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Fantasy League News: Superior
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Any slow week is a poor week at this stage of the season and NKU and Los Intergalacticos learned that all too well this last outing. A glut of points dropped by Chelsea defenders condemned the two chasing hopefuls to 5pts and a minus one respectively. There are still plenty of weeks left to make up the deficit – and it is only a handful of points after all – but one wonders when the wheels will come off for good. It all meant that the spearhead of Ornamental Brown Star and The Partridge Family continued their onward march as both top teams got into double figures. This will be a close season’s end.
If I could choose to be in any manager’s shoes at this moment in this division, it would be Steve Ferguson’s. Another 19pts for Skonto this week – 6pts each from the Roo and Tevez – leaves them just off the pace but nicely placed for a late assault. There is still time. Just 36pts off top spot is a good position to be in. I like to chase.
05/03/10.
Leaders lose ground as four way race heats upIt wasn’t a great week for The Partridge Family. There were scant pickings on the pitch as Julian’s defence dropped points and the only notable efforts came from Young at the back. All of which gave heart to the chasing pack as Los Intergalacticos gained ground after a sound 15-pointer that included 6-pointers for Drogba (two goals) and Milner (three assists). The gap is now down to six points but is complicated further by the fact that NKU are on the same number of points despite a lacklustre week (just 9pts and the perhaps fatal loss of Ashley Cole). With Ornamental Brown Star huffing and puffing away on 319pts – just a point behind – the run-in to the title looks a tad nail-biting.
With the title race limited to just a handful of teams, focus has shifted to the bottom and who will go down.
The bottom three are all miserably placed, being the best part of 30pts adrift. Before the end of the year this gap would appear closable, but by the end of February you have to say that their chances are slim at best.
Trevor Thornton must already be resigned to having to turn up early next year on the Auction Sunday. 43pts of safety, Stockport C*unty are doomed.
26/02/10.
Brown Star add to the mixSuddenly things are no longer certain in the top division. As Tony Blair would put it: the kaleidoscope has been shaken, the pieces are in flux etc etc.
With only a handful of midweek games there wasn’t much to shout about, but Ornamental Brown Star with Zamora and Saha did enough to help scramble together a 19-point week to keep them just 17pts off top spot. With The Partridge Family struggling to a meagre 2pts – coming from the now injured Etherington – four teams are now in with a real shout as the season enters the final straight.
19/02/10.
Partridge maintains gapAnother good week for The Partridge Family – 22pts – saw the reigning champions keep up the gap that looks likely to secure them a second successive title (judging on this form). Four clean sheets and a goal and an assist from Etherington were enough to keep JP sitting pretty with a gap of 18pts as the midweek fixtures began...
With Los Intergalacticos also scraping up a good 22pts (including 9pts from Drogba and a pair of clean sheets from Hangeland) pressure is now put on NKU to get their act together or slip out of contention entirely. Whether JL has the guts for it remains to be seen.
Down at the bottom, a huge yawning gap has opened up between the bottom four and the rest of the table; any of them could go down, though Stuart Watt has a slender advantage – 23pts ahead of the rest, he may have enough to survive. The problem for a lot of teams this season has been the slow start made by defences. If you bought big at the back, you may be in for a trial as most defences are only beginning to perform now. It will not be enough for many managers.
12/02/10.
Ferguson looks at his watchExtra fixtures during the week meant a bumper crop of points for most managers – and a gnashing of teeth for those who had to go without.
Top team in the top division this week were Skonto Riga Reserves whose manager Steve Ferguson must be wondering if there is enough time for him to mount a late successful challenge to the title. Certainly, if he has many more weeks like this last one he will have one hand on the silverware by the middle of April. 31pts for Mr F included a massive 14pts from his defence including eight from Insua (looking a shrewd buy – 31pts to date) and a further eight from Cuellar (who I ditched after the first week – Gumby that I am). It all looks bright for the taciturn antipodean. Can he maintain it?
The Partridge Family kept up their drive to hold onto the silverware, however, with a 23-point week that relied heavily on the two goals and assist from Lampard. Julian is now nine points clear of the chasing John Lewis, though whether it is better to chase rather than lead at this stage of the race is debatable.
38pts shy of safety is an unusual position for Mr T to occupy, even though the Poppadom Prince secured a good 15-point return this week. Unfortunately, everyone else got into double figures as well, Trev.
05/02/10.
Partridges on top form once moreWith Lampard hitting form again and Samba picking up another goal and a rare clean sheet it was a good week for The Partridge Family as they returned to the top of the Superior Division once more after a huge 25-point week. Dreams of a second successive Supreme Championship Trophy would appear to be well-founded after a week like this last one.
That doesn’t mean that NKU have given up the ghost; far from it. A 17-pointer for John Lewis included a complicated six points for Ashley Cole – one goal, one assist and one point for a 45-mins appearance before being subbed. John is only 4pts behind the leaders, so it’s still tight.
Down at the bottom, Stockport C*unty are now in deep trouble after a 5-point week consigned Trevor Thornton to a position barely above Davy Jones’s locker. 34pts now separate the former Terror of the League from safety.
23/01/10.
Lewis regains leadExtra fixtures for the festive period meant extra points and a complete turnaround in the top flight.
Los Intergalacticos slipped down to second place after an 11-point week that, whilst useful in the scheme of things, couldn’t compete against John Lewis’s 28-point bonanza. Three goals for Bent was the highlight of John’s Christmas – well, I assume so, anyway – and he opened up a small but important gap as a result.
Paul Harding also had a good outing, scraping up a 29-point week to move stealthily into third place after edging that way for some time. 22pts came from Paul’s defence – not bad for a season when defences are on the back-foot.
It was bad news for The Partridge Family – demoted to fourth after Julian’s mob only managed a meagre 7pts. However, with just 14pts separating the top four, the New Year promises much in the way of fireworks – once the FA Cup is over, that is.
Further down the table, Skonto Riga Reserves gained valuable ground after a 31-point week that was the equal top score across the entire league last week. 9pts from Tevez and 7pts from Rooney were the big scores from the big hitters.
Down at the bottom, Stockport C*unty picked up a dozen points – decent, but not enough to prevent Trevor Thornton dropping into last place. I hear the contents of his cracker wasn’t up to much, either.
30/12/09.
Webmeister seizes top spotWith an extra block of fixtures in midweek in Week 19, there were plenty of opportunities to pile on the points, if – and only if – you had the squad to do it.
The top division looked somewhat different after Los Intergalacticos edged out The Partridge Family and Never Knowingly Undersold to grab top spot. 26pts for the Webmeister included 8pts from Crouch and a brace from Santa Cruz. It will be a tough call to stay on top however – Julian Partridge lies just 4pts off the pace after a 24-point week courtesy of goals from Torres, Jones, Doyle and 6pts from Lampard that included that three-times taken – and converted – penalty. Fortunately for everyone else, only one of the conversions counted.
Ornamental Brown Star and Totalled Football both enjoyed bumper week as they clocked up 30 and 31pts respectively. Two clean sheets apiece for Gomes and Bassong and a further 5pts for England-prospect Zamora, were the main features of Paul Harding’s haul. For Tom Campbell, double-clean sheets for Warnock and Dunne augmented a scoring midfield of Denilson, Larsson and Alexander and yet another goal from Defoe. Both teams lie on the cusp of Euro places after their impressive showings.
26/12/09.
Lewis defence drops guardThis hasn’t been any sort of season for defences as the leaders in the top flight discovered this week.
Six points dropped at the back by John Lewis’s Never Knowingly Undersold – 2pts apiece from Cole, Terry and Given – meant that his squad ended up with a score of -3 for the week. It wasn’t the best timing ever as Los Intergalacticos and The Partridge Family took full advantage – 10pts and 12pts putting Steve Pearce’s mob and Julian Partridge’s in with a chance of taking top spot in time for Christmas. In particular, the two goals from Drogba – tally now 55pts – were a real spur to the Webmeister, who now sits just 2pts behind John Lewis.
Elsewhere, Ornamental Brown Star was the top performer – a modest 13pts putting Paul Harding back in contention for a top three spot if his Christmas shapes up. Goals from Kuyt, Arshavin and Saha were the mainstay of Paul’s week.
Down at the bottom, Ken Clifford’s Mandrake Slappers have been rather cut adrift of late and a three point week will have done nothing to calm the nerves, though with Stockport C*unty dropping two points, the three above Big Ken have plenty to worry their pretty little heads about: just one point between them is squeaky tight. A bumper crop of fixtures over Xmas may make or break hearts.
17/12/09.
Partridge game as pressure mountsJohn Lewis had a quiet week, so it was up to Julian Partridge to make ground on the leaders, after a 22-point week that not only saw him back up to third place, but also saw him through to the final of the Chalice as well. 13 of Julian’s points came from his defence – no mean feat for a team that has underperformed in that department so far. With a goal and an assist from Valencia – now starting to find his way at the biggest club in the country, if not the world, there was plenty to applaud at the biggest fantasy league team in Somerset.
Five points from Milner helped Los Intergalacticos cling on to second place as the Webmeister chalked up another 18pts on the tally-board of his season. There is now a gap between the top three and the rest of the table – what a shame that there isn’t promotion into another tier. Rumours of a breakaway elite begin here.
17pts for Totalled Football steered Tom Campbell into safe waters after a period of uncertainty. A goal and an assist from Dunne were the high points of the weekend. Fifth place and an 18-point buffer will go down well in Herbert Road.
Stockport C*unty flirted with danger last season. After a four point week the spectres of last season will be gathering again. Just 6pts separate Mr T from the Drop Zone. Trevor will be trying to find somewhere quiet to ponder his happy place this weekend; another week like that and I’ll have to dig deep into my Scorn Box.
10/12/09.
Webmeister closes gapThe Webmeister’s Los Intergalacticos made some inroad into the lead of NKU this week, thanks to the efforts of Drogba and Giggs, but there is still a huge gulf between the chasing pack and Mr Lewis. However it was enough to relegate The Partridge Family to third place after a lacklustre performance from his squad (minus three from Baines! Ouch!). However, it wasn’t a week for Paul Harding to take advantage as his squad also dropped points at the back.
The teams in the bottom of the table have turned their thoughts away from the title, you would have thought – at least, for the moment. Stuart Watt will have been cheered by a 15-point week for his Hugo ‘N Botty that moved them into midtable and relative safety. Seven of those points came from Duff, who is starting to look a capable buy, even if he can’t quite race up the wing as of old. If he cobbles together 30pts by May he will have been a steal.
Skonto Riga Reserves moved off the bottom, a 13-point week giving Steve Ferguson a bit of a breather. It is still tight at the bottom, though.
03/12/09.
Lewis opens gapJust when Julian Partridge thought that he has John Lewis in his sights, the leaders had a week to top all weeks and a big gap has opened once again.
Of course, it was that Spurs/Wigan circus that was responsible, as Lennon clocked up 9pts – three assists and a goal – to boost Never Knowingly Undersold’s tally to 28 for the week. Strewth. Additional points came from Cole, Evra and Terry at the back.
The next question you’re asking is who had Defoe's five goals? Answer: Tom Campbell’s Totalled Football. Unfortunately, Tom’s only other score was a minus one from Lescott, so not a super-impressive week, then, Tom.
Elsewhere the points were scarce. Only Julian Partridge and Tim Marks got into double figures, meaning that The Partridge Family didn’t drop away entirely out of the title race, and that Seven Of Nine came to within eight points of safety, but it wasn’t a hugely scoring week for other managers in the top flight. Looking at the table, a couple of big established names look likely to drop out of the Superior Division this term. The question is, who?
27/11/09.
Top four press onThere is a bit of a gap opening up in the Superior this week – the top four all got into double figures, ensuring that they have a 20-odd point buffer between them and the rest of the idling pack.
NKU continued to maintain their lead after a 12-point week that included a goal and an assist from John Terry; not a huge week but enough to keep ahead.
The Partridge Family also had a steady week – 11pts, thanks mainly to six points from Young; Julian has just eight points to pick up to overtake John Lewis and has a far superior goal tally.
Los Intergalacticos and Ornamental Brown Star are closing fast, however. 15 pts for Steve Pearce included two assists and a goal for Milner. Paul Harding’s top score in the division (16pts) came from all over his squad, though the most optimistic thing about it would have been Arshavin getting back in the scoring groove.
Down at the bottom, Ken Clifford’s Mandrake Slappers plough a lonely furrow at the bottom – just 84pts. If Ken’s not careful he’ll be wearing “The Collar of Shame” at the next Auction...
13/11/09.
Lewis holds his nervePressure continues to mount on NKU as the teams around John Lewis chug along, but the leader managed to hold his nerve to secure a 14-point week thanks to his defence (four clean sheets and an assist). The Partridge Family closed the gap after an equal-top scoring 17pts, but NKU still have a seven point buffer. Deco, Etherington and Lampard all got a goal and an assist for Julian’s mob. The Partridge Family is doing a fine job of defending last term’s title, though there is still a long way to go.
Totalled Football had another fine week – 17pts – to keep the teams above at least in sight if not touching distance. Robin van Persie was the main provider – two goals and an assist bringing a broad grin to the face of Tom Campbell.
A better week for Tim Marks’s Seven Of Nine. 11pts for the bottom three club didn’t move them out of danger, but at least there is a decent chance of The Man in the Suit getting out of it soon. A rare goal from Dempsey and an assist from Anelka were the main offensive bonuses for Tim’s mob.
06/11/09.
Lewis: One wheel on my Vespa?Not much of a week for the leaders; just a slim 3pts for Never Knowingly Undersold this week and questions will inevitably arise as to whether the wheels are now coming off the challenge of the Superior new boys. All the action was at the back for John as Terry and Gallas picked up points, but Given and Evra dropped them. Expect a sudden return to form this week, though, judging on past performances.
However, if John’s return to form doesn’t happen, the Champions can be sure to take advantage. A twelve point week for The Partridge Family this week – including 6pts from Lampard – kept Julian Partridge breathing down John’s neck. Just ten points separate them now.
Top score of the week went to Tom Campbell, whose Totalled Football recorded a 14-pointer courtesy of an outstanding performance from van Persie (5pts). Tom remains in fifth place, well off the pace of the leaders, but well above the whirlpool of the drop zone.
The bottom three is starting to look settled, which must be a little worrying for the managers involved. Mandrake Slappers, Seven of Nine and Skonto Riga Reserves have much to do to avoid a winter of discontent.
30/10/09.
Lewis still storming alongOnce again picking up the highest score for the week, it was full steam ahead for John Lewis’s Never Knowingly Undersold as his squad secured a 21-point week that included a goal and assist for Kranjcar and another goal for Darren Bent – his sixth of the season.
Los Intergalacticos kept up the pressure with a 14-pointer that incuded a bit of a rarity for Drogba – no goals, but TWO assists. The Webmeister is now 19pts shy of the leaders.
11pts from Paul Harding’s team kept Ornamental Brown Star is third thanks to the efforts of Arshavin – a goal and an assist.
Only 15pts separate the bottom six teams, so it is nigh on impossible to deduce any trends there, yet. Enjoy it whilst it lasts, you stragglers – a gap will open soon enough. Take the word of one who already knows...
06/10/09.
Lewis blazes a trailIt was a big week for two of the teams in the Superior Division – one consolidating and one just getting going.
23pts for Never Knowingly Undersold kept John Lewis in no doubt that his is the team to topple this season. Cole and Fletcher were the main providers for John and they have now scored over a quarter of John’s tally of 91pts.
Also on fire this week were Ornamental Brown Star who slotted nicely into third place after a 24-pointer that owed much to Saha and Kuyt. Paul Harding just edges out last season’s champions The Partridge Family to the third place spot, though Julian also had a good week – 20pts including a brace from Torres.
It’s too early to draw too many conclusions from the bottom end of the table, though Tim Marks’s Seven Of Nine must be anxious by now – plenty of goals but few clean sheets. A long season may be ahead for The Man in the Suit.
25/09/09.
Los Intergalacticos keep up paceHow long can the Webmeister keep this pace up? Not much longer, surely? Another 18pts for Los Intergalacticos kept Steve Pearce out on top in the Superior Division, with Nani starting to look a steal; a goal and an assist in the 5-0 demolition of Wigan will have heartened all those who took a punt on him.
Never Knowingly Undersold slipped quietly into second place after a smooth 27-point week that included 7pts from Lennon – an obvious buy really, now you think of it, what with the embarrassment of riches up front at Spurs now.
Down at the bottom it has been a slow start for Seven Of Nine – just 14pts to date, though activity from Anelka will give Tim Marks some hope that last season wasn’t a flash in the pan. Meanwhile, Julian Partridge has started to turn things around after an awful first week. 23pts in Week Two have moved the Champion off bottom place.
28/08/09.
Webmeister takes early leadSix points from Drogba and three clean sheets were enough to leave the Webmeister sitting proud at the top of the Superior Division, defying the Chairman’s dire predictions. Los Intergalacticos got off to something of a flyer, though whether it can be maintained is another matter.
Hugo N’ Botty carried on much as they left off and a seamless transition to the new campaign was thus assured. 16pts was a good way to kick-off – ten of them coming from Fabregas. There was some confusion at FLHQ regarding whether Pienaar had scored on Saturday – for some reason it appeared as a goal, but was later downgraded to an assist. I listened to it on the radio and the way it was described was a bit confusing, so obviously they were listening to the same radio feed for their initial scoring!
Down at the bottom it was a dreadful week for the Champions – minus seven for The Partridge Family. A couple of Everton stalwarts there, then.
22/08/09.
Partridge prepares the defencesAdrian Downs came round yesterday – yesterday being the first day of the new season – a dispiriting 1-2 reverse at the hands of Orient – why can we never come out of the blocks as if we mean it? Ah, well, another nine months of head-shaking begin – anyway, Adge came round with Marcus and he was looking at the roll-of-honour I’d put together for the league. It is noticeable that the only name that repeats on the Supreme Title is his.
“Strange how people only win it once, isn’t it?” he said. I had to agree; it’s as if managers can steel themselves up to perform for just one season. I suspect that this game is more of a lottery than we like to think. There are no dead-cert strategies; only hunches and the vicissitudes of a long slog through the autumn and winter months before the respite of spring. If you get it lucky, well, then you’re lucky. Doing it a second time is fiendishly difficult; a third time, nigh impossible.
All the more reason to suspect, then, that The Partridge Family look stuffed. Even before the season begins, one can say: “It’s the Inferior Division for them.” Julian went to the auction with no plan that I can see. The defence is light weight, at best. Friedel might be a good buy; Baines was surely a gamble that Everton can do it again; Agger will play one in three. The midfield has spice, however. Young, Lampard and Valencia. Etherington makes it into the middle of the park so he can set up the tea-table there. Up front, Torres is the one gem. If Yakubu is fit he could provide 40 or 50pts, but I don’t rate him personally. Sturridge was a shrewd investment if he can hold down a place. He is a talent. Beattie and Jones will do for a Saturday afternoon when Torres doesn’t feature. Mid-table at best. And I’m being generous.
Los Intergalacticos perform at this level after a brief respite down a level. You have to wonder why the Webmeister bothered. The defence is full of ifs-and-buts. If Man City build a defence, then Micah Richards... if Hangeland moves to Arsenal then... if Villa tighten up then Young may... But Green... but Woodgate... What was Steve thinking? The midfield is anonymous (go and look online if you don’t believe me) and will only pick up 50pts if they’re lucky. The only redeeming part of the squad is the frontline: Drogba, Eduardo, Crouch, Cole, Santa Cruz. It might be enough to keep him up, but I fear Steve Pearce has a struggle on his hands that will last till May.
On the flipside, there is Big Ken Clifford, who spent big at the back for Mandrake Slappers. BIG. Reina, Bosingwa, Sagna, Vidic and Upson. Well, maybe Upson was a bid he raised that he got stuck with. The midfield has Gerrard and the untested Zhirkov. Nasri is injured but will be back one day, so Ken can expect at least 30pts from him, I’d say. Park might take off this season; all the midfield at ManYoo have boots to fill this outing. Up front, Bellamy, King and Roberts will have their work cut out to manage 10 goals all season. Presumably he bought Cousin because someone told Ken that he was his, er, cousin. Will struggle – a great backline, but where are the goals going to come from? Gerrard.
Totalled Football. They want goals this season. Lots of them. Tom Campbell didn’t push too much for his defence – Aurelio and Lescott are the mainstays and Evans might feature more this time around. The midfield is middling: Fellaini, Jenas, Riera, Pedersen – good enough to accrue points, but not set the world alight. Up front are Berbatov, Defoe, van Persie, Robinho, Bendtner and Davies. Not a sure-fire team, this, but one that might be pushing for Europe.
John Lewis comes to the top flight after a steady rise through the ranks that has seen his Never Knowingly Undersold winning back-to-back Championships in the last three outings – Xtra, Nursery, Inferior – Bang Bang Bang. The question is, Does John have what it takes to succeed at this level, the highest the league can throw at him? Well, it began passably. Given, Cole, Evra, Terry and Gallas. Beat that. Unfortunately, by that point John had spent £12m, so the rest suffered. The midfield has some potential: Wright-Phillips, Lennon, Rosicky and Murphy, whilst Kranjcar and Fletcher will contribute too. But the front-line is woeful: Bent and Heskey are offset somewhat by Scotland, if he delivers and Jiminez is an unknown. Upper midfield for Mr Lewis and a season without silverware.
Stuart Watt is an enigma, and I suspect that Stuart might be in with a chance yet again. Hugo N’ Botty are the nearest we have to a dynasty these days, and the Special Needs One kept up his run of impressive auctions with a downbeat understated style that saw him pick-up a half-decent, almost excellent squad, yet again. Cech and Rafael (if he plays) are more than complimented by Alex and Carragher, though Konchesky probably won’t last past September is my guess. Fabregas, Downing and Malbranque are steadfast lieutenants in the middle, with Pienaar making up the numbers, as he is with my squad. Owen and Carew look nice up front if they can keep off the physio’s bench. The subs are nothing to shout about, but that’s what the £5m is for. This team will be contenders, is my estimate.
The Prince of the Poppadoms and darling of the bobbly-slippered brigade couldn’t make his auction this term, but left instructions with his proxy who did a good job for Stockport C*unty. The back-line looks solid: van der Sar, Johnson, Clichy, Ferdinand, Carvalho and Toure. The midfield is a bit lightweight: Osman, Denilson, Kightly and the underrated Lawrence, not to mention the gamble on Eagles, who may cut it at this level, or may not. Jo, Keane, Agbonlahor, and Elmander provide options up front. A top two finish.
Steve Ferguson has been with us for a number of years now and this is his first foray into the top flight. It has been a long wait; was it worth it? Skonto Riga Reserves had a middling auction and whilst there are some worthy gems there are a few dud diamonds as well. The defence looks promising: Howard – if EFC can do it again – Bridge – If MCFC can do it – Davies – if AVFC can last a season – Skrtel and Insua – if LFC play them – Brown – if he plays at all. It’s all a bit woolly; but it might work. The midfield has plenty of dash to it: Modric, Noble, Cole and Arteta – when he comes back. Ballack is waste of space. The front has class: Tevez and Rooney, with Andy Johnson and Ebanks-Blake on seat-warming duties. there will be changes – there always are – but there will be enough to stay up, and this season was always about consolidation for Stevo.
Hmmm. Tim Marks has been a bit of a permanent fixture in this division lately. He sits there in midtable for most of the season and pesters you occasionally, but generally his role is one of someone who doesn’t do a lot. In that respect, he is rather like the down-and-out who hangs out by your local Cashpoint begging scraps off you; he always hopes that someone will toss him a tenner (fat chance). No doubt to move away from this image, Tim turned up in three piece suit this time around, though no-one was fooled: you can tell he’s fallen on hard times by the amount of weight he has lost, poor little wizened waif that he is. So what of his squad? Can this be Tim’s year? No. The defence has a made-up-on-the-spot feel to it: Almunia and O’Shea were expensive acquisitions, though Naughton, Hughes and Yobo will dampen down the fires in his heart when the summer ends and the chill winds of October begin to tease the leaves from the trees. The midfield is passable: Ireland, a sure-fire hit, Malouda, Benayoun and Dempsey will perform well, and Geovanni is a novelty who can spring the odd surprise to make the regulars on MOTD laugh. Scholes is way past the sell-by date and will be in a rest home by November. The front is built almost entirely around Anelka. Fuller, Iwelumo and McCarthy will chip in from time to time, but not to any startling degree. It looks like another midtable team assembled by their manager for Seven Of Nine; safe but not going anywhere. It’s a hard life if you’re a regular at the Cashpoint Stadium, BS15.
Gomes, Hibbert, Shorey, Vermaelen, Ivanivanivaninvaninovic – or something like that. Not a back-line that you would choose voluntarily, unless you’re peculiar Paul Harding, that is. Master Harding didn’t put much faith in a back-line, this time out – just £2.1m spent – and his midfield looks better for it: Arshavin, Kuyt, Barry and Taylor (who I like). Carrick and N’Zobgia were aberrations, induced by the prospect of going home to valet his car. But the four first-choices are first class. The front-line of Adebayour, Zamora, Saha and Campbell are flush with potential, which is always a worrying sign. Can Adebayour do it at Man City? I have grave doubts... So a team that might do well, but might struggle due to the deficiencies at the back. Ornamental Brown Star must surely be in for a long hard campaign. Will need to wheel and deal.
WHERE’S
THE HEAD ON THAT PINT A: SUPERIOR DIVISION
FINAL TABLE MAY 2010
I got the bottom three spot on last time and had The Partridge Family down as runners-up!
* Aged 9.
14/08/09.