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15 Transfers That Shocked English Football!!
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Following on from Robin van Persie’s completed move from Arsenal to Manchester United, here’s a look at 15 more transfers which shocked English football.
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Written by @Lewbob91 for @Footysays
Fantasy Yirma: Gameweek 1 preview
Gameweek 1 preview: The story of the Blues
By now you’ll have clocked it. There can’t really be a Fantasy player who hasn’t.
The 2012/13 season will kick-off with the European champions gracing us with a double Gameweek.
It can’t really get any better can it? You’ve got all those great Chelsea players to choose from and the chance to score double points with each and every one of them, and quadruple with your captain – be it Eden Hazard, Juan Mata or Ross Turnbull. The world is your expensive, Russian oil money-purchased oyster.
Yet is it that simple? Chelsea’s matches against first Wigan and then Reading certainly look winnable, but players should be mindful that the price for the Blues doubling up on Gameweek 1 is that they’ll miss out on Gameweek 3, when Roberto di Matteo’s side (if he’s still there by then) will have swanned off to Monaco to take on Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup.
So the question facing Fantasy bosses all summer has been whether or not to load up on Chelsea players for the first couple of Gameweeks or to stay away. The answer can be found in an annoying club song, because as far as this Gameweek is concerned – Blue is the colour.
Chelsea’s best players are all expensive enough for you to easily be able to find replacements once they miss out on playing in that third Gameweek, and so at least two and perhaps three of Di Matteo’s boys should be in your starting XI come the big kick-off on Saturday.
As for who those players are, well the Blues’ midfield can now be considered a minefield due to all the players that they have at their disposal in there, and whilst it’s tempting to go with the £9.5m pair of Hazard and Mata, perhaps the old stager Frank Lampard (£9.0m) could come up trumps at the start of yet another campaign.
The usual suspects at the back for Chelsea will feature heavily on plenty of Fantasy teamsheets, as will Fernando Torres (£10.0m), a strong captaincy choice at the start of a huge season personally.
As is the nature of the game, when one team has a double Gameweek then another must too, and its newly-promoted Reading who take the honours as 2012/13 kicks off.
They won’t be expected to take anything from Stamford Bridge next Wednesday, but their Saturday fixture at home to Stoke does offer the potential of a clean sheet for goalkeeper Adam Federici (£4.5m, and a useful substitute in your team) and the defenders. They are likely to start with a back four of Ian Harte, Alex Pearce (both £4.5m), Kaspars Gorkss and Chris Gunter (both £4.0m).
Further forward, the Russian Pavel Pogrebnyak (£5.0m) has proved popular due to his success at Fulham last season, whilst midfielder Danny Guthrie (£4.5m) is a good signing for the Royals and has a goal or two in him.
Elsewhere across the division as the big kick-off approaches, the potential for a stalemate between Newcastle and Tottenham should have you looking at nobody but goalkeepers and defenders from the pair, whilst wins are predicted for Arsenal and Liverpool as they start the season at home to Sunderland and away at West Brom respectively. Reds new boy Joe Allen (£5.5m) has proved a popular buy with one in four of Fantasy players selecting him.
Manchester City start the defence of their crown with what could be a goal-filled success at home to Southampton – Carlos Tevez, at £9.0m, looks even more of a steal after that Community Shield goal – whilst Manchester United can take advantage of Everton’s often slow start to the season when they go to Goodison Park on Monday night.
All eyes might be on Robin van Persie (£13.0m) there, but it is the return of Nemanja Vidic (£7.0m) which should have Fantasy bosses cheering.
Follow me on twitter @Mark_Jones86
See more of Mark’s posts at @FantasyYirma and https://fantasyyirma.wordpress.com/
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Second season syndrome? Part II
Having already had a look at five players who’ll be looking to impress in Yirma for a second year running, it’s time to cast an eye over five more regulars on last season’s teamsheets who’ll be worth considering again.
Michel Vorm, Swansea, Goalkeeper – Fantasy Price tag £5.5m
That odd scratching sound that you heard every Saturday morning for 38 weeks was coming from those Fantasy managers lucky enough to start the season with Vorm as their substitute goalkeeper.
However, the noise of fingernails over forehead grew quieter and quieter the longer that Vorm’s debut Premier League season went on, and suddenly the expensive, big name keeper you’d bought to start for your Fantasy team could be sold off to raise funds that were needed elsewhere. The big Dutchman would do just fine.
The former Utrecht goalkeeper impressed everyone as Swansea’s last line of defence last season, keeping 14 clean sheets and only conceding two goals in his side’s first eight home league games of the season.
The question of whether or not Vorm can sustain that form is like everything else that surrounds his club since the departure of Brendan Rodgers though – unknown.
New boss Michael Laudrup is sure to bring in the type of expansive, stylish football that Rodgers favoured, but with key men potentially leaving then results could well be mixed, meaning that trusting the big Dutchman to start for you this time could prove a hasty decision.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal, Midfielder – Fantasy Price Tag £7.5m
What do Arsenal want Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to be? A very good player for them, obviously, but Arsene Wenger’s summer signings hint at another season as an impact player for the youngster who fleetingly impressed for England at the Euros.
For someone who only turns 19 next week that isn’t such a bad thing of course, but there were glimpses towards the end of last season that showed ‘The Ox’ could maintain a strong hold on a first-team place if given the chance.
Will he be given that chance though? The signing of Lukas Podolski has placed one of the most internationally experienced top level players in Europe squarely in Chamberlain’s position, whilst Santi Cazorla only increases the already vast midfield options available to the Gunners. Jack Wilshere might even be seen at some point this season too.
The belief amongst many is that Wenger is grooming former Southampton youngster Chamberlain to become a more effective version of former Southampton youngster Theo Walcott, and whilst that is all well and good, for as long as Walcott is at the club – which admittedly might not be for much longer – then it is difficult to see Chamberlain making a sustained impact.
This could be a frustrating campaign for the youngster and those who pick him.
Jose Enrique, Liverpool, Defender – Fantasy Price Tag £6.0m
Much like Liverpool as a whole, Enrique’s league performances steadily got worse the longer last season went on.
He’d started well, but like everyone at the club he’ll be looking forward to putting that league campaign behind him, and the arrival of Brendan Rodgers will have invigorated a squad which was in dire need of a spark.
Enrique was Liverpool’s third top points scorer behind Luis Suarez and Pepe Reina in 2011/12, and whilst Rodgers is sure to change a lot about his new club’s style of play he is likely to have found the two first choice full-backs he inherited at Anfield to be to his liking.
Liverpool will look to use those full-backs in attack as much as possible in 2012/13, and whilst a personal preference would be to choose the added goal and assist threat of Glen Johnson (£6.5m), if you haven’t got the extra cash then a move for Enrique could prove a shrewd one if he starts well again.
James McClean, Sunderland, Midfielder – Fantasy Price Tag £6.5m
Yes, he’s down as a midfielder again.
McClean’s haul of 101 points last season wasn’t bad at all for a player who didn’t start a match since New Year’s Day, and the Irishman again looks likely to start on the left of Sunderland’s front three.
Things have been remarkably quiet around his club all summer – at the time of writing only Carlos Cuellar has joined for first team duty, but interest remains in Steven Fletcher – and with that suggesting Martin O’Neill is more than happy with the squad at his disposal, the Sunderland boss looks set to go with the same again as he starts his first full season with the club.
McClean’s impact on Sunderland last season saw him quickly become a mainstay in the team, and he’ll be raring to go again after only sampling 14 minutes of action during the Republic of Ireland’s disappointing Euro 2012 campaign.
He’ll get far more time in the Premier League, and could once again prove to be a terrific addition to any midfield – if a more expensive one this time around.
Ashley Young, Manchester United, Midfielder – Fantasy Price Tag £8.5m
It was an up and down debut season at Old Trafford for Young – up as he ran towards the penalty area, down when he got int it – and both the arrival of Shinji Kagawa and consistent form of Antonio Valencia could make this a difficult campaign for him.
Nani is still around too of course, and with the rumours surrounding Robin van Persie refusing to go away then the vacancies in the forward positions at Manchester United could soon be even scarcer than ever before. We haven’t even mentioned Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez yet. Oh, and Dimitar Berbatov too.
All of which leaves Young in danger of being squeezed out, and even if he does start matches he is unlikely to finish them due to the vast resources available to Ferguson.
He’s been far from a failure at United of course, but his impact tends to come in short bursts, and he might have to prolong those if he is to hang around in Ferguson’s team, and yours.
*M
Lamb with a LARGE pinch of salt!!
DISCLAIMER: All posts from @pedro_lamb represent only a 1/3 of Yirma Management. Typically the other 2/3 disagree entirely.
by @pedro_lamb.
So, apparently Robin Van Persie in a Manchester United shirt, is looking more and more likely by the day and the word of the Lamb believes PSG are ready to swoop in with a bid for Wayne Rooney.
The United transfer purse could possibly break the £67 Million barrier in the next few days with the potential arrival of Lucas Moura and Van Persie, and the earlier capture of Shinji Kagawa.
The Lamb bleats that if this was to happen the supposed cash strapped club would have to recoup the transfer fees somewhere.
There is no doubt that Kagawa, famous in Japan will do no harm whatsoever in increasing United’s popularity in Japan and expect a mass of shirt sales, which will help in some part to recoup his own 17 m fee.
Should RVP and Moura arrvive that still leaves a potential 50m deficit in the United war chest.
The Lamb bleats that Ferige has never forgiven Rooney for his contract antics last year and with a offer of around 50 million plus sell on clauses Sir Alex is bound to jump at the chance?? Isn’t he?? Surely?? Maybe??
The Lamb
@pedro_lamb
Diamonds in the rough
We’ve already had a look at some of the big name additions to Fantasy Premier League this season, but what about the less heralded ones? Their arrivals haven’t been met with the same fanfare as others, but they’re still worth considering as you try and find some value names to fit alongside the big money stars.
Michu, Midfielder, Swansea – Fantasy Price Tag £6.5m
A quick scan of the top 10 goalscorers’ list in La Liga last season would return the names of all the usual suspects, but below Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the others lies the little-known Miguel Perez Cuesta – or ‘Michu’ to his mates.
In his one and only season with Rayo Vallecano, the 6ft 1ins midfielder returned 15 goals to end the campaign as the Spanish top flight’s joint-ninth top scorer, a hardly insignificant feat at a struggling club. Which brings us to Swansea.
There are so many unanswered questions about just what Michael Laudrup will bring to the Swans following the departure of Brendan Rodgers, but the general consensus appears to be that they’ll struggle to hit the heights that they were capable of last season. This is where Michu – hardly a novice at 26 – could come in.
If he’s half as effective as Gylfi Sigurdsson was in the attacking midfield position then the £2m spent by Swansea to bring him to Wales will be money well invested, and whilst you’ll have to shell out three times as much of your Fantasy money to add him to your side, he might just be a gamble that quickly pays off.
Matt Lowton, Defender, Aston Villa – Fantasy Price Tag £4.5m
Paul Lambert needs to quickly make an impact on an Aston Villa side which could struggle to shake off the negativity of the Alex McLeish ‘era’ (if you can call that an era), and in Lowton he may have found a player who’ll help him do just that.
The 23-year-old right-back arrives from Sheffield United having impressed all who came across him in League One last season, when he even managed to chip in with six goals.
He’ll face a battle with Alan Hutton for a starting berth at Villa Park, but there is nothing to suggest that that is a battle he won’t quickly win, and if he hits his stride early then Villa supporters are sure to take to a player who was loved at Bramall Lane.
The leap from the third tier to the Premier League was one successfully made by Lambert and his Norwich side in the space of two years, and now that the Scot has seen something in Lowton then he too could successfully make that jump – albeit in a much shorter time.
You get the feeling that rather than be intimidated by that scrutiny though, Lowton could thrive under it.
Robert Snodgrass, Midfielder, Norwich – Fantasy Price Tag £6.0m
Leeds United boss Neil Warnock tried to move heaven and earth to keep Snodgrass at Elland Road, and it’s not hard to see why.
The former Livingston wideman has been the heart and soul of the Whites for the past four years, but after failing to achieve promotion with the Yorkshire side he’s finally decided that the top flight is place to be at the age of 24.
Forty-three goals over his time at Leeds shows that he knows where the net is, and the Scot will be looked to by Chris Hughton as one of his main men as the former Newcastle and Birmingham boss seeks to get comfortable behind his desk at Carrow Road.
Snodgrass has crucial leadership abilities that he picked up during his time with Leeds, and so with the Premier League unlikely to intimidate him, he could quickly become an integral part of both the Norwich side and of yours.
Steven Naismith, Forward, Everton – Fantasy Price Tag £6.5m
Whilst Naismith will be making trips to Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in the coming season, the newco Rangers that he left behind will be going to Montrose, Berwick and Elgin, and so whilst there was sure to be emotional issues behind his decision to leave Ibrox you can’t argue with the sporting reasons.
The forward had his injury problems last season, but as a hard-working, strong-willed Scot he’s sure to fit in very well with David Moyes’s plans, especially now that the Blues have lost Tim Cahill.
Naismith’s former Rangers team-mate Nikica Jelavić (£8.5m and a popular choice) will of course be Everton’s key man in the coming campaign, but with Naismith, Steven Pienaar and Marouane Fellaini buzzing around him then goals look assured.
The step up from Scottish Premier League to Fantasy Premier League isn’t always as smooth as Jelavić made it look last season, but Naismith has the tools to make a good impact at Goodison Park, and offer an interesting alternative to several Fantasy managers.
Mladen Petric, Forward, Fulham – Fantasy Price Tag £6.0m
With Clint Dempsey looking likely to head for the departure gate marked ‘Anfield,’ the key question facing Fulham is just where will the goals come from now?
The signing of Hugo Rodallega is a welcome rather than inspiring one, but the 31-year-old Petric adds experience and good pedigree.
The Croatian won’t be troubling the top end of the goalscorer’s list in the coming campaign, but if he can maintain his fitness and get a regular run in the side then there’s no reason why the former Hamburg man can’t hit double figures, a reasonable target for the third forward in your Fantasy squad.
Having already played under Martin Jol in Germany, Petric crucially knows that he’ll be heading into his first campaign in England with the trust of his manager. Maybe you should trust him too?
*M
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