Fantasy Premier League Breaking News for the New Year & A 2008 Year in Review

A preview of January 2009 facts and rumours around the Premier League as we say farewell to 2008, with hypothetical color-coded fantasy impact included, and a 2008 year in review coming out of Butt's Brain:

• Rumour: Redknapp looks to bring Jermain Defoe to Tottenham. Defoe & Modric fantasy stock increase. Bent fantasy stock decreases.

• Fact: WBA sign Arsenal striker Jay Simpson on loan. Don't get too excited here. Simpson has never scored a Premier League goal. However, there is a bright side. Simpson is classified as a midfielder (5.0m) but has been signed as a replacement for WBA's injured striker Ishmael Miller. A possible out of position bargain. 

• Rumour: Popular and cheap Wigan double gameweek selections Kirkland and Camara could find themselves out of the lineup. Heskey's injury is minor and he should be fit to face Tottenham and Manchester United, leaving the super-sub Camara on the bench whilst stud bargain 'keeper Kirkland has picked up a groin problem and his status is uncertain. Zaki, Ryan Taylor, and Valencia remain the best bets for double gameweek investment. 

• Fact: Gerrard's legal status remains uncertain whilst Torres nears a return to full fitness. Will Torres' return enhance Gerrard's recent production or detract from it? Perhaps more assists, fewer goals are in store for the huge Phil Collins fan and 'Pool skipper. Nevertheless, Gerrard should finish as a Top 4 fantasy scoring midfielder - along with Ronaldo, Lampard, and A. Young. If you don't employ at least 2-of-4, you are in for a long 2009.

And a quick 2008 Year in Review

Torres scores in Euro final to crown Spain champions (Germany # 2)

Manchester United win the Double

Cristiano Ronaldo crowned Footballer of the Year

Zenit St. Petersburg win the UEFA Cup (Rangers # 2)

Inter Milan (no surprise) win Serie A

Real Madrid (no surprise) win La Liga

Bayern Munich (no surprise) win the Bundesliga

Beitar Jerusalem (no surprise) win the Israeli Premier League

Egypt (no surprise) win the African Cup of Nations

South America shock # 1: Robinho moves from Madrid to City

South America shock # 2: Diego Maradona takes over National Team 

Have a safe and Happy New Year. See you in 2009.

Cristiano Consternation: Fantasy Premier League Panic Reaches an All-Time High

The world's greatest player has now failed to record a goal or an assist in six straight matches. Fantasy managers are hitting the panic button, and rightly so - we analyzed United's new tactics this season and offered a hypothetical "dump Ronaldo outright" plan back on December 15th. Since then, likely Ronaldo replacement Frank Lampard has scored 27 points - in 3 matches, Steven Gerrard has scored 31 points - in 3 matches, and Cristiano has scored 6 points - in 2 matches. 

While Ronaldo did manage to make the headlines today after United's 1-0 win over Boro - he made them for all the wrong reasons - after his clash with hardman (and perhaps the dirtiest player in the Premier League) Emanuel Pogatetz. 

The bad news in a nutshell: United's defense is in the midst of an incredibly impressive run, not it's attack. Ronaldo's temper and antics are a major cause for concern (bookings and possible sending offs.) Ronaldo has neither scored nor assisted in six matches. Ronaldo is the most expensive player in fantasy Premier League history. Obvious replacements Lampard and Gerrard are in form. But before you go and push the panic button, let's look at the other side of the coin:

• Despite his terrible form, Ronaldo still leads all fantasy players with 6.7 points per game.

• Manchester United play six of their next nine matches at home - including two double gameweeks (gameweek 21 and gameweek 25).

• Ronaldo replacement Steven Gerrard, while in-form, may soon find himself in-prison.

• But most importantly, in a strange twist of fantasy footie fate - this may be the first time in three years where holding Ronaldo actually becomes a major mini-league differentiator as you battle tooth and nail to claw your way past your mates and to the finish line. In past seasons, the only way to try and differentiate from a league leader, was to drop Ronaldo, and hope to captain the likes of Lampard (or Martin Petrov, Gerrard, Fabregas, Bentley, Torres, Adebayor, Berbatov, etc.) But this season, that's all changing - if your league leader drops Ronaldo in favor of Gerrard or Lampard - and CRon somehow manages to turn it around with a 5 goal in 7 game stretch - then you are right back in the hunt... Just some food for thought.

• Final food for thought, which I think is the most important point in this rambling "other side of the coin" analysis:

- Gameweeks 13 - 18 (6 weeks): Lampard 0 goals, 20 total points

- Gameweeks 19-20 (2 weeks): Lampard 3 goals, 25 total points

- Gameweeks 11-15 (5 weeks): Ashley Young 0 goals, 15 total points

- Gameweeks 16-17 (2 weeks): Ashley Young 3 goals, 28 total points

Am I the only one who sees a pattern developing here? Frustrated owners who don't see immediate returns from high-priced assets understandably get nervous and press the panic button. Lampard went six weeks without a goal. Ashley Young went five weeks without a goal. And now Ronaldo has gone six weeks without a goal. Managers are fleeing - or getting ready to flee the supposedly sinking C-Ron ship. 

But I look at the bright side, let those panicked managers all jump into the water and take comfort in their inflatable life rafts whilst I hold on to the Queen Mary II - the grandest most magnificent ocean liner ever built - Cristiano Ronaldo, and watch from the deck as my competition drowns in their blow-up rafts below.

New Butt Buddies and an Off the Post T-Shirt Contest sponsored by Soccer Pro

It's the holiday season. A time of giving, joy, and for us - a few new friendships. We're excited to fly head first into 2009 with a few new Butt Buddies to add to our blogroll. So if 2009 brings a bit of free time or boredom in your cubicles or at your desks, or just couch-surfing at home, make sure to check out these great Butt Buddies for further footie enjoyment:

•  Oh you beauty... is a superb Liverpool blog focused on match previews and reviews, player commentary, and an excellent set of footie-related links for the Liverpool fan or Premier League lover. 

• The guys at Unprofessional Foul are witty, prolific, and cover it all - from college soccer in the US to non-league Droylsden and Chesterfield in the FA Cup.

• And our newest Butt Buddy, Off the Post, is another excellent footie blog dedicated to providing a humorous take on our favorite game. The site is currently offering a football t-shirt competition to UK residents sponsored by Soccer Pro, our favorite online footie gear store and an original Butt Buddy.

Gerrard Arrested for Assault

Steven Gerrard

Gameweek 20

Minutes Played:  69             + 2 Points

Bonus:                                    + 3 Points  

Goals scored:       2               + 10 Points

Assists:                  1               + 3 Points

Assault:                 1                - 18 Points

Gameweek 20 Total: 0 Points

Gerrard arrested in assault probe.

South Africa Star on Way to Fulham

24-year-old Kagiso Dikgacoi is set to join Fulham next week pending the approval of a British work permit. The strong South African central midfielder impressed Roy Hodgson on trial at Craven Cottage over the summer and his arrival further fuels the Jimmy Bullard January Transfer speculation.

Dikgacoi is a classic "Makelele" midfielder, strong in the tackle and superb in distribution, so though he will probably not become an offensive fantasy factor (priced perhaps at 5.0M in the official game) he could start right behind Murphy and Bullard (if he decides to stay) and give the two attacking players even more creative freedom.

An interesting development. With South African players enjoying some success in the Premier League (Benny McCarthy and Aaron Mokoena at Blackburn and Steven Pienaar at Everton), perhaps Bafana Bafana will be a competitive side when they host the World Cup in 2010.

EPL Gameweek 20 Fantasy Preview: Ronaldo Reliers Worried, Liverpool Lovers Thrilled

Well, Liverpool are top of the league after Christmas - just as Rafa predicted - and they looked superb in a big Boxing Day win over Bolton. Benayoun, Gerrard, and Alonso showed their immense talent in the midfield while Robbie Keane scored twice to silence his critics. But we have little time for reflecting on the past, as Sunday brings us a clean slate of footie fixtures and much room for fantasy debate. Let the Premier League preview begin.

Let's preview this gameweek's (I) best match (II) most fantasy friendly fixture (III) a prediction of stud and dud performers and (IV) a weekly best eleven for you to debate in the comments section.

I. Chelsea @ Fulham: I had my cynics a few months ago when I dubbed Jimmy Bullard and Fulham a "quality" side, but that's exactly what they have become under the superb management of Roy Hodgson. Fast and strong at the back (Paintsil & Hangeland), very technical and poised in the center of the park (Bullard and Murphy), and with incredible work rate and hustle up front (Zamora and Johnson) Fulham have found a recipe for success. And the Cottagers haven't lost in two months. Meanwhile, Chelsea are Chelsea. Nothing new here. 7 goals conceded in 19 matches. 7 goals. Conceded. Total. 12 clean sheets. Wow. The free-flowing attacking football promised by Scolari is not here, but the grind it out Avram Grant/Jose Mourinho defensive wins are, at least.

Fulham's home record may be superb, but I expect Chelsea to come away with all 3 points in this one. The usual suspects (Lampard and Bosingwa) should be involved in most of the attacking buildup - but the finished product looks to have slightly shifted from a reliance on Anelka (10.5M, no goals in his past two matches) to Didier Drogba (1 goal and 2 bonus points on Boxing Day.)

Drogba's emergence should concern the thousands of Anelka (30%) owners and to a much lesser extent Lampard (29%) Deco (11%) and Ballack (1%) owners. Drogba's style is direct and his aerial ability is sublime. Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa could benefit as long as they continue their popular forward runs and whip in accurate crosses. The "through the middle" style preferred by Lampard, Deco, and Ballack - on the other hand, while still potent, could take a backseat to feeding the Ivory Coast superstar.

I'm sure Scolari will tinker with Drogba/Anelka and Chelsea's tactics in the coming weeks, but I expect Chelsea to line up with a lone striker in their next two matches - at Fulham and at Manchester United - two very difficult trips.

Bullard (7%) owners will be hopeful that Fulham's shining star is fit for the Sunday kickoff after he limped off at Tottenham with a slight knock. Without Bullard, Fulham will struggle to break down the Blues' back line.

Prediction: Chelsea 2 - 0 

II. Middlesbrough @ Manchester United: Jet-lagged from a trip to the Far East or not, Manchester United did not look like Champions League winners in their 1-0 win over Stoke. As we have mentioned time and time again - the Ronaldo "away" trend continues. CRon just can't seem to do it this season away from Old Trafford. Those of you who took the bold move we wrote about a few weeks ago and sold Ronaldo either for the short term or long term must have been quite pleased with the production of Gerrard (11 points) and Lampard (11 points) on Boxing Day.

With mediocre Middlesbrough coming to town and an extra day of Boxing Day rest, I expect the Red Devils to keep another clean sheet (they have kept six straight) and blog favorites Berbatov, Carrick, and Ronaldo to come good. 

Manchester United offer two bargain defensive selections that are likely to play against Boro - left back John O'Shea (5.3M) replacing the suspended Evra and Johnny Evans (4.3M) taking over from back spasmed captain Rio Ferdinand alongside Vidic in the middle. Both look great shouts for a clean sheet for fantasy managers with a free transfer to spare. Evans is better known as the guy who was accused of rape at the United Christmas party while O'Shea is better known as the "utility" reserve who sees more of the bench than the pitch, but they are both top class. Remember, these are one week only moves and should not be considered long term selections.

Boro players should really not be played against United (or owned at all), but with Sunderland and WBA to come after United, perhaps you could do worse than winger Stewart Downing (6.8M).

Prediction: Manchester United 3 - 0 

III. Studs & Duds: We championed Craig Bellamy for Boxing Day and the Welsh speedster put in a vintage performance with 2 goals scored and 3 bonus points. However, Bellamy is set to miss out on the West Ham momentum train as he is suspended for the Stoke match with 5 yellow cards. A short term dud but long term stud then. Long term, keep an eye on Bellamy's transfer situation and West Ham's form - at 6.4M, he is a top talent and should hit double digit goals this season.  

Sticking with long term "studs" who are set for spells as short term "duds" we have the case of Villa skipper Martin Laursen. Laursen is facing a month out of action with his knee problem, and the 31% owned star becomes an instant dud. The obvious move is Laursen to Evra in Gameweek 21. Popular selections Brad Friedel (10% owned) and Luke Young (10% owned) also see their value drop from studs to duds without Laursen's commanding presence in the middle of Villa's defense.

Since our Ryan Taylor recommendation, the Wigan defender turned winger has produced a couple of clean sheets and has threatened from set pieces - adding a goal against Newcastle on Boxing Day. I hate to say "We told you so," but come on - "we told you so." Taylor is this week's form stud selection and he is owned by less than 1% of teams. At 4.2M he is a better option than his more popular teammate Figueroa (9% owned) heading into the double gameweek. Wigan play twice in gameweek 21, and though I don't fancy clean sheets against Tottenham and Manchester United, you could do worse than a defender playing out of position as a midfielder and available at such a bargain. He is a stud.

Newcastle's Bassong, of course - turns from stud to dud. We got this one right for a few weeks, but it all came crashing down on Boxing Day as the young French international was sent off for a professional foul on Heskey. Newcastle's Steven Taylor (4.9M) will slot in, and it will be interesting to see if Bassong returns to the starting lineup at the conclusion of his suspension.

Finally, let's look at a few longer term "surprise" studs. In our gameweek 19 preview we mentioned Denilson (5.9M) as the beneficiary of Cesc's injury layoff, and the young Brazilian did not disappoint against Aston Villa, scoring a goal and looking confident in the midfield. Arsenal have a good set of fixtures coming up, and Denilson along with the previously mentioned Diaby (5.2M, less than 1% owned) could be shrewd budget options for frustrated Rory Delap owners. 

IV. EPL Gameweek 20 Best Eleven: 

GK: Reina

D: O'Shea - Evans - Bosingwa

M: Ronaldo - Gerrard - Valencia - Denilson - Arteta

F: Adebayor - C. Cole

EPL Gameweek 19 Fantasy Preview: Brilliant Boxing Day Bargains

Dancing elf striker Fernando Torres is set for a shock Boxing Day return for league leaders Liverpool after responding to some intensive hamstring treatment. Whilst we are readying ourselves for some intensive gift-giving, footie watching and food comatose treatment, we figured we'd jump right in to our typical EPL match previews.

Let's look at Boxing Day's (I) best match (II) most fantasy friendly encounter (III) stud performers, dud performers, and Boxing Day bargains and (IV) a predicted weekly best 11.

I. Arsenal @ Aston Villa: The battle for 2009-2010 Champions League football heats up as two injury-hit squads square off in Birmingham. Aston Villa are the Premier League's form team - they've won the last three of an unbeaten six and are up to third in the table. But Arsenal are unbeaten in nine top-flight matches at Villa Park and have not lost a Boxing day fixture for eight years. 

Enough with the numbers, let's look at the quality (that will be missing) on the pitch. The Gunners are without captain Cesc Fabregas for four months so goalkeeper (Never Captain) Manuel Almunia should skipper the side. Arsenal will also be without striker Emmanuel Adebayor (suspension). From a fantasy football perspective, Denilson - a delightful Brazilian not named Robinho, should benefit the most in the long run from Fabregas' knee injury. Arsenal will also do some business in the January transfer window to add depth to the midfield.

Aston Villa will also be without their Captain, Martin Laursen. Right back Carlos Cuellar is also a major doubt.

I expect Villa boss Martin O'Neill to approach this match the same way he approached visits from Liverpool and Manchester United - playing a conservative, methodical style and packing the midfield. Both matches ended in nil-nil draws.

With a three point lead over Arsenal in the table, Villa will be very happy with a draw here, and fantasy managers who have heavily invested in Aston Villa's remarkable first half run could well be disappointed after this one. Play your studs (RvP, A Young, Agbonlahor) but don't expect much. These two teams have superb choices for mid and long term fantasy football investment, but this weekend may be a bore. 

Prediction: 1 - 1 draw

II. Manchester United @ Stoke: Everyone's favorite fantasy footballer is back from Japan, and the Boxing Day Captain's Armband debate should be nonexistent. Stoke are solid at home (wins over Aston Villa, Tottenham, and Arsenal) but lost 5-0 at Old Trafford in November and a clean sheet for Van der Sar and company is almost guaranteed in this one. Boxing Day bargain John O'Shea (5.3M) could be in line for a start at left-back and a clean sheet, and expensive options Ferdinand (6.8M) and the rising Vidic (7.2M) look great bets too.

It seems crazy, but the hilarious and out-going Dimitar Berbatov (9%) and Wayne Rooney (7%) are about as popular as the out of form Darren Bent (8% owned) but that should change after the busy Christmas period. I expect the goals (Rooney) and assists/bonus points (Berbatov) to start pouring in, and fantasy managers to take notice. I firmly believe that despite Chelsea and Liverpool's strong first half, the title is Manchester United's to lose. The team is too solid at the back, and too potent up front, not to take home another Premier League title.

Rooney and Berbatov may be very expensive, but investment in the two lads should soon increase.

In case you didn't get the memo, investment in United is an absolute must over the next month. Take C-Ron or Rooney, Berbatov or Carrick, Dasher or Dancer, Prancer or Vixen, or Van der Sar or O'Shea, but please, buy United. Clean sheets (and plenty of them) and goals will be dropping through chimneys in Manchester for weeks to come.

Prediction: 3 - 0 Manchester United

III. Studs and Duds: Blog favorite bad boy Craig Bellamy has emerged as a Tottenham transfer target but before he moves to White Hart Lane, he looks like a stud selection against Portsmouth this week. Portsmouth stud turned dud Glen Johnson is set to miss out (again) due to injury, so stay away from the 5.6M rated defender this weekend. Sunderland studs Steed Malbranque (6.5M) and Kieran Richardson (5.9M) straddle the stud/dud fence on Boxing Day as they will face a tougher battle at home to Blackburn but with in-form stud partnership Cisse (7.0M) and K. Jones (6.9M) the Black Cats are teetering to stud status for the third week running.

Boxing Day Bargains Alert: Rory Delap's long throws were fun while they lasted, but the absolute dud should be dropped as soon as possible. Still owned by 16% of fantasy managers, the Irish international offers little while Fulham stud Danny Murphy (on penalties and valued at only 5.3M) or even the cheap American Clint Dempsey (4.8M and guaranteed a starting spot due to Zoltan Gera's injury) are much better bench alternatives.

Finally, Wigan studs Zaki (6.8M) and Heskey (6.5M) will face a tough Boxing Day test against blog favorite bench stud Bassong and the surprisingly solid Newcastle defense, and it is anyone's guess who comes out on top in that matchup. Perhaps a 1-1 draw to leave all parties a bit disappointed.

Lastly, I expect investment in Luka Modric to increase, and I've snuck the in-form Croatian playmaking stud in my best eleven for Boxing Day at the expense of perpetual stud Jimmy Bullard - Modric's nemesis in the Tottenham - Fulham encounter. Both should get opportunities on goal from set pieces and the run of play and are excellent options.

IV. A Gameweek 19 best eleven for you to debate: 

GK: Van der Sar

D: Alex - Bosingwa - Arbeloa

M: Ronaldo - Lampard - Valencia - Wright-Phillips - Modric

F: Rooney - Owen

Happy Holidays from CRon, Fat Frank, Fernando, and Billy Gallas

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

(via Off the Post)
EPL Gameweek 19 fantasy footie preview to follow today.

Owen To Stay At Newcastle, Could We Benefit from a North American Style "Contract Year" in 2009?

Striker Michael Owen has announced that he has decided to stay at Newcastle at least until the end of the season. Owen is nearing the end of his contract, and it makes me wonder, from a fantasy football perspective - will we see increased production from the master goal-poacher?

Those of you who live in North America are very familiar with the "contract year phenomenon" in professional sports but those of you outside of the US may be less familiar. In a nutshell, the "theory" states that players perform much better in the last year of their contracts than they do in any other year - and the results are often shocking and statistically significant. Does this very American theory translate into the Premier League? Will the former Liverpool stud (8.6M) stay injury free and hit for 10 second half goals to finish on a stellar 17 for the season? Who knows. But I'd love to monitor this developing situation. Is there a historical precedent in Premier League football history where a player in a "contract year" out-performed his norm?

Obviously, many Premier League players have something to "play" for - be it an automatic spot in the first eleven,  cash bonuses, a chance to get an international call-up, prove an old employer or manager wrong, and so on, but sometimes (and especially in today's economy) money is the best motivator of all.

Perhaps Owen (and fantasy managers) will soon cash in.

Alex Cleared of FA Ban According to Smoking Hot Georgie Thompson

Bargain fantasy stud and blog favorite Alex has been cleared of any FA charges according to Georgie Thompson of Sky Sports News ("Through the Night"). In other news, Georgie Thompson is gorgeous, semi-safe for work, and we recommend looking her up.

Tuesday's Fantasy Forgotten: David Bentley, the Fastest Player in the Premier League

Let's take a trip down memory lane. 2006/2007 - 4 goals, 10 assists and 23 bonus points. A Stud. 2007/2008 - 6 goals, 10 assists, and 35 bonus points. Even better. 

This season? 1 goal, 4 assists, and 2 bonus points.

Can former Blackburn superstud David Bentley (7.2M) return to fantasy relevance in 2009 under Harry Redknapp? 

That's the burning question in our new "Fantasy Forgotten" segment - where we debate the merits of past fantasy studs and predict their output going forward.

Blogger One-One-Eight is still holding on to the England wide player and thinks he will come good after a season of massive disappointment. "He'll come around soon because he sees so much of the ball," remarked the Wealth Management Analyst turned fantasy footie philosopher.

I'm not too convinced. Modric (6.8M) seems to pull the strings for Tottenham and Aaron Lennon (6.6M) is emerging as a decent, more consistent, threat this year. Add Jermaine Jenas (6.8M) to the mix as well as the on-again off-again Tom Huddlestone (5.4M) and Tottenham's midfield starts looking like a fantasy mine field - too much action for one influential player to take over. Bombing forward, Modric is the "Lampard" of the bunch, who should consistently pull in the bonus point totals and chip in with assists/goals - and Bentley seems more of a complimentary player. 

His free kicks and corner kicks are still quality, but the consistency is just not there yet.

If Bentley does have one silver lining, it's his incredible pace. Some fans seem to forget his superb penetrating runs up and down the flanks at Ewood Park. Here's a food for Bentley thought statistic just published by Opta Sportsdata:

The statistics firm studied the speediest players in the Premier League and here were the results. Look at Bentley's speed with the football.

Agbonlahor - 21.1mph to the ball, 20.8mph with the ball

Torres - 20.5mph, 20.4mph

Bentley - 19.6mph, 21.3mph

A. Young - 20.3mph, 20.4mph

Ronaldo - 21mph, 20.7mph

Walcott - 20.5mph, 20.6mph

Bentley is lightning quick. But when selecting the Tottenham midfield player in your side, perhaps you should proceed with a bit more caution than David does with the football.

Late Monday Musings: Butt's Brain with a Bulls-Eye on Boxing Day...

A few Monday musings in no particular order and with varying degrees of importance. Feel free to add your own Monday musings in the comments section:

• John Terry was sent off at Everton. For those of you who have stuck with blog favorite Alex, you will be well rewarded over the busy Christmas period. Ricardo Carvalho could return from his long-term knee injury to partner our favorite stocky Brazilian in the centre of Chelsea's defense, and with WBA and Fulham next, clean sheets look likely.

• His value continues to climb, but Frank Lampard (11.9M) has not scored a goal in his last seven matches. I brought him in at 11.0M at the start of the season and sold him off at 11.8M a few weeks ago, and am happy to spend my money elsewhere. Those Lampard owners that do not own Ashley Young should very seriously consider moving funds from Lampard to Young and using the excess cash to upgrade. Lampard is owned by 30% of fantasy managers while Young is owned by 23%. I still have faith in Lampard as a long term option, as he takes penalties and bombs forward, but with the greedy Deco and greedier Ballack now fit and starting alongside Frank in the midfield, he really isn't the "main man" and his position as an automatic fantasy stud is in danger. He is just one of many cooks in the kitchen, and perhaps at 12.0M that's just a bit too much cash to spend on a sous-chef.

• Aston Villa's Martin Laursen is an injury concern ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Arsenal. The big Dane is feeling pain in his knee, and at 33% owned by fantasy managers, this is big news for those playing the official Premier League fantasy game. This is also bad news for Friedel (10%) and Luke Young (10%) owners, as Aston Villa's chances of a clean sheet take a major hit with their skipper out of action. Good news for RvP owners and perhaps those looking to take a stab on Saint Nicklas Bendtner for some strange reason.

Butt's Broadcast: A Holiday Delight

Take a break from your Hammacher Schlemmer last minute Christmas shopping, and hit the retro video archives - this is one of my favorite "Youtube" goals of all time. Enjoy.

And to add a bit of excitement to the Inter Milan - Manchester United Champions League matchup, Jose Mourinho has stated that our holiday goalscorer is even better than Ronaldo.

Let the FIFA Club World Cup Winners - Investing Begin: A Friendly Reminder & A Very Quick Wrap-Up

Manchester United claimed the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time courtesy of a Wayne Rooney second half strike. (Assist - Ronaldo). 

And, just a little weekend fantasy footie friendly reminder - the Red Devils play twice in Gameweek 21.  This could be the perfect opportunity to differentiate from your mini-league opponents with a well thought out 3-week plan to perhaps bring in Rooney, Berbatov, or maybe even blog favorite Michael Carrick.

Another tough week for fantasy managers saw heavy early weekly investment in the likes of Santa Cruz (did not play) Robinho (did not play) Ashley Young (did not score) and Gabriel Agbonlahor (did not score) wasted.

So, once again, while we encourage investment in Manchester United studs over the busy Christmas period, make sure to have the patience and discipline to check the late week injury news on the likes of flu-ridden Dimitar Berbatov and the rest of Sir Alex's army.

PostScript - A Very Quick Gameweek 18 Butt Wrapup:

As we predicted, Arsenal and Liverpool drew 1-1 with RvP scoring the goal of the weekend. But we went from hero pundits to dunces as WBA pulled off the surprise of the weekend with a home win over Manchester City... Nevertheless, we hope some loyal readers took a pick or two from our gameweek best 11 as Nelsen picked up 9 points (clean sheet + 3 bonus) for Blackburn, Laursen picked up 8 for Villa (clean sheet + 2 bonus points), Fulham's Bullard with a 10 point week (goal + 2 bonus points) and the in-form Crouch having his nachos despite a Portsmouth loss with 8 points (goal + 2 bonus points). 35 Points from 4 players alone, they don't call us the real fantasy premier league pundits for nothing.

Still to come... a Bosingwa clean sheet and Lampard penalty tomorrow against Everton in a 2-0 Chelsea win? Only time will tell...

Bullard & Crouch with First Half Goals, and Our "Man Down" First Eleven is off to a Flying Start

A bit of a halftime Saturday update and a chance to pat our own backs:

Pompey are getting played off the pitch after a dream beginning for Bolton at the Reebok Stadium but Peter Crouch has scored one and almost set up another for Portsmouth.

And he's always the main man at Craven Cottage, Ibracadabra favorite Jimmy Bullard has put Fulham ahead over Boro.

And, as we encouraged investment in Blackburn players, the Rovers are up 3-0 in their first match under Allardyce.

Looks like a spot on Gameweek 18 fantasy preview thus far, then. Rare, but true.

Good luck to all.

EPL Gameweek 18 Fantasy Preview: Everyone's Playing "A Man Down" (Updated with Fresh Injury News)

"But despite being down to ten players, (insert club name here) was able to get through the gameweek with relative success."  That's the match report fantasy soccer aficionados are hoping will describe their fortunes this coming weekend.  

With Manchester United (Ronaldo, Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, and Berbatov) and Wigan (Kirkland, Figueroa, Valencia, and Zaki) featuring no less than nine of the game's most popular selections and both missing in action this weekend, managers must turn to their reserves to stay competitive.  That's soccer for you. Big squads are a must. Tactical changes, injuries, and poor performance are the three major reasons for making a substitution in the beautiful game, and in our fantasy world - we add one more reason: an idle gameweek.

So, let's look at the Premier League this weekend. (I) The best match (II) The best fantasy matchup (III) "Stud" and "Dud" performers and (IV) A predicted weekly best eleven. This week's preview is long, but work is slow, and we take pride in being the first site to hit the fantasy footie blogosphere with our original predictions:

I. Liverpool @ Arsenal: A great match for the neutral fan. Arsenal sit in 5th place, 8 points behind league leaders Liverpool after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough last Saturday. Liverpool also enter the match on the heels of a disappointing draw with Premier League surprise outfit Hull, but are still enjoying their greatest domestic success since Rafa Benitez joined from Valencia in 2004. Will two wrongs make a right?

From a neutral's perspective, let's hope so. The two teams last met in a Champions League Quarterfinal fixture in April, and Liverpool won a thriller 4-2. But don't expect 6 goals in this one. Benitez will look to frustrate Arsenal's pass-happy attack by keeping it tight at the back, and will hope for some continued production from the likes of Gerrard and blog favorites Benayoun and Kuyt.

Arsenal, as always - will depend on Fabregas' vision and game control and that extra bit of size/speed from Adebayor or that extra bit of quality from Robin van Persie. Fantasy studs Adebayor and RvP have combined for 50% of Arsenal's goals this season (14-of-29) so if the Gunners do manage to break down the Reds - you can count on one of those two lanky finishers up front to do the business.

The 30% owned Jamie Carragher (7.2M) (have you guys heard of Bosingwa?!?!) will look to bounce back from a terrible performance at Hull. I think he will, but it won't be enough for an away clean sheet.

Prediction: 1 - 1 Draw.

II. Manchester City @ WBA:  There are a few other fantasy friendly fixtures on the docket for this weekend (Everton are winless against Chelsea since 2000 and have been outscored 37-12 in the past 20 meetings) but Mark Hughes' out of form Man City travel to out of form WBA in a must-win situation.

WBA have scored the fewest goals in the Premier League. Manchester City have scored the second highest. Let's just play the trends here and also add the fact that WBA's most dangerous offensive weapon, Ishmael Miller - is out for the season with a knee injury. All signs in my opinion point to a comfortable win for the Citizens.

Then, who will profit? Jo (7.6M) and injury doubt Robinho (9.4M) are likely to start up front in an all-Brazilian partnership with blog favorite Benjani (6.7M) out with a hamstring injury. But Manchester City's defense could also profit from this one. We haven't heard much from out of position defensive midfielder and former blog favorite of the month Vincent Kompany (5.5M) recently, but he looks a decent bet (along with the more popular Micah Richards (5.2M)) to keep a clean sheet and perhaps provide a rare assist or goal.

As we mentioned on Tuesday, Stephen Ireland (6.8M) and even Shaun Wright-Phillips (7.8M) are bold Captain choices, but come on guys, it's West Brom. They played in the Coca Cola Championship last year for a reason. 

Prediction: 3 - 1 Manchester City

III. Surprise Studs: Last week we hit the nail on the head encouraging investment in Sunderland players, and this week we'll take another surprise stab and go with Blackburn. Yes, the same Blackburn team that conceded 3 goals to Wigan last weekend. Blackburn could switch to a more direct style under new manager Allardyce, focusing on a strong defense and long balls to Roque Santa Cruz. The Rovers are sitting in 19th place, but remember, this team does have quality:

RSC scored 19 goals last season. Benny McCarthy scored 18 goals the year before. And long-lost fantasy favorite Morten Gamst Pederson scored 6 goals and added 12 assists two seasons ago. That's quality. On the defensive end, Ryan Nelsen (4.9M) could be a decent option this weekend against Stoke. If Danny Simpson (4.3M) can find his way into the starting lineup under Allardyce, he could be a bargain alternative as well - but that's looking very long term and depends on a big "if." Exciting times at Blackburn. Maybe a stud or two will shine.

Studs: If there was a statistic measuring "most points kept on the bench" Fulham's defensive studs Mark Schwarzer (36% owned) and cheater John Paintsil (10% owned) would surely top the leaderboard. And while I am excited to mention the bargain duo as obvious studs for the week with 3 clean sheets in their last 4 matches, I need to put them on the stud-dud fence. Boro are better than you think, and Fulham can't keep clean sheets forever. I see a ton of disappointed fantasy managers moving Paintsil and Schwarzer to the starting lineup and receiving a meager 4 point return after a 2-1 Fulham loss/win.  To hedge your bets, go with stud Stewart Downing (6.9M) to provide some differentiation points.

Duds: Lescott (10%) and Arteta (21%) are widely owned but take on Chelsea this weekend. Looking ahead, Everton take on Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United in gameweeks 22- 23 - 24. Not easy, especially when you are playing without a striker as explosive as the friendly Yak attack. Blog favorite Sebastien Bassong (4.oM) is cheap but could be in for a tough fixture with Tottenham's impressive away form under Redknapp coming to town. Tough to back Newcastle for a clean sheet in that one, but I guess we have to stick to Bassong since we did bring him to you guys first a few weeks back.. No flip-flopping here, but he looks "dudly," not studly this particular weekend. (Keep him as a cheap bench option!)

IV. A gameweek 18 best eleven for you to debate:

GK: Hart

D: Laursen - Bosingwa - R. Nelsen

M: Downing - Lampard - A. Young - Bullard - Gerrard

F: Santa Cruz - Crouch

V. Late Friday Injury Updates: Santa Cruz picked up a calf injury in training today, and is a major doubt. Robinho is a major doubt. Delap is a major doubt. Armand Traore is a major doubt. If I were to take a guess, I'd think Delap will play for Stoke but I'm less optimistic about the other three... good luck to all teams this weekend!

How Many Images of Cristiano Ronaldo does Google even index? CRon to Madrid

Have we used this Ronaldo image in the past? Who knows. Google has over 1,070,000 to choose from and if we keep up at this pace, by the end of the season we'll have exhausted their library.

Today's news doesn't come as a shocker to anyone, but adds further fuel to the "Ronaldo playing in second gear this season" fire. He kicked out at Tottenham's Michael Dawson last week, he substituted himself out of a match against Sunderland and headed straight for the tunnel rather than the club's physio two weeks ago, and last month he got into it with the Villa fans after another goalless game.

Now, it looks like the best player in the world is finally set for his dream move. Reports confirm that Ronaldo will finally move to Madrid at the conclusion of the season. 

Ronaldo has neither recorded a goal nor an assist in over a month (November 15th).  And perhaps now the pretty boy will shift his attention to securing a mansion in Madrid or a few new Haynes models to toy with rather than keeping his focus on bulging the back of the net.  

Is this all a lot of smoke with little fire? Will it affect the young winger mentally? Will his statistical production drop? Manchester United fans, sports psychologists, fantasy soccer statistic experts, and others are all urged to weigh in...

Look closely, He's Already Wearing the Captain's Armband For You

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United are in Japan for the FIFA Club World Cup, so it looks like Frank Lampard is the automatic replacement for fantasy managers looking for a new Team Captain.

In soccer, the fundamental role of a great team captain is the ability to act as a link between the manager of the team and the club's players. Influence and communication are key. But in our beautiful world of fantasy footie, the fundamental role of a great fantasy captain is well, to just get his points doubled. That's it. We don't ask for much more. Just score.

Lampard seems like the safest candidate for fantasy soccer players this weekend as Chelsea travel to Everton. The Blues have played brilliant attacking football on the road this season and Lampard has been at the centre of it all. He looked very lively against West Ham, chipped in with an assist, but did have to share free kick duties (with Ballack) and corner kick duties (with Deco) which limit his production a bit going forward.

There are other "less conservative" options out there as well:

Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor are in form but play at surprisingly tight at the back West Ham. Stephen Ireland and Robinho never met a penalty box they didn't love squatting in, and WBA just conceded five goals to Sunderland, so surely the Manchester City boys can get a couple on the road. Roque Santa Cruz will be looking to impress a new manager at home to Stoke and could be a surprise Captain choice. And Nicolas Anelka and Jose Bosingwa could offer returns if you trust in Chelsea's superb away form record.

So, is Lampard your choice this coming weekend?

Pompey to Suffer Massive Blow

According to reports coming out of Spain, Portsmouth star midfielder Lassana Diarra is on the verge of signing for Real Madrid.

Not a shock at all for a couple of reasons:

1. New Real Madrid manager Juande Ramos has publicly targeted Diarra since Ramos' days managing Tottenham in the Premier League.

2. Diarra would still be eligible for Champions League football.

3. Diarra is incredibly ambitious - he left Chelsea and Arsenal to help lead Pompey to the FA Cup title.

4. Real Madrid have lost defensive midfielder Mahamadou Diarra (no relation) for the season.

5. Portsmouth are a club up for sale, and will be looking for January revenue streams in this worldwide financial crisis.

If the reports are true, and the 23 year old French international transfers to Madrid in two weeks time (for about $14M US Dollars) then Portsmouth's rhythm in the center of the pitch will surely suffer a massive blow.

Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch fantasy footie owners will be particularly keen to monitor the developing situation - it's not everyday that a team loses their "Makelele leader," and Tony Adams' bunch should be no different. Just look at Arsenal without Flamini for a perfect example. Portsmouth's Sean Davis (5.0M) looks set to benefit the most from the potential transfer.

Never Captain Nicky Butt Comments featured on American Show FFF: "Brad Friedel has Cat-Like Reflexes, that's why his friends call him Whiskers"

World Soccer Daily is clearly the best footy podcast catering to fans in the US whilst Fox Football Fone In is basically all we have on the tele.  So, in the US - our options are very limited. 

In the past, we've been featured callers and expert e-mailers at World Soccer Daily ("caller of the day" and "trivia winners," too) but never really commented on the Fox Football Fone In television show.

Tonight, all that changed. We fooled around with modern technology and got some of our "generic American soccer fan" comments noticed on the live show.  In case you guys watched, look for "Ibracadabra" from LA and "Stepovers Anonymous" from Chicago...

We are the brilliant ones fooling around in the midst of all that rubbish. Just another venue to get out the "Never Captain Nicky Butt" brand name.

Fun stuff. 

Selling C-Ron: Like Dumping a Stock in a Bottoming-Out Market?

Ronaldo's fantasy premier league price has now dropped to 14.6M. For those fantasy premier league managers "chasing" leaders, is it time for a short term sell and buy-back plan?

As I'm sure you know by now, I'm as big of a fan of the fantasy slave as the next Ronaldo-relier, but what I also am this season, is a manager in crisis mode playing "catch up" for the first time.

And playing "catch up" is tough. You don't want to differentiate too much with irrational selections, but you need to make a few bold moves here and there and hit a Captain choice on the head once in a while, to catch up to your league leader.

So, perhaps dropping Ronaldo could be a (crazy) one-week strategy.

Here's a hypothetical situation which I'm sure is quite prevalent - You have Agger at 5.9M and Ronaldo at 14.3M. Why not drop Agger (in Rafa's doghouse and may never play another game for Liverpool as he waits for a January transfer) and drop Ronaldo (assuming you purchased the stud at 14.0M) and pick up Alex (5.6M) and one of Lampard, Gerrard, OR Ashley Young.

You take a - 4 pt hit but you get rid of two players who would not have featured this week and bring in two fantasy studs.  

Then, with the 0.3M savings (Agger to Alex) you can buy back Ronaldo for 14.6M next week.

The same scenario works with Figueroa (4.2M) dropping down to Bassong (4.0M) - you get the picture...

Here's an added bonus. You get lucky and choose the "right" Ronaldo replacement - Gerrard at 11.6M for example - and he scores a penalty and free kick against Arsenal's soft defense on the weekend, and the next thing you know his value is up to 11.8M and you make a little money off the one week rental too...

I only advocate this strategy for those of you who a) are chasing league leaders who feature Ronaldo prominently and/or b) have 2 or 3 players "out" this week (Wigan players, Man U players, or injured players) and need to make a move to stay relevant.

Tangent alert: (The other option of course, that everyone is scared of mentioning is the fact that perhaps you can just drop Ronaldo outright because he just isn't worth it this year. The United tactics this season are clearly set up to funnel through Carrick - who sprays the ball around the park - and to "Hold it up" with Berbatov - who dictates the play. Last year without Berbatov (Tottenham) and Carrick (often injured or on the bench due to Hargreaves) the tactics were revolved around Ronaldo. You felt shivers when he touched the pelota and thought he could score a hat trick every match. Not so much anymore in this new system. Any Man U fans disagree?)

Whatever you do, it will be risky, but this game is all about risk. Imagine the conversation at the end of the season when you say to your mate, "I dropped Ronaldo for one week when United were idle and picked up and captained Stephen Ireland when he hit for a hat trick against WBA and that was the difference in the season!" 

Crazy? Or sensible? You be the judge.

Paintsil the Pretender: Former Tel Aviv Star Set for FA Ban?

As you guys know by now, I'm a Paintsil fan. He was a stud in Israel's Premier League a few years back and was in my Gameweek 1 fantasy lineup this season long before he became a "chic pick" as the best bargain defender in the league. But now, it looks like the Ghanaian is set for a fine and perhaps a match ban. We'll keep you updated:

Choose with your Head, Not Heart: Bassong is a Rock

It's 7:25AM Los Angeles time on a lazy Sunday morning and I'm wondering why I'm awake as my beloved Portsmouth go down 3-0 at home to Newcastle.

And then I realize - what will my community of readers think? I need to disclose (if I have not already) my love for Pompey - and the fact that it most definitely influences my weekly suggestions...

So, like any good stock analyst making recommendations (are there any good stock analysts?) I need to add at the end of every pro-Portsmouth article, "Note: Author owns G Johnson, A Traore, P Crouch, J Defoe, and others in his portfolio." It's only fair.

So, back to the match. Johnson did not feature (knee injury prior to match), and Portsmouth lacked width. Defoe had a penalty shout in the first half but the referee chose to wave "play on." And Owen and Martins showed class for Newcastle in their finishing.

But, let's get back to the main stud. Sebastien Bassong. I can't gush about this young lad enough. Like I mentioned in the previous Bassong post, Newcastle's fixtures are not easy. But he's cheap, and he's spectacular. 

I know the fantasy premier league bonus points "system" is inconsistent (miserable, really) but if Bassong doesn't pick up at least one bonus point for his performance today, than I have lost all faith in the game.

My new man crush: Bassong. A tidy but powerful central defender who will be the key to Newcastle's resurgence and will help the Magpies easily avoid the drop.

Ibracadabra's Footy Favorites

I'm no literary expert, but I do love to read, so I figured I'd share a few of my favorite footy-related books and DVDs with you guys as we enter the busy holiday shopping season. 

If you're looking for some inexpensive (aren't we all) suggestions for great football-related gifts, then look no further. I've compiled an Amazon "suggestions store," with my favorite books, DVDs, and also included some (cheap!) jerseys/calendars.  

Click here for Ibracadabra's favorites.

You can also check out the store by visiting the "Ibracadabra's Footy Favorites" link in the upper right hand corner of this page, in our Butt Buddies links section.

Amazon has some cheap footie books - my favorites are The Miracle of Castel di Sangro and Fever Pitch. I've given Seeing Red to Stepovers Anonymous and Bloody Confused to 1-1-8 in the past, so perhaps they can chime in and post in the comments section whether or not they enjoyed those titles.

Use the comments section to suggest some of your favorite footie-related books and DVDs.

Cheers.

Ibracdabra

EPL Gameweek 17 Fantasy Preview: January Transfer Rumours Heat Up the Cold Winter Nights...

Blog favorite and former short term rental extraordinaire Alex has announced that he wants to leave Chelsea in the January transfer window. The central defender is looking for first team football to cement his spot in Brazil's 2010 World Cup lineup. So, just as the January transfer rumours heat up, the Premier League heats up - with a whopping 60% of the season still remaining, that's plenty of time to win or lose your mini-league marathons.

In our weekend preview, we examine (I) the best "real" life matchup from a neutral's standpoint (II) the most fantasy friendly matchup (III) "studs" and "duds" and (IV) a weekly best eleven:

I. Everton @ Manchester City: Both of these teams have "disappointed" a bit this season - Manchester City perhaps a bit more than 8th placed Everton, but with two proven managers in Mark Hughes and David Moyes, respectively, surely improvement is on the horizon.

Despite the lack of winning Premier League returns, fantasy managers who have stuck with Everton's Lescott and Arteta (and to an extent the lesser-owned but somewhat valuable Jagielka and Osman) have seen good, if not spectacular returns.

Manchester City gave us the spectacular last season with brilliant Bulgarian Martin Petrov and Brazilian Elano wreaking fantasy footie havoc, but those two have failed to flourish this year due to injury (Petrov) and form/selection (Elano). This year's stud Robinho is doubtful for the weekend clash at Eastlands with an ankle problem, but Benjani (6.7M) continues to look good value for the money as a decent differentiator: 

The Zimbabwe international has started five straight Premier League matches for Hughes' men, and bagged a goal and bonus point at Fulham last week. We mentioned Benjani's return to action and recommended him as a gamble selection in late November, and we're sticking to our guns for this weekend's home match with Everton. Look for Benjani to continue his "Tevez-esque" work ethic up front and threaten American Tim Howard's goal this weekend.

Everton have looked good on the road this season, so all signs in this one point to a draw. Without Robinho, Manchester City could lack a cutting edge, and Everton will be looking to bounce back after a home loss to Aston Villa.

Prediction: 1-1 Draw

II. Newcastle @ Portsmouth: Namesake Nicky Butt missed Newcastle's 2-2 draw with Stoke last week but should return to the side for the Pompey match. Tough midfielders Joey Barton and Alan Smith are still long-term injury victims and Newcastle have drawn their last four matches. Similiarly, Portsmouth have drawn three of their past four matches and centre midfield tough guys Papa Bouba Diop (suspension) and Lassana Diarra (injury) will also miss out. Looks like this one should be pretty even then, right? 

I just don't think so. All external signs may point to a draw in this one, but perpertual studs Jermain Defoe, Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch should bring the attack to Newcastle. We mentioned all three in our "studs" section last week - and a second week in the spotlight (and chance at redemption) is deserved despite their poor perfomance against WBA. 

Last season, the two teams played out a goalless draw at Fratton Park, but I think Portsmouth should bounce back after a week of rest without a UEFA Cup midweek match and take this one, rewarding Defoe/Crouch/Johnson owners.

Prediction: 3 - 1 Portsmouth

III. Surprise Studs: Investment in Sunderland defensive players looks like a "surprise" studly move on the weekend, facing a West Brom team without Ishmael Miller - who has been ruled out for the season. Anton Ferdinand (5.0M) picked up three bonus points against his big brother and Manchester United last week, and should have no problem with WBA's Roman Bednar (5.4M) in a typical WBA 4-5-1. The Sunderland-WBA match is, essentially, a relegation six-pointer so I wouldn't be surprised by a result one way or the other - but Sunderland does follow WBA with decent fixtures against Hull City and Blackburn, so you could do worse than picking up Collins (4.3M and 2 bonus points against Man United) or Ferdinand for your bench or final starting positions.

Studs: Evra owners looking to replace the suspended Frenchman have plenty of options. A straight swap for Ashley Cole (6.5M) or Alvaro Arbeloa (6.5M) is a no-brainer, but there are a few other moves that could allow for team enhancements elsewhere. Glen Johnson (5.6M) is in superb form, John O'Shea (5.3M) is a short term one month rental, and even Jonathan Woodgate (5.2M) could be a great long term selection. Tottenham have tightened up a bit under Harry Redknapp, and after the Manchester United match, they face Newcastle, Fulham, West Brom, Wigan, Stoke and Bolton in six-of-their-next-seven! Not exactly offensive juggernauts. What a schedule! Investment in Tottenham players (Modric, Lennon, Bentley, Bent/Pav) should increase then in the coming weeks...

Duds: Maynor Figueroa may be owned by 10% of fantasy managers, but Blackburn can score, and with gameweek 18 off, the Wigan left back's immediate returns don't look promising in the short term. Not only that, Sweden international left back Erik Edman has returned from injury and the former Tottenham man surely places Figueroa's long term production in jeopardy. Keep an eye on Figueroa - he is mostly a bench option for most - but with other players in the same price range performing - including Figueroa's own teammate Ryan Taylor (4.2M) who takes free kicks and plays out of position - it doesn't make much sense to stick with the Honduran much longer.

In "obvious" dud news - Blog favorites Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole should both be benched at Chelsea this weekend. 

IV. A gameweek 17 best eleven for you to debate:

GK: Friedel

D: Alex - O'Shea - Arbeloa - G. Johnson

M: Lampard - Ronaldo - Kuyt - A. Young

F: Defoe - Zaki

Ibracadabra: The curve of the ball around 23 seconds is "nice, I like."

I apologize for distracting you from crucial research into Ronaldo's new girlfriend, Alyona Haynes but can this guy move to the Premier League already so we can follow him week in and week out? Zlatan is just something really special. Enjoy. Look for a weekend fantasy footie preview tomorrow.

Haynes Her Way for Cristiano: Ronaldo's Hip is Fine, Just ask Alyona Haynes

I jumped head-first into the world of Ronaldo-blogging with this piece on the world's greatest modern slave way back before our niche footie site, Never Captain Nicky Butt even existed.

So I figured what better way to break the news that Ronaldo is back in practice and should be fit for the Tottenham match this weekend than bookending that information with the super-stud's sex life.

Pictured above is Ronaldo's newest bird, Russian beauty Alyona "Wait till we get our" Haynes "on you." Looks like Ronaldo is into brunettes. 

I am into brunettes too but I am also into winning fantasy footie mini-leagues and right now I am trailing fellow blogger (and Craig Bellamy lover) Stepovers Anonymous for the league lead. 

After winning the 2005-2006 title, the 2006-2007 title, and the 2007-2008 title (I used to be the Lyon of fantasy footie), Stepovers Anonymous has now established his presence as top dog. 

Perhaps I can arrange for Alyona to make the transatlantic trek (avec sexy undergarments?) to "distract" Stepovers from his footie following and propel me back to top dog status.

At this point, I'll take anything. 

So, in summary - never fear Ronaldo reliers - you can Captain your slave with confidence this weekend.

Ibracadabra: Superb Skill in Slo-Mo At Around the 33 Second Mark

Abu Dhabi United wins Fantasy League (Again)

If you are suffering from a mid-season crisis (like I am), never fear, the United Arab Emirates may save our fantasy blushes in only a few weeks.

Fantasy slave Ronaldo's exorbitant price tag has made this season extremely difficult for even the most creative fantasy premier league managers. Little "wiggle room" to bring in complimentary big-name players and the rise of cheap options like Ireland and Geovanni has made this season, in my opinion, a bit "stale."  Teams look similar, former superman and Ronaldo points-rival Fernando Torres is out injured, and some teams just need a new jolt of energy.

Never fear. It looks like we'll have some new options in no time. Stud David Villa could join City in January.

So, a big thanks in advance to City's owners, Abu Dhabi United, for putting the "fantasy" into "fantasy football" this holiday season. 

In Butt's Brain: Wigan's Ryan Taylor

A quick note from Butt's Brain as I watch the Arsenal - Wigan match live. I haven't watched Wigan in quite some time but Ryan Taylor (4.2M) looks very lively today and has provided superb delivery from free kicks and corners for Wigan.

As we've mentioned in the past, Wigan defenders (Figueroa/Melchiot) should only be considered as bench options, but Taylor is playing in an advanced midfield role today. Great right foot. Great left foot. Looks like the type of footballer you'd love to have on your squad. 

If he keeps this place and continues with his corner kick/free kick duties - he will easily end up as Wigan's highest scoring defender from this point forward.

Breaking News: Evra Banned For Four (Plus One)

Let's go bargain shopping. Manchester United star left back Patrice Evra was banned for four matches today for his part in a post-match brawl at Chelsea last season.

Evra was already set to miss United's match next week with Tottenhnam after picking up 5 yellow cards, and now he's set to miss another four. He is still eligible to play this weekend at home to Sunderland.

Keep an eye on veteran John O'Shea (5.3MM) who should make the United left back position his own over the busy Christmas schedule. 

Evra owners will most probably shift to Arbeloa (6.4M) or A. Cole (6.5M).

EPL Gameweek 16 Fantasy Preview: Zaki's Backi & Let's go Long on Bassong

Roy Keane is done at Sunderland. A strange tenure, that was. Perhaps the most memorable moment for me came in March when Keane proudly declared that his players would treat the referees with respect on the back of the initiative launched by the Football Association. Ironic. Hypocritical. Whatever it was, it was funny. 

Here's the weekend preview. We look at (I) the best EPL matchup, (II) the most fantasy friendly encounter, (III) fantasy studs and duds, and (IV) a best eleven for the week:

I. Aston Villa @ Everton: Aston Villa are essentially the "new" Everton, making waves as a non-Top 4 team fighting for a spot in next season's Champions League. Everton, however, should not be underestimated. Quietly the Toffees have won 4-of-6, and a win this weekend will put them level with 5th place Villa, on 25 points.

Villa have kept three consecutive quality clean sheets in the league (at Arsenal, home to United, and home to Fulham) and Everton are missing their star striker, the friendly Yakubu - who is out for the season. All signs, then, point to another Villa clean sheet, right? 

Perhaps, but I wouldn't bet the house against Arteta (7.8M), Cahill (7.7M), or Anichebe (5.5M) putting one past Villa at home. As for their opponents, Luke Young (4.4M) owners could be a bit concerned as Nickey Shorey (5.0M) fights for his left-back role and a possible first team recall. 

Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor (both valued at 8.4M) are due for some attacking points after back-to-back scoreless draws - they have too much quality between them not to make something happen.

It's really tough predicting this one, but I don't think Villa can pull off four consecutive Premier League clean sheets. I'll go for a draw in this one, then.

Prediction: 1 - 1 draw

II. Sunderland @ Manchester United: Little needs to be said, here. Tevez scored 4 midweek goals as United stormed into the Carling Cup semifinals and owners of Berbatov (11% owned) and Rooney (9% owned) will be biting their nails off before the team sheets are announced on Saturday at Old Trafford.

Honorable mention for tastiest fantasy matchup goes to Chelsea who are clearly better on the road than at Stamford Bridge and I Wanderer why that's the case. Less pressure perhaps, but the Blues have already lost their impressive home winning streak this season against Liverpool, so surely the pressure can't be that great to perform in front of the home fans. Bolton are in 9th (yes, they are in 9th) and Chelsea could find the Wanderers difficult to break down. 

But let's get back to United. We recommended Carrick a few weeks ago for disappointed Modric owners looking to dump the tiny, injured Croat, and hope some of you took us up on the advice. In his last three matches, Carrick has a goal, an assist, and 6 bonus points. 22 points total, over 7 points per week. I can see him pulling the strings again for United in the midfield and at 6.9MM, he could be a decent differentiator as the conductor of a high-powered offense. He's not cheap, but he's in form. Perhaps take a punt if you're trailing a league leader and want to make a bold move...

Prediction: Manchester United 3 - 0

III. Studs: We've got to pat ourselves on the back for recommending Glen Johnson (5.5M) last week, and he didn't disappoint - registering an assist and 2 bonus points. Portsmouth are still conceding weak goals, but they travel to WBA and Johnson should get involved in the attack once again. Defoe (8.3MM) and Crouch (7.8MM) are obvious plays against WBA if you can afford them.

I think Liverpool's "stud" defensive line (Arbeloa, Agger, Reina, etc.) could be in for a shocker at Blackburn. McCarthy (7.2M) scored two against United for Blackburn in the Carling Cup, and if given the same space mad man Craig Bellamy was afforded last week in the WestHam match, he could punish the Reds. Liverpool have kept 4 clean sheets in a row, so keep faith with your Liverpool defense, but it would not surprise me in the least if Villa and 'Pool defensive owners were left very disappointed after the weekend.

Surprise stud: Newcastle's Sebastien Bassong (4.0M).  Steven Taylor may be the England U-21 Captain but he has lost his starting centre back role to France U-21 international. In my opinion, Bassong was the best player on the pitch for Newcastle against Chelsea in the 0-0 draw and at 4.0M could be a great bargain bench option for managers who still employ Figueroa (10% owned) or Melchiot (6% owned). Figueroa and Melchiot are both valued at 4.3M and play at Arsenal this week, as well as missing Gameweek 18. A 0.3 savings and a starting centre back for the bench looks like an enticing option then. It's not like Wigan's defense is that much better than Newcastle's. Coloccini (5.2M) and Beye (4.9M) are playing well this year, and Given (4.8M) is always a stud, so I wouldn't be surprised if Newcastle kept a clean sheet at home to Stoke this weekend.

Duds: Blog favorite (don't say we don't give you great tips!) Camara (4.7M) will have a tougher time out this weekend at the Emirates, and should probably move from a starting spot to the bench.  

And here comes the debate of the week, which I'd love for you guys to sound off on. Zaki is back. Finally. Three weeks out with injury. His price has dropped. But he still sits on 8 goals, takes penalties, and is a relative bargain compared to Defoe, Agbonlahor, and other mid-tier strikers. Despite missing three games (and playing for Wigan) he has outscored Robinho and Robin van Persie, who are both too expensive in my opinion to justify the sproadic returns. 24% of managers still hung on to the massive Egyptian, and I wonder how you guys think he will perform on his return. Will he find his old form and hit for 15 or 20 total Premier League goals? Will he fade as the weather gets colder? Will he remain on the bench in favor of a Camara/Heskey partnership? Sound off. The floor is yours.

IV. A gameweek 16 best eleven for you to debate:

GK: Given

D: Alex - Evra - G. Johnson

M: Ronaldo - Lampard - Geovanni - Downing - Krancjar

F: Defoe - Bellamy

The End of Year Performance Review: Is Butt's Bonus Big?

It's December. You know what that means. If you're lucky enough to still hold a job in this economy, than you are also lucky enough to sit down with your manager for the dreaded "Year End Performance Review." 

We've only been "on the job" here at Never Captain Nicky Butt for about one fiscal quarter (4Q 2008) but we're excited at the prospects of a growing fantasy footie community and are looking towards 2009 with excitement. You guys, (the readers) make this experience worthwhile for us. Just a few (very minor!) milestones thus far:

• According to our analytics, we have had thousands of visitors from 55 countries/territories: the US, UK, & Australia are the most popular, but we have had 213 visits from Singapore, 11 from Trinidad & Tobago, and 2 from Nigeria - just to mention a few countries around the world...

• The site's most popular day of the week is Friday - we received ~ 200 unique visitors each Friday in the month of November, and our numbers increase by 30% weekly. We are a small community, but growing. 

• We are proud of our "core" readers - those loyal readers who visit the site daily or weekly and respond in the comments - and we've been lucky enough to reward a few of them with gift certificates to Soccer Pro, a great soccer gear destination site with a growing inventory.

• Some of the hundreds of unique keywords visitors have typed in to Google that led to us include, "defenders playing as midfielders," "Amr Zaki's girlfriend," "Lampard vs Ronaldo as Captain," and one of my favorites, "should Joey Barton be allowed to play fantasy football." My girlfriend is a lawyer and recently got a letter on the job that contained the phrase "frozen horse semen," so we have a long way to go to match that absurdity, but we'll keep doing our best...

So, in the holiday spirit, we just wanted to say "Thank you," to our readers - you guys have a passion for fantasy footie, world football in general, and creative banter, and that's what drives us too. 

We'd love for you guys to use the comments section (either anonymously, or posting under your nicknames/handles) to let us know your likes/dislikes, and what you'd like to see in 2009. We're a small team, but will do our best. Some examples of suggestions could include - more frequent "regular" mainstream opinions/perspectives on world football in addition to fantasy football opinions, a greater focus on statistics and player values, a greater emphasis on the real life EPL race and game predictions, etc. Or anything else that may make the experience more enjoyable and the content more robust...

Cheers.

- Ibracadabra & the Team

(Wayne) Bridge to Nowhere?

A recent report coming out of the bowels of the UK's sports journalism industry suggests that Chelsea's first team squad are so sick and tired with the poor performance of left winger Florent Malouda that they are calling for Wayne Bridge to replace him in the starting lineup. 

Bridge, who is perhaps the highest paid person in the world who does absolutely nothing, is valued at just 5.1MM in the Premier League's official fantasy football game. We'll keep a close eye on these rumors and pay close attention to Scolari's lineup over the next few matches.

If Bridge becomes the new Traore (or Belhadj) on a Chelsea team that rarely concedes goals, he could turn into instant fantasy footie gold - a cheap, out of position, Top 4 defender. Wow. That's like landing the fittest bird at the bar, and later on finding out that she's also clever, and a virgin.

An Ibracadabra Exclusive: Friendly Yak Out For Season: A Down to Earth Pro Athlete Gets Pulled Down to Earth with a Ruptured Achilles

Sometimes there is more to my world than searching for the next fantasy footie bargain. (Sometimes.)  Last week, I revealed my soft spot for Henri Camara and he proceeded to score on the weekend for Wigan. Today, I must reveal an even softer spot for another African striker, who won't be doing any (on the pitch) scoring for quite a while.

Yakubu (7.6MM) is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The injury-prone Louis Saha (7.4MM) is left to lead the Everton line, but the bargain fantasy sleeper pick who may benefit the most in the long run is Victor Anichebe (5.4MM) if Saha also ends up on the physio's treatment table. 

I expect Everton to look for reinforcements in the January transfer window, so we will keep a close eye on the developing situation and update you guys with any news. Surely Tim Cahill's short term value goes up just a bit as he should play just off the striker (Saha or Anichebe) in a 4-5-1. I can't imagine both Saha and Anichebe in the starting lineup.

Now let's get back to my soft spot for the 26-year old Yak. I started following Yakubu when he entered the football world at Maccabi Haifa in Israel - where he was managed by former Chelsea boss Avram Grant and teamed up with current Liverpool super-sub Yossi Benayoun... What a team. 

Back then, a former teammate of mine in Israel, Benni, received an offer to go on trial with Haifa and joined up with the squad for pre-season training and friendly matches. A rugged 6 ft 2 central defender, Benni played a very controlled and methodical style, and had featured in Germany's third or fourth division before moving to Haifa. But the Haifa regulars were competitive and frankly, froze him out. They didn't speak to Benni at team meals. They ignored Benni during training. They rarely passed Benni the ball. 

Except for one player: Yakubu.  The Yak was pure class. While the rest of the team made Benni feel invisible, the young Nigerian striker sat with the trialist on the team bus, during meetings, and even at team meals. Despite the sport's competitive demands, he had a heart. 

So, let's all wish the Yak a speedy recovery. Even rival Liverpool fans surely must agree.