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FantasyYIRMA.com Free Mini-League is Open: CASH PRIZES!!
The Fantasy Premier League is BACK!!
Click the logo above to Join our Free League
To celebrate the return of #FPL we have relaunched the FantasyYIRMA.com Mini-League and doubled the cash prize on offer for the winner to £100 !!
The FantasyYIRMA mini-league surpassed all expectations last season and finished 3rd Globally!
This season we want to be BIGGER & BETTER
Join Now at http://fantasy.premierleague.com
Code for the http://FantasyYIRMA.com Mini-League is 7555-3083
Direct Link http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-leagues/3083/join/?autojoin-code=7555-3083 …
In addition to the 1st place Prize of £100, we will be having weekly and monthly competitions on a regular basis -we have a range of partners now itching to join in the fun!!
Make sure to follow the Twitter account on @FantasyYIRMA for up to date information on new competitions for you to get involved in.
Also, after the success of our Knockout tournament last season- the #FY CUP will be back this year!!
If you have any questions or issues getting joined up to the mini-league leave a comment below or tweet Ryan @FantasyYIRMA
Gameweek 1 deadline is Saturday 17 August at 11.30AM so make sure your team is registered before then to start scoring from the first game of the season.
With only 32 Days to go and Pre-season training underway it will be kick off in no time!
So get signed up, get logged in and get interacting with us here on the site and on Twitter.
Thanks for the continued support for FantasyYIRMA.com and best of luck to everyone for the upcoming season
ROLL ON FPL!!
Ryan
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/
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
Tale of a Fantasy Premier League Champion!!
It is with great pleasure that we welcome FPL World Number 2 and the FantasyYIRMA.com mini league WINNER Kelvin Travers.
Kelvin had an unbelievable season and is a genuine fan of FPL. Having led the overall game for large parts of the year the league was decided on bonus points following the final gameweek of the season.
Take nothing away from this man – what he displayed this year in terms of judgement and consistency was extremely impressive!
We are proud to say the FY mini- league was won by an extremely deserving winner! Kelvin has been kind enough to put together an overview of his FPL journey this year – Enjoy!
*R
Season Review
By @K3lviN
Having had time to get over the disappointment of missing out by just two points on winning the 2012/13 Barclays Fantasy Premier League, I’ve been invited by @FantasyYIRMA to explain some of the highs and lows of my season, and my thoughts for next year.
Lows
I may as well start with the lows, and to be honest they don’t come any lower than finishing second having lead for most of the season – infact, having lead for most of the final day, right up until bonus points were added. Seeing Lukaku grinning at me from my bench with a hat trick and 16 points, knowing my decision to play Fellaini over him has ultimately cost me the chance to achieve the impossible and be no.1 in the world at the end of the season.
Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, who would have predicted West Brom scoring 5 past Man Utd and a Lukaku hat trick?! But, the season is played over 38 gameweeks and the guy who finishes top deserves the accolade.
Some other lows from my season that stick out – my decision to bench Berbatov in gameweek 11 when he scored two against Arsenal. Transferring in Dzeko in gameweek 27, he played 0 mins and I ended up transferring him straight back out the following week, a waste of two transfers and probably a handful of points.
I’d imagine to some people those aren’t exactly lows – finishing second in the world, benching the wrong player a couple of times, and wasting a transfer; but at the time, to me they were.
Highs
I can easily say what was the high point of the season for me – gameweek 19. It was Boxing Day and I was in my local with some friends having some festive beers. Van Persie had already scored and assisted in the afternoon kick off and everybody has giving me grief for not captaining him, as at that point I was 26th in the world and had chosen to captain Bale – it was 0-0 at half time in the Aston Villa vs Tottenham game. Then came the 45 minutes that completely changed my season, a Gareth Bale hat trick, 42 points as captain and when I woke up the next morning I was World no.1 for the first time. An incredible feeling, and unbelievable achievement, and one I thought would only last until the following gameweek and I’d never see again.
I was partly right, by the following gameweek I’d dropped to 9th, but over the second half of the season I never dropped out of the top 10, and went back to world no.1 for a further 6 weeks. In the last 16 weeks of the season, I only dropped out of the top 2 on three occasions – hence why I said earlier I was so disappointed with second place overall.
The other high point of my season was taking to Twitter to talk to people about fantasy football and becoming part of the wider fantasy football community. I was completely taken aback by the amount of support and encouragement I received from people over the course of the season, and even afterwards the messages I received after finishing second. I tried to reply to as many messages as possible, so if there was anybody who congratulated me and hasn’t already seen a reply, then I’d like to say thank you for your support.
thank you for your support
FantasyYIRMA league
I joined the FantasyYIRMA league around the end of January. At the time a guy called Des was at the top, so I got in touch with him on Twitter to check he was ok with me joining as I would be knocking him off top spot. I didn’t want to just join and spoil it for those who’d been top through the Autumn, but as I was chatting with everybody on Twitter I wanted to get involved in the league. Luckily Des said he was ok with me joining, so I have to say thanks to him otherwise I wouldn’t have been in the league.
When I joined though, I never had any intention of claiming the prize money if I’d won – I joined because of Twitter and the fantasy football community, not money. So, I decided at that point if I made it to the end of the season and won the league, I’d donate the prize money to charity. From that point onwards I felt I was playing for charity, and at one point I was overtaken at the top and wanted to fight back to win the money back for charity.
The charity I wanted to support is a local one to me, called the Candlelighters. They do some absolutely amazing work for kids who are growing up with cancer, and if anybody is ever looking for a charity to support I would really recommend you consider helping them.
Next Season
I wasn’t sure if I’d play next season after coming so close. I can’t see how I can ever do better than I have this year, but after a few weeks off I’m already missing football so can’t see how I can sit a season out.
I’m going to enjoy a couple of months off fantasy football, probably not as much as my girlfriend will enjoy me taking a couple of months off fantasy football, but I’ll definitely be coming back next year to play again.
I’ll be getting into the pre-season games and stats, doing some research on new signings, and I’ll share a few of my ideas and plans for the new season on Twitter.
Aside from joining the FantasyYIRMA league again next year, I also want to make an offer to anybody who wants to try and beat me. I’m going to setup a league of my own, free to join, and for every person who can finish above me I’ll donate £5 to charity. For every person I can finish above, I’d ask those people to donate something of any winnings they make over the season to charity, as little or as much as they can afford.
I’ll setup the league once the new season starts and post the code on Twitter, I thought it might be a fun way to play directly against some of my adversaries from this year, people on Twitter, and hopefully some new players – all whilst trying to raise a few pounds for charity. I hope a few people will want to join me alongside their existing leagues.
See you next season,
Kelvin (@K3lviN)
Many Thanks from the #FY team to Kelvin for taking the time to provide this guest post – Drop him a follow on twitter.
Crystal Palace FC: The Road To The Premier League
With the Premier League finished for the season FantasyYIRMA.com will be featuring a number of guest posts.
To kick things off we have @FNW_Blogs with their overview of Crystal Palace’s road to the Premier League.
Guest Post: Crystal Palace FC: The Road To The Premier League
By @FNW_Blogs
The Eagles had a shaky start to the season. They had a small squad and an inexperienced but loved manager. (Dougie Freedman) Having lost their first 3 Npower Championship games, they were sitting at the bottom of the table and looking like favourites for relegation. (During this period they also lost 4-1 to league 1 side Preston in the League Cup.)
Dougie Freedman left Selhurst Park half way through the season
It looked like Palace were going to have a difficult season, but Dougie made some intriguing signings. He brought in a young skilful player: Yannick Bolasie. He bulked up the defence with an attacking fullback: Joel Ward. He also brought in attacking technicians like Andre Moritz. This immediately helped Palace and they went into their 4th game of the season hoping to get a win against Sheffield Wednesday, a side just promoted from league 1. Dougie’s signings seemed to have paid off because Palace came away from that game with a 2-1 win and the first points of the season.
Bolasie sparkled in his first season at Palace
Crystal Palace built on this win and went on an astonishing 14 game undefeated streak, which saw them have a period at the top of the table. During this run, the Palace players and fans were shocked by the news that their manager and former Palace hero Dougie Freedman had left the club to manage Bolton. His move was baffling for the fans. At the time Palace were at the top of the table and Bolton were in the middle. Freedman said that it was based on the fact that Bolton had a better chance of getting to the Premier League and staying there, however fans believed it was for the money. The big question was who would replace him? This probably surprised fans even more. The result was Ian Holloway. The fans were delighted with the decision. Holloway had a lot of experience in getting teams promoted to the Premier League and this made Palace’s push for promotion seem even more possible. He started his reign with an easy 5-0 win over Ipswich.
Holloway becomes Manager
Their run was ended in late November, away to Leeds. Holloway’s boys did not buckle under the loss however. Two games later, they thrashed their main rivals Brighton 3-0.
In January, Holloway brought in a couple of players. One being veteran Kevin Phillips and the other Stephen Dobbie who helped in Palace’s push for promotion.
Super Kevin” Phillips showing that he could still produce great goals at the age of 39
Palace continued to pick up points in most games and come March it seemed like Palace would easily get Play-Off position. However these words might have been muttered too early. Palace’s form started to dip at the worse time possible. They travelled to their rivals Brighton and the Seagulls got payback for the result earlier in the season by beating the Eagles 3-0. After this game Palace were at home to Birmingham. Before this game, Palace had only lost once at home, and that was the first game of the season. This statistic was demolished. Birmingham defeated Palace 4-0. The fans and players were devastated. Surely Palace wouldn’t lose their play-off place this close to the end of the season?
This abysmal run continued, Palace had seven games left. In these seven games Palace lost 2, drew 4 and won 1. Their one win was on the last day of the season against relegation battling Peterborough. Palace needed the 3 points to be 5th in the league and gain a play-off place. There were 4 teams battling for 5th and 6th, (including Dougie Freedman’s Bolton). The game against Peterborough was not easily won, Palace edging the game 3-2 and Crystal Palace’s Player of the Year Mile Jedinak scoring the winner in the 89th minute. Bolton missed out on Play-offs by goal difference.
Jedinak secures a play-off position for Palace and sends Peterborough down
(Crystal Palace’s striker Glen Murray was top goal scorer in the League, reaching a tally of 30 goals.)
The Eagles had stumbled, but they reached the Play-Offs, only to find out that their 2 legged Semi Finals would be against bitter rivals Brighton. Brighton came to Palace for the first leg. The game was a battle; however Brighton seemed the better team. They had very good chances but they didn’t capitalise and the game ended 0-0. Palace would not have been the happiest with the result but at the time they were more worried about their top goal scorer, Glen Murray, who had to be taken off in the second half. It turned out that Murray would be out for 6 months.
The 2nd leg had arrived and Brighton were labelled as the favourites. Both teams were pumped for the game and tensions were high. It seemed like experience had pulled through. In the first half, Brighton had more possession but Palace were pressurising and all the Seagulls could do was pass it around the back and try and find an opportunity. Very few came and Palace were trying to counter, but again both teams cancelled each other out.
Half Time came and for one team this would be their last game of the season, for the other, it would be their route to Wembley and hopefully the Premier League. In the first game and the first half of the 2nd game both teams seemed very nervous because of what was at stake. However this all changed in the 2nd half. The game was end-to-end. Good chances coming from both teams. Then Holloway changed tactics. He brought on Yannick Bolasie for Williams and Andre Moritz for Garvan. Brighton also brought on attacker Barnes, who straight away had a chance, but Julian Speroni made an excellent save which tipped the ball onto the crossbar. Then at the resulting corner, Dean Moxey cleared the ball off the line. These moments proved to be key. The game carried on and in the 69th minute, Mile Jedinak played a lofted through ball from the half way line to the corner flag. Bolasie was on the end of it, and after a bit of trickery, he played in a perfect cross into the box. Wilbraham was at the near post and the ball flew over into the middle of the box. It looked like the chance was lost. However Zaha had a different idea as he ran into the middle of the box and headed the ball into the top corner. The fans, players, and managers were ecstatic! Palace had taken the lead! Now all they had to do was hold on.
Zaha celebrates after his second goal
The last 20 minutes were tense. Brighton were trying their best to attack and Palace were trying to keep their solid defence. In the 89th minute, a ball was played into the box to Zaha, he took an amazing touch which moved the ball away from the defender and smashed the ball into the net. It was basically over! Brighton fans were leaving while the Palace fans were singing. The referee blew the whistle and Crystal Palace, who had come into the game as underdogs, were delighted. They had done it! They won the semi-final and are now going to Wembley!
Every Palace player on the pitch played a superb game, everyone played their best and Brighton could not handle it.
Holloway celebrates with the players after their victory over Brighton
Crystal Palace have nearly reached the end of their journey. They have had many highs and lows and are now training for a chance to be in the Premier league next season. They have faced many opponents but now they are just left with one more. Watford. Will they be able to beat them in the Play-Off Final? Only time can tell.
The 120 million pound game had arrived on a sunny bank holiday Monday. The fans seemed happy and nervous at the same time. As the players warmed up, the atmosphere grew.
The game was not the best, there were many opportunities but they all came to nothing.
The game went to extra time with the score being 0-0. In the second half of normal time, Palace were on top and looked to continue their momentum into extra time, and they did. On the stroke of the first half in extra time, the young superstar Wilfried Zaha got tripped up stupidly in the box! The Palace fans cheered, this was their chance! The veteran Kevin Phillips immediately nominated himself to take the penalty. He lined himself up, and was somehow very calm, even though the Watford fans were right in front of him and booing to their hearts content. Phillips smashed the ball into the top left corner of the net, it was unbeatable. The Palace fans could not believe it, they were ecstatic! All they had to do was defend this lead and they would be in the Premier League next season.
They successfully held their lead and when the referee blew his whistle a massive cheer came from the Palace supporters. Crystal Palace were back in the Premier League!
Crystal Palace celebrate their promotion
This season has been a great one for Palace, bearing in mind that just over two years ago, they went into administration and were battling to survive in the Championship. They did make it difficult for themselves, but as the fans say, “if they did it the easy way then they would not really be Crystal Palace.”
Now we wait to see who Palace will sign in the summer and who will replace Zaha (who is now a Manchester United player) and Glen Murray, who is out for 9 months with a cruciate ligament injury. Next season will be a challenge for the Eagles but it will also be an enjoyable one. The fans just hope that they do not bounce back to the Championship after one season. They want to make themselves a strong team which can stay in the Premier League.
Many thanks to @FNW_Blogs for the guest post. You can read more from them at http://footballingnewsweekly.blogspot.co.uk/
If you would like to get involved and submit a guest post on FY please contact Ryan at FantasyYIRMA@hotmail.com
Fantasy Football Mini-League Round up
Get the beers in @K3LVIN… You’ve won… 🙂
It was a cold night in January when I received a text asking “Have you seen the Premier League website… check the status page”
Curiosity got the better of me and I had a look. The FantasyYIRMA.com mini-league was ranked 5th in the world! When the curtain came down on gameweek 38 we were delighted to see that the FY league had finished in 3rd place globally!
This is a million miles away from when we started a mini-league with a couple of friends a few years back. This wouldn’t be possible without the great support that everyone has given the both the FantasyYIRMA.com site and twitter account this season.
It also would not have been possible without the exceptional players we had in the league this year.
Massive congratulations to Kelvin Travers @K3LVIN who won the £ 50 Cash prize on offer from the FY mini-league.
Kelvin had a fantastic season and finished 2nd in the World!! A superb accomplishment I am sure you will all agree.
Kelvin led the way for large parts of the season and missed out on the top spot by only 2pts.
Below is the top 10 from the FY mini-league – some ridiculously good performances this year and many thanks to the 1000+ players who signed up to play this season.
The prize for the mini-league is £50 cash. When we confirmed @K3LVIN had finished 1st he has generously asked us if we could donate the prize money to a charity of his choice. An extremely kind gesture from Kelvin and one we were happy to be part of.
We spoke to Candlelighters and are delighted to help raise awareness for a great cause.
Every penny helps. If you would like more information please visit our website www.candlelighters.org.uk
Fantasy Football Preview: Santi to shine as the curtain falls?
Mini-leagues are being furiously checked and the points difference between you and your rivals are being totted up. It’s the final day of the season.
Unlike the Premier League this one was always destined to go down to the wire, and so the key question as we enter the final weekend of Fantasy Premier League matches is whether or not you need to find a left-field pick to try and catch up with those around you.
Whilst the likes of Gareth Bale (£11.0m and surely the weekend’s safe captaincy choice), Theo Walcott (£9.2m), Juan Mata (£10.2m) and Robin van Persie (£13.7m) are sure to be the popular picks, perhaps your net needs to be cast a little wider in the search for a player who can give you that extra push over the finish line.
That player could well be Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla (£9.6m).
Fresh from providing four assists in the Gunners’ 4-1 victory over Wigan on Tuesday night, the Spaniard goes to Newcastle to face a side who conceded six goals in their previous home game against Liverpool.
With Arsene Wenger’s men needing a win to secure a top four finish ahead of rivals Tottenham, Cazorla is sure to be crucial on an afternoon when he is likely to be a creative force.
Those four assists against Wigan took the Spaniard’s tally to 13 for the season, level with the likes of Walcott, Van Persie and Steven Gerrard for the campaign, with only three players registering more.
Add that to his 12 goals and you’ve got an extremely successful first campaign in England for the former Villarreal and Malaga man, but he’d only look back on it fondly if he can help his club into the top four. He has every chance to do just that at St James’s Park.
Elsewhere, Tottenham’s attempts to secure their own European football for next season will of course be helped by Bale as they host Sunderland, but it could be a rejuvenated Emmanuel Adebayor (£9.0m) who proves crucial following two goals in his last two games.
Following their Europa League heroics, Chelsea host Everton seeking to make sure of their third place finish. Demba Ba (£7.8m) was cup-tied for the Benfica victory and so he could prove crucial as the Blues seek to make it an unhappy last game in charge for David Moyes.
Away from the challenge for Europe, Liverpool draw the curtains on their campaign with a home game against relegated QPR.
The Reds and retiring defender Jamie Carragher (£5.0m) will fancy their chances of keeping a clean sheet, but further forward in-form striker Daniel Sturridge (£7.3m) will be seeking to follow up last weekend’s hat-trick at Fulham with another impressive display. Against QPR’s defence he has a great opportunity.
As the campaign draws to a close, those who have impressed throughout it such as Michu (£7.8m) and Rickie Lambert (£6.9m) have chances to finish their seasons on a high as Swansea and Southampton host Fulham and Stoke respectively, whilst the champions Manchester United go to West Brom seeking a winning end to their season. Javier Hernandez (£6.5m) started and scored against Swansea last week and will be looking to do so again amidst the uncertainty surrounding the future of Wayne Rooney.
Everyone knows about the future of Roberto Mancini by now, and in his absence Manchester City will be looking to round things off with a victory at home to Norwich.
Their forwards have impressed at various stages throughout the campaign, but with two goals in his last two league appearances perhaps it’ll be Edin Dzeko (£6.8m) who steps up to the plate again this time.
His addition could prove vital as the campaign draws to a close and we all look forward to the next one.
Roll on August.
We’ll see you then.
Premier League: And now, the end is near…
And so in a flash of Robin van Persie’s left boot, of Shaun Maloney’s set-pieces, of Luis Suarez’s nutmegs and of Santi Cazorla’s passes it was all but gone. The 2012/13 Premier League season has nearly finished.
In terms of games played and of goals scored it might not be remembered as a vintage one, but it will always be recalled as the last campaign of the greatest old campaigner of the lot.
Sir Alex Ferguson has called it a day at Manchester United, something that will not perhaps hit home until we see David Moyes sat in his fellow Scotsman’s seat in the dugout when the new campaign begins in August.
United without Ferguson is a little like salt without pepper, like eggs without bacon and like Ant without Dec. It doesn’t look right, it doesn’t feel right and we don’t necessarily want to consider one without the other.
Typically, Ferguson bowed out with a Premier League title success which was as serene as any of the 12 he’d won previously, something in part down to the lack of a credible challenge put up by others but largely due to the remarkable consistency shown by his team.
With Van Persie leading from the front and thriving on the proper title challenge that he had left Arsenal for, United never really looked like letting the lead slip once they took it in November, and there have been few more worthy champions.
Previous holders Manchester City were never quite so convincing, with their failure to mount an impressive enough challenge ultimately seeing Roberto Mancini fall upon the sword which had been dangling nearer and nearer to him following yet another failed Champions League campaign. Next season promises to be an interesting one for a new look City.
But then the same can be said for United, Everton, Chelsea, Jose Mourinho and quite possibly Wayne Rooney. It’ll be more than just the kits that have changed come 2013/14, it’ll be the men wearing them too.
They, as ever, will be the focus of so much drama, glory, outrage and expectation.
Suarez, Gareth Bale, Juan Mata, Christian Benteke, Michu, Rickie Lambert. There were so many stars that lit up this campaign that it was hard to keep track of them.
You always knew where QPR and Reading were throughout their seasons, but that they have been joined by Roberto Martinez’s Wigan in being demoted to the Championship is a great shame.
Just 72 hours after completing one of the greatest stories in modern English football the Latics set a rather unwanted record. They are the first team to win the FA Cup and be relegated in the same season.
Yet their Wembley success as well as that of Swansea City – and indeed League Two’s Bradford City, their beaten opponents in the Capital One Cup final – has shown that the potential for glory is there whoever you are. Perhaps we’ll see more teams grasp the nettle and go for broke in the Premier League next season as a result.
With United, City, Everton and Chelsea all in somewhat of a transitional stage – although Chelsea have one of those every six months – perhaps this could be a time for Arsenal, Tottenham and maybe even Liverpool to shine?
All have impressed at various points throughout this campaign and all can do so going into the next, when they’ll be joined by promoted Cardiff City, Hull City and one of Watford and Crystal Palace.
Such talk is for another day though, a day when we can really look forward to the new campaign as we put the old one behind us.
That day will come on Sunday, about 30 seconds after the final whistle on a season which sadly brings an end to the careers of men as distinguished as Ferguson, Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher.
They’ll be gone but not forgotten, just like this season will be too.
See you in August for the next one.
Fantasy Football Preview GW37: Walcott to worsen Wigan’s woes?
With next season already promising to be hugely different given the dramatic developments at Old Trafford this week, cherishing this campaign suddenly looks to be even more important.
For Wigan Athletic, that seems to ring true more than loudly than for others.
The Latics will be FA Cup finalists at the weekend, but come Tuesday they could find that their eight-year stint in the Premier League is over. Should results go against them at the weekend, then nothing less than three points from their next match will do if they are to stay in the top flight. Unfortunately for them, that next match is at Champions League-chasing Arsenal.
The Gunners may have lost this fixture last season, but they simply can’t afford to do that now.
With Theo Walcott (£8.9m) returning to fitness and form then they certainly don’t look like doing that, and the England man could play a large part in confirming the Latics’ relegation.
Walcott scored and completed 90 minutes in both of his last two matches for the Gunners, taking his tally to 13 strikes and 13 assists during a hugely productive season.
As Arsene Wenger’s men close in on a top four place Walcott looks to be a hugely important figure, and he’ll enter the Wigan game high on confidence, which could end up spelling trouble for Roberto Martinez and his boys.
Any discussion about the battle for the top four – and of course your ongoing battles in Fantasy Premier League – isn’t complete without a mention of Gareth Bale(£10.9m), who takes his considerable talents to Stoke City this weekend.
Bale and Spurs might find it tough going there, but they should eventually come out on top in a match which is sure to see defender Jan Vertonghen (£6.8m) come under threat from Stoke’s attack.
Elsewhere, Everton’s Marouane Fellaini (£7.2m) is sure to find support ahead of their Blues’ match against mid-table West Ham at Goodison Park.
The Belgian has been in fine form throughout the campaign and he’ll be determined to impress in his side’s final game in front of their own fans this season. Following the Blues’ goalless draw at Liverpool last week he could be one to back as they look to find the net again.
As for Liverpool, they go to a Fulham side still not safe from relegation just yet, and with both Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez unavailable then the onus is sure to fall on Philippe Coutinho (£6.7m) and Daniel Sturridge (£7.0m). Dimitar Berbatov (£7.1m) will of course be vital for the hosts.
At Berbatov’s former club, Sir Alex Ferguson’s last home match in charge of Manchester United brings selection issues with it, but he is likely to once again start with Robin van Persie (£13.7m) upfront for the visit of Swansea. Those prone to a little bit of nostalgia might like to back a few Fantasy points for Ryan Giggs (£6.0m) and Paul Scholes (£5.0m) too.
Back in the cold hard world of chasing the Champions League, Chelsea will be happy that Aston Villa are now all but safe as they prepare for a trip to Villa Park early on Saturday.
Rafael Benitez’s side will be in no mood to let up now as they look to finish as high as possible, and with the battle between Fernando Torres (£9.3m) and Demba Ba (£7.8m) sure to be dominating many thoughts, it is Juan Mata (£10.1m) who continues to make his team tick.
Somewhat bizarrely denied the winning goal at Old Trafford last weekend, Mata will be doubly determined to impress at Villa Park.
He could be a vital addition for your side.
Fantasy Football Preview GW36: Double up on Aguero as finish line looms
Well we’re nearly there aren’t we?
As the season’s finish line looms large over the horizon each and every point becomes vital in your head-to-head, mini-leagues and of course the #FYCup, the fact that six teams are playing in a double Gameweek shouldn’t be ignored.
More important still, is that three of those teams happen to house three of this season’s Fantasy favourites.
Okay, maybe Sergio Aguero (£11.0m) doesn’t have the ownership percentage he deserves following a campaign which has been blighted by injuries, but there should be little doubt that he is Manchester City’s best forward when on form, and after a goal against West Ham last week and with an FA Cup final place to play for he is sure to be ready to impress as City go to Swansea and then face a home game against West Brom in the next week.
As usual with Roberto Mancini you have to be careful when selecting his forwards, but with the Italian likely to go with a front two of Aguero and Carlos Tevez (£9.2m) for the showpiece final against Wigan next week then he’d be wise to give them as many minutes on the pitch together as possible ahead of Wembley.
That should mean they play the vast majority of the fixtures against Swansea and the Baggies, and although the threat of Edin Dzeko (£6.8m) can’t be ruled out the Bosnian has failed to score in City’s last eight matches, of which he only featured in five.
Whilst City’s two opponents this week do possess popular players on double Gameweeks in Michu (£8.2m) and Romelu Lukaku (£6.6m), our next port of call is the Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur.
Gareth Bale (£10.6m) received much Fantasy Premier League attention before, during and after Spurs’ visit to Wigan last weekend – from which he eventually emerged with a goal, an assist and two bonus points.
The PFA Player and Young Player of the Year will be looked to by many as a solid captaincy choice ahead of Tottenham’s matches against his old club Southampton and then a trip to Chelsea which is likely to go a long way towards sorting out those all-important top four places.
Bale is almost certain to be joined by Jermain Defoe (£7.9m) in both of those contests, and the form of both could well be key to just how Spurs do now the pressure is on. The good news for them is that Bale has responded well to pressure all season.
The impressive form of Wigan’s Shaun Maloney (£5.2m) is an aspect to consider ahead of the double Gameweek for the FA Cup finalists which sees them face must-win matches at West Brom and at Swansea in their battle to stay up, but it is Chelsea we focus on for our third key pick.
The sixth of the teams facing this crucial double header, the Blues have tricky fixtures away at Manchester United and at home to Spurs.
The likes of Juan Mata (£10.0m) and Eden Hazard (£9.6m) will of course be looked to to shine in both of those fixtures, but the recent goalscoring form displayed by their teammate Oscar (£7.8m) surely makes him worthy of recognition.
The Brazilian struck in the draw at Anfield and the win over Swansea in Chelsea’s last two Premier League fixtures – matches that he picked up 18 Fantasy Premier League points from.
Crucially cheaper than the rivals he battles for a Chelsea starting berth with, Oscar seems to be coming into form just as the season draws to a close and can take these good performances into Chelsea’s double Gameweek.
He could just be a handy addition as the clock ticks down on your campaign.
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