die Hard accents on the true commitment to the game. Quoting directly from the ad:
“Most soccer fans are loyal to the day they die… Some like to take it a bit further…”
The second ad Baby Name focuses on a happy baby girl father who harbors a true passion for the game and for his favorite team.
GERMAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
The final football commercial in this list is an amazing modernistic ad of Mercedes Benz A-Class. A great execution, fantastic idea and splendid special effects; starring the German national football team. A class performance, enjoy!
If you know of another football related car commercial drop the link in the comments below… I’m expecting a Va Va Voom link from someone!!
GUEST POST: By David Drasnin
If you know of another football related car commercial drop the link in the comments below… I’m expecting a Va Va Voom link from someone!! #FY
PREMIER LEAGUE RETURNS IN 40 DAYS!!
With the FantasyYIRMA team still enjoying their summer hiatus we are delighted to feature FPL superfan Walt (@EPLFanForLife) on the site again.
(NOTE: #FY admin @Pedro_Lamb was last seen heading into what he thought was a table tennis sports bar in Bangkok.. if found please provide with return directions to Burton, UK.)
If you would like to submit a guest post to feature on FantasyYIRMA.com please email Ryan on FantasyYIRMA@hotmail.com.
PREMIER LEAGUE RETURNS IN 40 DAYS!!
Mid-Summer FPL Status Report
It’s agonizing, right? We’re smack dab in the middle of the off-season, the official #FPL site has gone dark, the transfer window is officially open for business, and the only certainty is that there are roughly 2.5 million people sitting on the edge of their seats with all questions and no answers.
After sitting back and thinking for a moment, there are actually some things we do know, but they too are really only things we know about the past and the present; not the future. These things too, as they relate to the FPL season to come, also lead directly to one place; more questions.
When it all boils down to it, there are three distinct variables that connect last season’s FPL season with the season we all now anticipate. They are:
1) What happened last season
2) What has happened since the season ended
3) What is going to happen between today and August 17
What Happened Last Year
Wouldn’t it be great if last season’s performance was a direct indicator of how players would perform this year? I have no statistics to correlate one season’s performance to the next, but it’s only natural to look to the Van Persie’s and the Michu’s and the Bale’s and the Lambert’s and the Gerrard’s and the Mata’s and the Jaaskelainen’s – Jasskelainen!?!? – to pay rich dividends this time around as well. But what about the guys who came on strong at the end of last season? What about Coutinho and Sturridge and Kagawa and Lukaku? Will the strong end to the season carry forward through the long summer and into the first few fixtures of the season to come?
Although it’s easy to assume that that is the case, things have definitely changed; But just how much? Enough to make last season’s statistics a mistaken indicator of what’s to come? New managers, new players coming and going, World Cup qualifiers, Confederations Cup, pre-season tours, time off on holiday, stress surrounding potential contract extensions or transfer rumours. All of these things affect a player’s outlook, attitude, and ability to gel with a new squad or manager. Some players are affected positively and some players are affected negatively.
How much will last year’s performance influence the 15 guys you select to start your 2013-2014 FPL season with? Many FPL managers will struggle with this thought over the next 40 days, and I will be right there with you.
What’s Happened Since the Season Ended
For all intents and purposes, the 2012-2013 English Premier League season ended quietly. Manchester United had long ago wrapped up their title and the bottom of the table was all but sorted. May 19, 2013 seems like forever ago.
Since then, 5 teams have undergone managerial changes – with 4 of them being in the top 6 sides. That leaves Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas as the only two managers in the top 6 to be leading their sides into the next campaign. Everyone else – Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton – all have managerial transitions to endure and the inevitable acclimitization period that such a change inherently brings with it. Make no mistake about it, these changes will impact these clubs as the new season gets underway. Don’t forget DiCanio and Sunderland either – he has caused quite a stir both inside and outside the club with his sometimes unorthodox approach to managing professional football players.
In addition to the managerial changes and full-scale club transitions that they involve, there have been 101 confirmed transfers since the season ended on May 19. Of those 101 confirmed transfers, 43 have involved players moving into the EPL from a different league, 51 have involved players leaving the EPL, and 7 have involved players being transferred from one EPL team to another. Keep in mind that the large majority of these 101 confirmed transfers have been confirmed during the past 6 days!
Notable transfers that may affect your FPL outlook as we make our way through the summer include:
- Carroll from Liverpool to West Ham
- Mignolet from Sunderland to Liverpool
- Sanogo to Arsenal
- Ratt to West Ham
- Figueroa to Hull City
- van Wolfswinkel to Norwich
- Stekelenburg to Fulham
- Navas to Manchester City
- Fernandinho to Manchester City
- Schurrle to Chelsea
- Amat to Swansea
- Kolo Toure from Manchester City to Liverpool
- McGregor to Hull City
- Mannone from Arsenal to Sunderland
- Shelvey from Liverpool to Swansea
- Anelka to West Brom
- Van Ginkel to Chelsea
- Paulinho to Tottenham
Again we’re left with more questions than answers.
Which Carroll will show up for West Ham this season, having finally settled somewhere he feels wanted? Will Mannone start for Sunderland? How will Schurrle and Van Ginkel fit in at Chelsea? Will Fulham’s defense improve and make Stekelenburg a viable FPL option in goal?
How will Fernandinho and Navas slot in at City and where does that leave Dzeko, who conceivably would benefit greatly from Navas’ ability to jet down the wing and lob crosses into the big man week after week? How will Shelvey’s move affect last year’s Newcomer of the Year, Mr. Michu, and his position on the pitch? What does Paulinho’s move mean for Tottenham’s midfield, specifically Sigurdsson, who was used sparingly following a pre-season full of significant hype following the arm-wrestling match between Rodgers and Villas-Boas?
How will Moyes respond to the unenviable scrutiny of following the most celebrated manager in the history of the English top division? How will the players respond? How will Martinez keep Everton’s momentum going with the 3-4-3 formation he seems intent on installing (Seamus Coleman anyone?) How will the circus act that was Chelsea fan’s relationship with their manager play out this year, now that the Chosen One has returned to the team he “has always loved”? Will Pellegrini bring stability to the clubhouse of millionaires that make up the Manchester City squad? What will happen to the poor Sunderland souls who are caught with any variation of sugar, natural form or not, pulsing through their systems following DiCanio’s institution of modernly bizarre team rules?
How will new boys Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and Hull City fare? Are they worth investing in at any position?
It’s only July 8. There are 40 days left until the season begins on August 17. Given the questions raised by the moves made to date and the changes that will have each of our heads spinning, there is still so much more to come that may completely change our approach to the new FPL season.
What Will Happen Between Now and August 17
The greatest league of the most popular sport in the world is never short of excitement. With no games being played there is really only one thing to keep the thousands of journalists whose careers revolve around the Premier League in business; transfer rumors. Log onto Twitter for 30 seconds and you’re bound to run across a handful or a dozen of them. It’s what keeps the EPL world spinning on its axis between May and August. And the rumors are flying fast and furious.
The Thiago Alcantara move to Manchester United has been “confirmed” multiple times since shortly before he led Spain to the UEFA Under-21 European Championships earlier this summer. If that move ever materializes, coupled with Moyes’ insistence that Rooney is going to stay at ManU this season, where does that leave those of us convinced that Kagawa finally seemed like he was beginning to settle in as a long-awaited and much-needed consistent midfield Manchester United FPL option as the season unfolded?
Will the John Ruddy rumored move to Chelsea materialize? Where will that leave Norwich? What in the world is going to happen with Suarez? Will the Higuain deal to Arsenal finally go through, and which Gonzalo will show up if it does?
And these are only the rumors we know about now! Many more will come, and unfortunately for those of us who are unsettled by this fact, the transfer window will stay open right up until gw3 of the coming season. I hate that!
So for now, there is a lot that we know, a lot that we don’t know, and a lot that we don’t yet know we don’t know. The next 6 weeks are going to be a roller coaster; a roller coaster that many of us secretly enjoy because it includes the final pieces of the puzzle that all stews together in mid August to give us all of the information we’ll have available to us for that all-important few days prior to August 17 when we finish fiddling, complete our tinkering, say a final good luck prayer, and click CONFIRM TEAM.
Enjoy it FPL’ers….I know I will.
Please check out Walt’s new FPL blog.. A must read and well recommended from the FY team http://whatiwantmykidstoknowaboutfootball.blogspot.co.uk/
Guest Post: Fantasy Football (US) is a Legal and Skill Oriented Passionate Game
The following article is about fantasy football catered towards the US market ( American Fantasy Football)
Gaming for fun and gaming for gambling, passion lies in both. However, you have to be judgmental and set your psychology accordingly. There are gamblers who have the experience of gambling with football games at some point in life.
As an ardent football lover you would love to move on with this game of fantasy football without the involvement and participation of a bookie. This is a game being played around the world both online and offline, and believe me
you can play the game for some unadulterated fun.
In the last five years the passion for the game has been all the more heightened and most Americans and Brits want to play the game for one reason or the other (Each with its own version). This is the reason the game has been made legal for the convenience of the gamers.
There has been a debate for some time now related to Fantasy Football and Soccer. Is this considered gambling or a strategy and statistical game, basically a game of skill? Now, recently the game has been made legal by following some norms.
Under legal guidelines you can definitely play fantasy football as a game of gambling. It was however, in the year of 2007 that
the game finally came to be recognised as a skilled sport by the judgement of the New Jersey District Court, USA (Case No. 2:06-cv-02768: HUMPHREY ). Levels of government have agreed to the fact that this is a kind of legalised sport being played online and football fantasy is more a game of skill than chance.
It is essential for you to know that fantasy sports can be counted as games of skill and you can smartly play them over the net like any other online casino games (With Live dealers or not).
Talking about online casinos with live dealers, you can rightly mention www.newlivecasinos.com where you can read about this new trend of Live Blackjack, Live Roulette and get more information.
Like the above mentioned options one can play fantasy football online and even earn bonus points. The superb techno-geeks have made it possible for us to play fantasy sports online. Just like you play live Roulette, live blackjack and with live dealers from the comfort of your sofa, in the same manner you have the option of playing fantasy football exclusively from the convenience of your home. So if you have a mind to play this unique sport online it is best that you collect more information on the sport, and Mark Barnes’ new novel The League would be the right source of information for you in this case ( Note that it’s about US Fantasy Football but it’s a very good reading nontheless).
By Mark Sanders
NewLiveCasinos is a site offered to the public that provides personal reviews of latest live casino sites. Find the latest user reviews and latest updates right here!
Premier League’s potential assist makers
Guest Post:
Strikers always grab the headlines for their wonderful goals and dramatic missed opportunities, which is why they’re worth so much in the transfer market and fantasy football.
However, the most successful strikers over the years are ones that had great assistants behind them and created opportunities for others. It goes without saying that players like Gerrard, Lampard, Fabregas, Scholes (The list goes on..) all have over 100 Premier League assists. Cristiano Ronaldo amongst others proved a world-class player with his ability to find others as well as the goal.
When planning your fantasy football team for next season don’t just look at how many goals strikers and midfielders may score. Instead, focus on their contribution to the game. Here are our (affordable) picks for next season’s top providers:
Jean Beausejour:
The Wigan midfielder earned nine assists last year despite playing for a relegation-threatened team all season. Now the Latics have gone down football betting fans can hope for Beausejour to find a new club before the summer transfer window is out. He shouldn’t be too expensive and the Chilean will always offer great service.
Lukas Podolski:
The German didn’t have the best of debut seasons in the Premier League but nevertheless provided Arsenal with nine goals on top of his 11 tally. Podolski is a cheap buy in fantasy football and coming off the left will often look to hit the central striker rather than the goal, making him a decent buy especially if Arsenal land Gonzalo Higuain this summer.
Rickie Lambert:
It wasn’t just his 15 goals for Southampton last season that made Lambert so valuable. He was involved in 24 of the Saints’ 49 goals last term and is one of the best box players in the Premier League. He’s always a good punt to score with fans who bet on sport and is a good reserve to have in your fantasy football squad too.
Robert Snodgrass:
The Scot earned a reputation at Leeds United for his dead ball expertise and he’s taken to life at Norwich City with ease. Snodgrass made nine last season and can be relied upon to find the head of Grant Holt and Michael Turner. His personal tally may not be too impressive but Snodgrass will always offer a chance for the team.
Selecting a fantasy football team is a difficult task. Remember, your reserves play as much a part in earning you points as those big-money strikers. Be smart with your funds and don’t simply go for a player who grabs the headlines, for there are some decent cheap buys out there if you see past goal tallies.
About the author:
Joe is a freelance sports journalist and staff writer for FC Copenhagen. As a Leeds United season ticket holder for nine years in his youth, he’s seen the best and worst English football has to offer. A frequent fantasy football player, you may (or most probably may not) have seen his team Borussia Teeth languishing at the foot of many a league table. That trend is set to continue.
If you would like the opportunity to guest post on FantasyYIRMA.com email Ryan at FantasyYIRMA@hotmail.com
Manchester City to Juventus: Will Carlos Tevez be Missed?
Last year the term “Mancini Roulette” was used frequently by the FantasyYIRMA team. Selecting a Striker from Manchester City striker always carried an element of risk. With Tevez leaving for Juventus, new FY regular Walt provides his thoughts on the recent Transfer
Adios Carlos Tevez – A Fond FPL Farewell ?
You’ve probably read the news by now. Carlos “I don’t want to warm-up” Tevez has agreed a move to Italian giants Juventus because “they wanted him more” than AC Milan did. He leaves behind a newly reorganized Manchester City squad that drove FPL managers bonkers last year as crazy-man Roberto Mancini played musical chairs with virtually every position on the pitch.
Personally, Mancini scared me away from so many City players during #FPL season that Tevez’s move away came as a breath of fresh air to me when I heard everything was finalized. After initially admiring the work rate and tenacity Tevez showed following his move to Manchester United and the way he “stood up” to Sir Alex Ferguson when things went south and he flew the coop across town to City, it gradually dawned on me during his multiple excursions on the wrong side of sanity that it wasn’t Sir Alex who had been the problem; it was Carlos.
So seeing Tevez move away initially seemed like just the kind of move that both Manchester City and us #FPL managers needed. Freed from Mancini’s unpredictability, the offloading of Tevez seemingly reduces the rotation risk of City’s front line by a full 33% as it leaves those minutes to be filled by Sergio Aguero and/or Edin Dzeko, unless of course a third quality striker is brought in or recalled from loan who Pellegrini decides to drive us equally mad with. But that remains to be seen.
Manchester City
City’s forward rotation was great for City; don’t get me wrong. But it was an #FPL manager’s nightmare. Looking at the statistics from the 2012-2013 season, Mancini actually did a very good job of spreading the minutes around and keeping people fresh when they weren’t injured. Aguero, Tevez and Dzeko averaged 51, 63 and 48 minutes per gameweek respectively, a very even distribution, while scoring 5.6, 6.3 and 6.4 points per 90 minutes each. On the face of it, Mancini did exactly what he should have done; keeping things fresh and maintaining consistent returns.
Despite the rotation, Tevez finished the year as City’s up-front leader in both minutes played and points scored. From a statistical perspective, he scored 6.35 points per game to Aguero’s 5.60 and based on year-end values tallied 18.37 points per million pounds in price compared to Aguero’s 10.90. Financially speaking, Tevez was a bargain. At 18.84 points per million pounds in price, so was Dzeko.
Purely from a numbers standpoint – City may have let the wrong guy leave. Based purely on statistics, for what it’s worth, the Tevez and Dzeko show, based on the 2012-2013 season, is more productive and profitable than an FPL Aguero-Dzeko combination.
When setting the City dynamic to the side and looking at Tevez strictly compared to other FPL forwards in his price bracket (9.2m at season end), he also outscored every forward in the 8.3 – 9.3m bracket quite comfortably. Of Torres, Adebayor, Podolski, Carroll and Cisse, only Podolski even comes close to Tevez’s points and value statistics.
So we’re left, as oftentimes is the case, with a double-edged sword. When looking at City coverage, Tevez’s move to Juventus simplifies things and makes both Aguero and Dzeko much more attractive investments than they were last year (Dzeko statistically would be the guy to pick up due to his points/price ratio, but I have a sneaky suspicion Aguero will have a good year assuming he doesn’t get assaulted in the 13th minute of the first fixture like he did last year). At the same time, Tevez’s outstanding performance in the mid-premium price bracket leaves a significant void to be filled by somebody. Who that person will be is anyone’s guess, as Tevez decidedly outperformed everyone else in that bracket last season.
At this point, only one thing is for sure. Carlos can show up and caddie at the British Open practice rounds all he wants, but no one will be getting any FPL points from him this time around. He’s going the way of Balotelli and Mancini, and taking all of the pointing, laughing and snickering with him.
Seeya Carlitos. Good luck.
Please follow me on Twitter: @EPLFanForLife
The North-South divide and the changing face of the Premier League.
GUEST POST from Bryn Robinson at thesefootballtimes.net
Premier League Focus
The North-South divide in England has always been an area of contention for the nation.
With London and the South typically favoured by politicians and businesses, the North is often neglected and maligned. However football is one area where the North can be seen to rule supreme, with teams from the north of the country traditionally dominating the league, winning 39 top tier titles in the last 50 years.
In the 2011/12 season there were 9 teams from the North of England in the Premier League, with Manchester City running out the eventual winners in what was essentially a two horse race with rivals Manchester United. However just 12 months on, (and with United winning on the Horses this season) teams from the south are having a resurgence. With the promotion of Cardiff City and Crystal Palace, the 2013/14 Premier League season is set to contain 9 teams from the south, including for the first time two teams from South Wales.
With Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool and now Wigan Athletic slipping into the Championship in the last 2 years, it looks that the balance of footballing power may be shifting subtly towards the south.
But just what is causing this shift in demographic? One key factor can be linked with the influx of foreign players to the Premier League, with London clubs in particular taking advantage of the city itself in order to lure players in. Clubs play on the more temperate climate, wealthy culture and cosmopolitan attitude present in the capital in order to sell their club to players from abroad when trying to complete transfers.
However the draw of certain northern clubs cannot be underestimated. Manchester United and Liverpool both make use of their wealth, historic successes and large fan bases to land big name stars. Whereas Manchester City are able to offer huge sums of money to bring in global superstars such as David Silva, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero. Clubs from the north of England still have clout when it comes to acquiring top players, yet this seems to be limited somewhat to the largest clubs, with smaller clubs receiving the raw end of the deal when compared with their southern counterparts.
Though clubs from both North and South compete at the top of the Premier League and in Europe, it seems that the North’s general dominance of the English footballing pyramid could be set to change.
With both Manchester clubs changing managers, it could be argued that each will undergo a transition season, and although they will be aiming to challenge for the title, it may not be as easy as under a settled manager and squad. This is surely the best chance for teams like Tottenham and Arsenal to try and break the northern dominance over the Premier League. With stable managers and the funds available to strengthen their squads, next season could provide an opportunity for these well positioned clubs to make a serious challenge for the title. Is this the time for southern clubs to turn their current strong position in the league into silverware?
Bryn Robinson
Writer for thesefootballtimes.net Follow on twitter @ohbryno and @thesefootytimes.
Agree/ Disagree – Drop your comments below!!
North Contenders: Manchester United, Manchester City
South Contenders: Arsenal, Chelsea
2013/2014 Premier League glory: A deep-lying midfielder away?
2013/2014 Premier League glory: A deep-lying midfielder away?
A sharp increase in TV revenues should supplement an active summer transfer window this year, and with activity already well underway, this could well be the highest spending window of all time.
The activity of England’s top four teams will naturally invite a greater sense of intrigue. Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea all have new managers who will make the changes they deem necessary, while Arsenal chief-executive Ivan Gazidis has publicly stated on multiple occasions that this will be a ‘big summer’ for the Gunners.
While every squad has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, all four of England’s top four teams arguably need to strengthen their midfield. City have already addressed this issue with the acquisition of the excellent Fernandinho, but Arsenal, Chelsea and United are still yet to make any significant moves.
The prominence of the 4-2-3-1 is perhaps the best explanation for the weakness of this zone in each respective squad. With top teams intent on playing attractive football, clubs have chosen to splash out the ‘big money’ on technically adept attacking midfielders (Cazorla, Hazard, Silva), hence neglecting the two deeper players within such a system.
Arsenal
Arsenal’s midfield combination has been relatively inconsistent this season. Injuries to Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere have meant Tomas Rosicky and Aaron Ramsay have had more opportunities. In their excellent end of season form, they set up most frequently with Ramsey and Arteta supporting Rosicky- and the team only conceded 5 goals in their last 10 matches.
Hence, its somewhat difficult to properly assess where Arsenal need to strengthen based on that 10 match run. But if Wenger has the funds Gazidis publicly states that he has, then significant investment in the link role occupied by Ramsey would be most beneficial.
While Ramsay is still young and always improving, he is perhaps the weakest of Arsenal’s midfield three. With Abou Diaby seemingly completely out of the picture with his latest long term injury, a dynamic physical player to accompany the less energetic Arteta would give Arsenal the complete midfield variety they need. Arsenal’s midfield combinations have been discussed in detail before on this blog, but its also worth remembering that Arteta is now 31 and Francis Coquelin is not the most experienced cover. The issue of Arteta has not been significant this season because the Spaniard has managed to start 34 times. Yet it is unlikely the Spaniard will be able to maintain such consistency in seasons to come, and if Arsenal seek genuine Premier League glory then perhaps a huge investment to a younger player would take them to the next level.
Marouane Fellaini has been heavily linked so far, and he would be an excellent acquisition. Fellaini has played mainly behind a striker at Everton, but would often find himself starting as a holder if Moyes wanted greater defensive cover, especially during his early years at Goodison Park. Hence, his ability to contribute to both attack and defence, as well as provide some much needed Vieira-esque muscle in midfield would make him a definite purchase.
Chelsea
Roberto Di Matteo’s controversial sacking could be put down to a number of reasons. But if the Italian made one obvious mistake, it was the way he neglected the defensive midfield area, especially when it needed to support such a fluid and defensively naive attacking quartet. Prior to the start of the 12/13 season Raul Meireles was sold and Michael Essien was sent out on loan, meaning Chelsea only had one genuine defensive midfielder- the inexperienced Oriol Romeu. Granted, John Obi Mikel is decent player, but it is often forgotten that he was naturally a number 10- that was the role he took up before he joined the Blues. Ramires and Frank Lampard are not holders, despite their individual excellence.
The key to Chelsea’s midfield is that a creative deep lying playmaker is entirely unnecessary. The intelligence and guile provided by Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard in the final third means the supporting players behind them need only be defensively adept and dynamic.
With Mr. Mourinho taking charge- primarily a defensive coach- there should be some investment here. In his debut 04/05 campaign, he guided Chelsea to the title conceding just 15 goals, an incredible feat. This season, Man City conceded the least amount of any team with 34- a clear sign that while attacking standards have improved, defensive responsibilities have been compromised. In Mourinho’s previous reigns players such as Costinho (Porto) and Esteban Cambiasso (Inter) have received considerable acclaim for their roles in excellent defensive systems. Claude Makélélé became the iconic bedrock of that Chelsea defence; Mourinho will surely be searching for another big player of that mould.
Manchester City
City’s £30m acquisition of Shaktar’s Fernandinho is the club’s acknowledgement of problems in this area of the pitch. But interestingly, the defensive midfield area had been the defining tactical issue in recent years.
At first it was an issue of creativity- Nigel de Jong, Gareth Barry and Yaya Toure lacked guile from deep, and a number of pundits recognised this as the main reason for their disappointing performances in Europe.
Mancini tried to rectify the situation with the signing of David Pizarro on loan last season, and then settled with Benfica’s Javi Garcia and Jack Rodwell last summer. Garcia, theoretically, was supposed to offer additional intelligence with the same defensive strengths, but in reality was an inferior player.
The acquisition of Fernandinho should change the complexion of City’s midfield. Based on the Brazilian’s tendency to get forward from deep, it is likely Pellegrini may adopt a ‘double pivot’ system which allows for a more flexible midfield. Instead of playing a designated holder and a designated link player, both Fernandinho and Yaya Toure would alternative in either staying back or getting forward. If they can replicate the standards of Germany’s Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira operating in the same system, their midfield should finally have the variety and quality to strike a fine balance between defensive cover and attacking creativity.
Manchester United
While Arsenal, Chelsea and City all roughly play 4-2-3-1s and have reasons to strengthen in order to build upon their positions from last year, the case is quite different at Old Trafford.
For sometime now the central midfield zone has been seen as United’s weak point, with Michael Carrick in need of a either an outright playmaker or an outright destroyer next to him. But given how Ryan Giggs, Phil Jones, Anderson, Tom Cleverley and even Wayne Rooney have filled might suggest that investment is unnecessary.
How Moyes will choose to act in this market will be interesting. On one hand, investment here would stamp his authority on the team and signify a change in direction. On the other, based on Moyes’ tendency to play a similar 4-4-1-1 formation to that of Alex Ferguson, investment may again be wholly unnecessary. Also consider that there is arguably no need to change an already established winning formula, and it could be unlikely that he’ll be forced into pressure signings.
The 2013/14 season will be an intersting season, and marks the beginning of a new era. With Ferguson gone, City and Chelsea galvanised, and Arsenal financially empowered, this could well be one of the most competitive seasons of all time. Perhaps- therefore- it is not unreasonable to think that the team that invests most astutely in the defensive midfield role could be in with a genuine chance of success.
The groundbreaking, most influential signing of the 2012/13 season? Undoubtedly Javi Martinez; the Spaniard was a catalyst for Bayern’s historic treble winning season. England’s top teams will surely be looking to replicate such an inspirational piece of business.
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