A very brief Football
Circus this week, mainly to keep you up to date with our Fantasy Football and
avail of any last minute tips for your own team…
Football Circus
Roundup
Christian Benteke joined Crystal from Liverpool this
week, although nobody seemed to inform the Belgian striker, who thought he had
signed for Burnley.
A hotel in Liverpool now features a hologram of Bill
Shankly in their bar. That’ll really make the customers feel comfortable.
A Manchester United fan has celebrated the club’s
big summer signings in truly horrific fashion…
Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez has set up an Instagram
page for his dogs…
Fantasy Football
Week 2 of Fantasy Football has come and gone and we’re still
faltering. A measly 59 points was all our mish mash of bargains and stars could
muster. Sergio Aguero was again the stand out player and thankfully we
captained him, gaining us 26 points. Captain Aguero aside, only Luke Shaw and
Wes Morgan could register respectable tallies, gaining 17 points between them.
Here’s how the the points worked out:
And what of our Game Week 2 suggestions? Well here’s how
they fared:
Ben Foster £4.5m –
2 points
Stephen Kingsley £4m –
1 point
Jordi Amat £4m – 1
point
Leroy Fer £5m – 3
points
Gaston Ramirez £5.5m – 1 point
Alvaro Negredo £6.5m
– 10 points
Jermain Defoe £7m
– 2 points
Well. The less said about that, the better.
So where do we go from here? We’re tempted to use our
wildcard but we’ve decide to resist until after the international break.
Thereafter, quite a few names will be on the chopping block. For now though, we
need to ditch Andy Carroll as the West Ham striker has been ruled out for six
weeks. Bacary Sagna has also picked up and injury so as we’re foregoing the
wildcard option, we’re taking a 4 point hit. We’ve opted to draft in Daley
Blind as Sagna’s replacement. The United utility man is priced at £5.5m and
with Chris Smalling out injured, is playing regularly in United’s back line.
With Carroll out, we’ve splashed out slightly on our replacement.
Middlesbrough’s Alvaro Negredo was one of our recommendations last week and he
got himself on the scoresheet for the second week in a row. His price tag has
resultantly risen from £6.5m and is now available at £6.7m. We’re bringing him
now before it rises further. Even with these transfers, we still have £1.8m in
the bank. Here’s how the team shapes up for week 3:
Game Week 3
Suggestions
Goalkeepers
Tom Heaton £4.5m –
Heaton has racked up 14 points for Burnley thus far and at just £4.5m could be
worth an investment. Likely to make multiple saves per game as Burnley’s
defence is sure to be tested throughout the season.
Defenders
Gareth McAuley £4.6m
– Already off to a better start than his similarly priced WBA centre back
partner, Jonny Evans. 7 points in each of the opening two games, one of which
included a goal, prove that McAuley should not be overlooked.
James Collins £4.6m
– The West Ham defender has also amassed 14 points in just two games, helped by
a clean sheet and a goal. While West Ham have gotten off to a shaky start,
Slaven Bilic can be trusted to steady the ship and with Collins at the heart of
their defence, it would be foolish not to consider the Welshman.
Midfielders
Etienne Capoue £4.6m
– Perhaps Capoue’s early season form will have us scratching our heads come
May, but 19 points in the opening two matches is nothing to be sniffed at.
Victor Wanyama £5.1m – Wanyama notched up 10 points in
Game Week 2 and as a holding midfielder, it’s a feat unlikely to be repeated
regularly. That being said, he’s sure to start most games for Spurs and at
£5.1m, could be a handy sub.
Forwards
Abel Hernandez £6.0m
– With many fantasy managers already building their teams around Ibrahimovic
and Aguero, budgets are tight when it comes to spending on a third forward. The
likes of Andre Gray, Alvaro Negredo and other reliable budget option forwards, are priced northwards of £6.5m. Hernandez
will save you £0.5m and recorded 5 and 6 points respectively in his opening two
matches.
-Dublin v
Kerry, All Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final; When it comes
to Gaelic football, Dublin and Kerry are historically the two most successful
teams in Ireland. The pair clash in this year’s All Ireland semi-final on
Sunday, to determine who will face Mayo in the final and it’s sure to be a
barnstormer.
That’s it from us for this week…keep checking back or follow
our Facebook
page or Twitter for future
editions.
This week’s Football
Circus sees us shift our focus away from the domestic season. With only a week
gone in the new season, there is plenty of opportunity ahead to dissect Pep
versus Jose, the success and failure of summer signings and title and relegation
battles. Therefore, we are this week going to take a look at the fallen giant
that is the Brazilian national team ahead of the Olympics final against Germany
on Saturday.
The Fall of
Brazilian Football and the Hope of the Olympics
Brazilian football has been on a downward spiral over the
past number of years. This fact was punctuated when the national team were
knocked out of the 2014 World Cup by Germany at the semi-final stage, emphatically
losing 7-1. The World Cup stirred up a great deal of controversy in Brazil.
Demonstrations took place prior to the competition taking place due to the
amount of public money pumped into the event. In fact, protests which occurred
during the 2013 Confederations Cup, also hosted in Brazil, suggested that the
World Cup would be marred by public unrest. Nevertheless, there was hope, that
Brazil would once again be reunited through footballing success.
On paper, the 2014 Brazil squad looked average in comparison
to those of World Cups past. Neymar’s name stood out however. The Barcelona
forward represented all that was good about Brazilian football - Youthful exuberance,
pace, natural ability, skill and most importantly, an ability to find the back
of the net. So it was almost seen as a national tragedy when the diminutive
striker picked up an injury in the quarter-final against Colombia and found
himself sidelined for the semi-final clash with the might of Germany. As the Canarinho lined up before the semi-final
kickoff, goalkeeper Julio Cesar and defender David Luiz held a “Neymar Jr. 10”
jersey aloft in honour of their fallen teammate, as they proudly sang the national
anthem. That very moment, before a ball was even kicked, all but confirmed that
this particular Brazil team, was doomed.
A football team’s reliance on an individual rarely results
in ultimate glory. Just ask Lionel Messi and Argentina. Better yet, ask Lionel
Messi and Barcelona. The Catalan side are acutely aware that one swallow does
not make a summer. The Spanish giants would be devastated were they ever to
lose the Argentine. That being said, they haven’t been afraid to contemplate
the possibility and in recent summers have splashed out on Luis Suarez and the
aforementioned Neymar. Not bad backup plans.
Unfortunately for Brazil, the luxury of the transfer market
is not an option. They must produce the players themselves. Neymar is
realistically the only success story to have emerged since the days of Ronaldo,
Rivaldo and latterly, Ronaldinho. So why has the conveyor belt of talent
seemingly come to a standstill? To a certain degree, Brazil has become a victim
of its own success. For years, decades in fact, Brazil has been hailed and renowned
as the home of the world’s best footballers. The beaches and favelas have
combined to become a hotbed of raw talent. Street football and futsal are
played from dawn till dusk and more often than in any other country (Brazil has
a population of 200 million), diamonds emerge from the rough.
In the past two decades, cash rich European giants have
swooped in to sign Brazilian youngsters who have displayed even a modicum of potential,
in the hope that they may become the next Ronaldo or Ronaldinho. While Neymar
is the exception, having spent a healthy four years at Santos before joining
Barcelona at the relatively mature age of 21, there is an endless list of
Brazilian talent who have moved to Europe as a teen only to see their potential
unfulfilled: Denilson (formerly of Arsenal) moved to Europe at just 18; Rodrigo
Possebon (who later declared for Italy in the hope of international football)
started his career at Manchester United at just 18; Robinho, despite winning
club honours in Spain and Italy, moved to Real Madrid at just 19 and failed to
make an impression on the international scene.
Fast forward to summer 2016. Brazil is playing host to a
less anticipated, if equally monumental, sporting event, in the Olympic Games.
Football is but a footnote compared to track and field events which feature
internationally heralded names such as Usain Bolt. Brazilians have little to no
vested interest in such events, regardless of the focus from the rest of the
world. Because Brazil loves football. But there within lies a beacon of hope.
In the midst of opening ceremonies, Usain Bolt’s records and furore surrounding
boxing decisions, the men’s football tournament has reached the final stage.
The contestants? Brazil and Germany.
Neymar has unsurprisingly been the star as the Samba Stars
have progressed through the tournament, recording scores such as 4-0 and 6-0
along the way. Two of his teammates both go by the name of Gabriel. One is
Gabriel Jesus, aged 19, recently signed by Manchester City from Palmeiras. The
other is Gabriel Barbosa, also 19, currently plying his trade with Santos. Both players are seen as forwards and have
notched up an impressive 43 goals between them in a total of three years. Jesus
will join up with City in January. Barbosa remains contracted to Santos, but is
the subject of serious interest from Leicester City and Manchester United.
A victory in Saturday’s final against Germany may signal the
rejuvenation of Brazilian football. Certainly, dreams of World Cup and Copa
America success will be rekindled for many. But with their emerging stars already
prepared to succumb to the appeal of European football, is this new generation
destined for failure before they’ve really been given a chance? Time will tell…
Football Circus
Roundup
Juan Sebastian Veron is coming out of retirement at the ripe
old age of 41, as confirmed by Estudientes’ Twitter account.
Nelson FC have found themselves a new fan in the form of
Spiderman…
Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic shared an awkward moment
in their post-match interview with Sky Sports, as they were informed that
teammate Eric Bailly, and not one of the two forwards, had been awarded the Man
of the Match award.
Petr Cech’s day went from bad to worse after Arsenal lost to
Liverpool as the Czech keeper crashed his car leaving the Emirates Stadium on
Sunday.
47 year old former Croatia international Robert Prosinecki
has told Croatian newspaper Jutarnji of his shock over €90 million Juventus
signing Gonzalo Higuain’s fitness levels:
“When I saw him I was shocked. He’s even fatter
than me!
Juventus paid €90million for Higuain and a pig
arrived in Turin instead. I can imagine Max Allegri’s shock after insisting so
much on his signing.
In the end though, I’m sure they’ll get him in shape
quickly”.
Fantasy Football
After week one of our Fantasy Football efforts we’ve
returned a respectable 54 points, albeit with little assistance from the
bargain players we included. Here’s how our team scored:
Included in the lineup were “potential bargains”: Valdes,
Sagna, Sane, Downing, Carroll and Musa. We also had Darren Fletcher and
Leceister duo Morgan and Simpson on the bench. The points accumulated by the
bargains in the starting lineup totalled an embarrassing 9 points. Man City new
boy Leroy Sane failed to even make the Citizens’ squad against Sunderland.
Luckily, Darren Fletcher brought 3 points off the bench, sparing our blushes
somewhat. It was left to Philippe Coutinho and captain Sergio Aguero to haul in
most of our game week one points.
And what of the rest of our recommendations for week one?
Like the bargains we included in our lineup, the majority of our other
suggestions failed to make an impact. One man did stand out though – Nathan
Redmond of Southampton. With the Saints
midfielder priced at £6m, it was folly of us not to pick him in our squad and
he racked up an impressive 10 points.
So what changes do we suggest for game week two? Well Sane
has to go. He may well come into contention for Pep Guardiola but Fantasy
Football waits for no one, not even Leroy Sane. Therefore with our only free
transfer going into game week two, we’ve opted to replace the German with the
aforementioned Redmond. We’ve decided to keep the rest of the team intact for
the moment. We’ll reassess the situation after game week two but if the likes
of Downing, Sagna and Musa continue their low scoring, an early wild card is
looming.
Game Week 2
Suggestions
Goalkeepers
Ben Foster £4.5m –
The WBA keeper scored 10 points in game week one and in hindsight, may have
been a more solid option than Victor Valdes.
Defenders
Stephen Kingsley £4m
– Swansea didn’t really splash the cash this summer and as a result, Kingsley
could see game time. At just £4m, the defender might need to be snapped up
early before his price increases. Score 8 points in week one.
Jordi Amat £4m –
See above (5 points in week one).
Midfielders
Leroy Fer £5m –
The Dutch midfielder was signed by the Swans on a permanent basis this summer
and has already managed to get on the scoresheet. Likely to pay on a regular
basis, Fer’s price tag of just £5m looks a bargain.
Gaston Ramirez £5.5m – Linked up well with Negredo for
Boro’s goal at the weekend, getting points for an assist. It’s early days but
it already looks like Ramirez will be a vital player for the Teesiders in
2016/17.
Forwards
Alvaro Negredo £6.5m
– We’d written off Negredo as a has-been before he moved to the north of
England but he’s already gotten his name on the scoresheet and Middlesbrough will
hope he makes it a habit this season.
Jermain Defoe £7m
– Write off this man at your peril. He may be 33 years old but the seasoned
striker showed against the might of Man City that he’s still more than capable
of finding the net.
Football
Recommendation of the Week
-Olympics
Men’s Football Final, Saturday 20th August; Will Brazil conquer
their European adversaries like a canary-coloured phoenix from the flames? Or do
they stand more chance of getting a smile out of Angela Merkel?
Non-Football
Recommendation of the Week
-Shame (Young Fathers); Despite the questionable
interpetive dance routine in the video, this tune from Mercury Prize winning Scottish
hip hop group, Young Fathers, is one of our most played songs on Spotify at the
moment.
That’s it from us for this week…keep checking back or follow
our Facebook
page or Twitter for future
editions.
We’re back…After almost a year’s hiatus due to this blog
becoming overly time-consuming, we’ve decided to return – Possibly for a one
off blog, possibly longer, quite frankly we don’t know at this point in time.
What we will say is that this edition of the blog and potential future editions
will have a somewhat different complexion to the Football Circus you once knew.
Gone will be the Balotelli updates (his HILARIOUS madcap antics gave us a laugh
but a weekly report on a player whose career continues on a downward trajectory,
was a strain to say the least). Also gone will be the Italian Football Story of
the Week and the Artist’s Impression of the week. Instead, whilst we will
continue to scour the internet and media for stories which confirm our fears
that football has indeed gone completely bonkers, the blog will focus more on
opinion. And now that we’ve gotten that
out of the way, let’s proceed to the first edition of Football Circus since
October 2015.
Clown Quote of the
Week
“They’re all just headphones!” – Chris Waddle after England’s Euro 2016 exit.
2015/16 Season
Predictions Review
As the 2016/17 season grows nearer, we feel it only right to
take a look back at our predictions for last season to see how we fared.
1. Manchester United fail to reach the Champions League proper, then
finish outside the top 4 in the Premier League, resulting in Louis Van
Gaal's sacking.
- Well we can feel quite smug about this one. Nail on
head.
2. Arsenal to win the Premier League.
- Nope. Had we any inclination
that Leicester City would go on to win the Premier League we would now most
likely be being lauded as descendants of Nostradamus. Due to Spurs’ end of
season capitulation, Arsenal ended up second. Nearly there never won the
(title) race however and it certainly didn’t do our overall predictions score
any favours.
3.
Juventus to win Serie A.
- Perhaps not our most outlandish prediction but we
definitely got this one right as Juve strolled to another Serie A title
victory.
4. Barcelona to win La Liga.
-
Again, we could hardly be seen as visionaries for this one but right again.
5. Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga.
- See
above.
6. PSG to win Ligue 1.
- And
see above again.
7. Pep Guardiola to be gone from Bayern Munich by June after again
failing in the Champions League, but he will not go to Man City.
- Hmm. It’s hard to argue with
the first part of this prediction but after leaving Bayern, Guardiola was
swiftly announced as the new City manager. Shame on us for doubting red top
rumours. We’ll give ourselves half a point on this one.
8. Mario Balotelli to leave Liverpool in the last week of the transfer
window but will again fail to make an impact wherever he goes.
- Left Liverpool to join AC Milan on a season
long loan. Check. Date of transfer, 27th August 2015. Check. Brutal
showing in Serie A. Check.
9. Nicklas Bendtner to score at least five goals.
- “Lord” Bendtner only managed a measly return
of 4 goals for the season. Muppet.
10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic to get sent off at least once this season.
- Ibra managed
to keep his temper relatively in check in his last season as a PSG player. Not
a single sending off, unfortunately for us.
11. Rafa Benitez to be gone from Real Madrid by June, but the team will
reach the Champions League final nonetheless.
- Correct on this one. Real went on not only
to reach the Champions League final, but to win it. Meanwhile Benitez moved to
Newcastle where he failed to save the club from relegation.
12. Jose Mourinho to fall out with Roman Abramovich again, blame his
own shortcomings on anyone and everyone but himself and be gone from Chelsea by
June.
14. Harry Kane to have a difficult season and fail to reach the heights
he did last season.
- Young Harry
proved us totally wrong and fair play to him. We hope for Spurs’ fans sake
however that his poor form at the Euros doesn’t continue into the 2016/17
domestic season.
15. A frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo's form will finally start to decline
as age begins to catch up with him.
- This really comes down to a
matter of opinion. Down from 56 goals and 22 assists in 2014/15, to a paltry 53 goals and 15 assists in
2015/16. Let’s be realistic. Real Madrid still could not do without him and he
still rivals Messi’s best player in the world status. That being said, the
common consensus seems to be that Ronnie has lost a certain edge – A downturn
in form may be more apparent in the next two years. Nothing to be ashamed of as
he’s had a stellar career and cemented himself as one of the all-time greats. As for our prediction, we’ll give ourselves
half a point.
Overall score: 9
(including our two self-awarded half
points) out of 15. Not too shabby.
And so, that brings us to the 2016/17 season. Despite
Leicester catching us completely unawares with their Premier League triumph
last season, we somehow don’t envisage a repeat performance…
2016/17 Predictions
1. Chelsea to win the Premier League.
2.Juventus to win Serie A.
3.Real Madrid to win La Liga.
4. Borussia Dortmund to win the Bundesliga.
5. PSG to win Ligue 1.
6. Liverpool to secure a Champions League
spot.
7. Leicester City to finish in the bottom half
of the Premier League.
8. Arsene Wenger will finally call it a day at
Arsenal.
9. Luis Enrique to be sacked as Barcelona
manager.
10. Joey Barton to be sent off at least twice
for his new club, Rangers.
11. Mario Balotelli to be transferred out of
Liverpool again and not be on the books of his new club come the end of the
2017/18 summer transfer window.
12. Wayne Rooney to lose the captain’s armband
for England.
13. Lionel Messi to come out of international
retirement.
14. Rafa Benitez to be gone from Newcastle by
the end of the season.
15. Football Circus to return in the form of a
podcast / video podcast.
Yes you read that last one correctly. We’ve been mulling
over the possibility of developing Football Circus into a podcast / video
podcast for quite some time. Whether it comes to fruition or not is as good a
guess as anyone’s, but it is certainly an avenue we’re eager to explore. Quite
whether you would be able to tolerate our voices / mushes, is another issue
entirely. As for predictions 1-14, there are few that could be rendered totally
audacious, certainly not as audacious as our “Bendnter to score at least five
goals” prediction last year, but we’re confident of equalling or bettering our
previous tally of 9 from 15.
Football Circus
Roundup
Pre-season never fails to throw up a few ludicrous scenarios
and once the last ball of the domestic season is kicked, we’re inundated with
what is essentially, nonsense. If you’ve clickbaited your way through more
transfer rumours than you thought imaginable, fear not. There’s plenty more
going on in the world of football to kick your filthy, football-addicted brains
ticking over and the red top journalists in employment. For example, here’s
Arsene Wenger being presented with a sword, before Arsenal took on Norse side
Viking in a friendly.
Over in Italy, a Napoli restaurant, bitter Gonzalo Higuain
for joining Serie A rivals Juventus, are offering a €1 pizza every time the
striker gets injured for his new club.
Will Ferrell has told CNN he could play Jamie Vardy in the
Leicester striker’s biopic (albeit his “later, fatter years”)…
Fallen great Adriano is reportedly back living in the
favelas of Brazil…
And Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest fashion statement is eh…painted
toenails.
Fantasy Football
Last but not least on this edition of Football Circus, we’re
going to delve into the gravely frustrating world of Fantasy Football. Many
football fans will attest to the fact that Fantasy Football points can make or
break a weekend. At this stage of the season, you’ll find yourself drafting and
re-drafting your team, only to find yourself using your wildcard after the
first game week. In an effort to alleviate your stress, we’ve scoured through
the players on offer to suggest a few potential bargains.
Goalkeepers
Victor Valdes £4.5m
– Cast aside by Louis van Gaal and latterly, Jose Mourinho, the ex-Barca shot
stopper is a sure fire starter for Premier League new boys Middlesbrough. With Boro investing heavily over the summer,
they’ll be unlikely to get caught in a relegation dog fight, barring a QPR-like
disaster. With that being said, their goalmouth could be barraged with shot
attempts, increasing Valdes’ potential for saves.
Kasper Schmeichel £5m – In spite of Ron Rob Zieler’s arrival
at the King Power Stadium, Schmeichel Jr. is expected to start the season as Leicester’s
number 1. With the majority of higher-ranked keepers being priced at £5.5m, the
Dane could prove a shrewd investment at half a million less.
Defenders
Bacary Sagna £5.5m
– Luke Shaw aside, starting fullbacks for the top seven or eight Premier League
teams appear to cost a minimum of £6m. What differentiates Sagna from Shaw is
that he racked up 116 points last season and has a superior injury record.
Likely to start for City as well, as Guardiola has spent Sheikh Mansoor’s cash
on other areas of the team.
Wes Morgan £5m –
Although it would surprise us to see Leicester repeat their 2015/16 heroics and
equally surprise us to see Morgan amass the 139 points he earned, at £5m the
Leicester captain could be a quite a purchase.
Danny Simpson £5m
– See above.
Midfielders
Leroy Sane £8m –
After spending £40 million on the Schalke winger, Pep Guardiola would have
quite a few questions to answer were he not to start the German. For that
reason, we believe Sane could be worth a gamble.
Nathan Redmond £6m
– Joining Puel’s revolution at Southamption, Redmond will anticipate a starting
berth in the Saints’ lineup. Accumulating 110 points from a relegated Norwich
side was no mean feat and if Southampton somehow continue to impress as they
have done in the past few seasons, £6m spent on Redmond could be a snip.
Jesse Lingard £6m
– This could be a shot in the dark. Lingard’s place in United’s starting eleven
is far from guaranteed, particularly with the signing of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
However after the winger scored in the FA Cup final and Community Shield, in
addition to him being one of the few United players to impress in pre-season,
Jose Mourinho’s hand may forced to play him.
Darren Fletcher
£4.5m – A total of 103 points saw the Scot finish last season as West Brom’s
top points scoring midfielder. As a guaranteed starter for the Baggies,
Fletcher’s £4.5m pricetag makes him a must have as a backup midfielder and will
free up much needed funds for the rest of your team.
Stewart Downing £5.5m
– Hear us out on this one. When Downing joined Middlesbrough from West Ham last
summer we thought it was pipe and slippers time for the winger and he’d taken
the easy option by dropping down a division. However he’s only spent one season
in the Championship and was a vital part of Boro’s promotion. What’s more
intriguing is that in the 2014/15 season, Downing’s Fantasy Football points
totalled a whopping 160. On closer inspection, we found that he’d finished six
of his nine Fantasy Football seasons on over 100 points. Definitely worth
consideration.
Forwards
Divock Origi £7m –
Bargains appear hard to come by in the forwards department this year and it
seems to be the position which has most fantasy managers scratching their
heads, with a lot of untold forces in the mix. Liverpool fans seem to be quite
keen on the Belgian striker though. With Daniel Sturridge perennially injured (picking
up a knock against Barcelona at the weekend, in fact) and Christian Benteke set
to be shown the door by Jurgen Klopp, Origi’s game time could increase at
Anfield.
Marcus Rashford £7m
– The United youngster burst onto the season in the latter stages of last
season but will find it difficult to hold down a starting place at Old Trafford
after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s arrival. With that being said, if Rashford’s form
continues, he may see more game time than expected.
Andy Carroll £6.5m
– Drafted into many fantasy football team’s towards the end of last season
after a scoring streak, Carroll will continue his attempts to force his way
into Slaven Bilic’s West Ham team. Should he do so, it will be down to one
reason – Goals. Unorthodox he may be, but if he hits a run of form, Carroll
could be a great buy at just £6.5m.
Ahmed Musa £7.5m –
Brought in by Claudio Ranieri as a partner for Jamie Vardy, Musa looked
explosive in pre-season, notching up a brace against Barcelona. Having arrived
from CSKA Moscow, Musa would be a gamble as he has not yet proven himself at
the top level, but if he hits the ground running his price could sky rocket.
Others
There a handful more potential bargains to be had should
certain players be transferred in the coming weeks.
Juan Mata £7.5m –
The Spaniard’s time at Manchester United looks to be drawing to an end and were
he to move (Everton have been linked), he’d walk into most Premier League
teams’ first eleven. At £7.5m, Mata could be worth a punt.
Christian Benteke
£7.5m – If Benteke secures a move away from Anfield and replicates the form
he showed at Aston Villa, the Belgian striker could be a steal at £7.5m.
Saido Berahino £6.5m – West Brom seem loathe to part
with the stroppy striker but if they do and his new club get the best from him,
we could see an influx of goals. He managed 148 fantasy points in 2014/15.
Using some of our suggestions, here’s how your team could
look…
- The Night Of; HBO’s latest offering is quite simply stellar. Originally due to
feature James Gandolfini before his untimely passing, then Robert deNiro (until
he allegedly fell out with the makers), The Night Of casts John Turturro as
lawyer John Stones. While Turturro’s performance alone makes this gritty
mini-series worth watching, this thrilling murder investigation will have you hooked
from the start.
That’s it from us for this week…keep checking back or follow
our Facebook
page or Twitter for future
editions.