Final week preview/discussion

[Biscuitman]

Just the FAC Final to come after Sunday's final round of matches. One or two managers will have a transfer or two left, but the majority are likely to have shot their bolts by now. With concurrent kick-offs we will be able to see all team selections, and make our own picks accordingly. Some players are likely to be rested, so it will be definitely be worth checking those team sheets (assuming your are not at a wedding like me). It is difficult to assess how those teams with nothing but pride to play for are going to react, but personally I am anticipating the odd goal-fest or two. Man U, Chelsea and (arguably) Arsenal or Spurs look to be the only ones really incentivised to win - although prize money for the minor positions is of course not insignificant. I suppose whoever is ahead in the Fair Play league might be looking to avoid the reds and yellows as well, but I haven't even looked to see which teams are involved in this.

Good luck to those at the top, where it looks like it could go to the wire, and for all other FISO-ers. Captain picks will of course be influenced by where managers are in their own leagues - will it be straight-bat, or time for a slog in the direction of Cow Corner?

Arsenal v Fulham: Fulham seem unlikely to put out a full-strength team, and Arsenal will want to ensure 3rd place, as well as finishing ahead of Spurs. This could lead anyone with RVP to take a punt here.
Aston Villa v Blackburn: The Villa season has fizzled out, much to my personal cost, but with the pressure off maybe we will see a more free-flowing, high-scoring finale for them. Some will be hoping for a Samba shut-out, or an Agbonlahor avalanche, but I doubt whether players from either side will be popular captain material this time round.
Bolton v Birmingham: Boring. Not much to say! (Cue a 6-6 draw?)
Burnley v Spurs: Anything could happen here - Spurs celebrate in style, or Burnley go out with a bang. Or apathy sets in. Defoe may have a few advocates against the Burnley defence.
Chelsea v Wigan: Lampard and Drogba, and perhaps Malouda, will feature heavily in people's thinking as Chelsea look to seal the Premiership title.
Everton v Portsmouth: See Burnley v Tottenham above, but substitute Cahill, Arteta or Saha for Defoe...
Hull v Liverpool: See Burnley v Tottenham above, but substitute Gerrard for Defoe. Uncertainty surronding Rafa could work in favour of a lacklustre Liverpool performance - but there again, it could work the other way. Tricky to read.
Man U v Stoke: The other straight bat captaincy choice here in the shape of Wayne (England Expects...) Rooney.
West Ham v Man City: Interest here in the form of Tevez's return to Upton Park, but I will be handing the armband out elsewhere (as he's already got a hairband).
Wolves v Sunderland: Those looking to make ground on rival managers may consider Bent here, as he chases the Golden Boot and a possible England call-up.

[murf]

Rooney v Drogba

Read some guff that Lampard will let drogba take penalties in order to win the golden boot. That and established fitness may win that call????

Somehow scraped up to exactly 200th (Enforced Scharner and Samba captainings being spawny the other night helped!) and my target is confirmed as a position starting with a 1!

Got enough Chelsea to hold on to any position on cup final day I think (but I'll probably star Drogba and be overtaken by Lampard stars or vice versa!).

Need to be around at k.o. on sunday I think to get the right 11 starting (or, more likely, as near as possible to 11 with the wounded absent)

[Chocs]

Cheers Biscuitman

Currently set up 4 different star men across my teams, but still undecided on the best course of action . Should be able to put out 10 or 11 in most teams, but could be 9 (or less ) in my ISO squad after blowing all my trannies on an ill-fated MotW effort a few months back!

Good luck everyone

[MindVampire]

Some will be hoping for a Samba shut-out, or an Agbonlahor avalanche, but I doubt whether players from either side will be popular captain material this time round.

Are you sure? I would have thought that Samba was the stand out captain choice this weekend

Anyway... Good preview Biscuitman
I'm really looking forward to Sundays footy... with Wigan hopefully doing Man Utd and myself a fantasy favour LOL

[looneytoon77]

Got 10 players in my top squad for tomorrow, going for Drogba & Rooney combo upfront with the Drog starred. Currently 68th & looking to improve with only 1 centre back missing from my 11 tomorrow.
Cue Bent & Tevez to bag 2 each & Rooney & Drog to have a stinker!

Good luck to all, especially those playing for the monies!

[reds363]

Thanks for the preview Biscuitman! Due to injuries, illnesses and Woy-tations in defence and midfield, my main selection issues across my teams are in goal and up front; a familiar pattern for many managers I'd suspect. Star man scores could be crucial this weekend, nowhere more so than in the race between the top two. Good luck to MV and Mr Batchelor, it's a fascinating and close battle: you may as well flip a coin instead of trying to guess who'll be taking a lead into the cup final!

Who knows what tomorrow will bring... previous final days have been high goal-scoring affairs but then last season bucked that trend and was relatively quiet if I recall rightly. Either way, I can predict it won't be good for the fingernails!

[MindVampire]

Fingers crossed that tomorrow will be great for everyone on these boards
As for myself… my day will consist of F1, Pizza, Beer and the Footy... Fruity

Good luck to all Fiso'ers!

[AkNotSpur]

Good luck to all FISO'ers - in particular MindVampire in his bid to keep the TFFO crown in the FISO stable. Many thanks MV for preserving the tradition of keeping the Forum full of front-line dispatches.

Not sure that my position of 25th warrants setting the alarm for 2.45am - and the YTM (where I'm currently joing 2nd) deadline is at noon, before the teams are announced. All the same, I wouldn't be too surprised if I sleep lightly and crawl out of bed at 4.0am for the 2nd half (Sky TV showing both Chelsea and United games, live).

Anyway, I've gone for Drogba as my Star Man choice and will probably switch to Lampard for the FA Cup Final.

[NEONTETRA]

Good luck all. I'm gonna go with Rooney on Star today and leave one transfer for the FA Final. Hopefully that will consolidate my place in the the top 30 (my best TFFO performance in 5 years )

Good luck to MV and AK - I hope we'll be reading your Winner's Retrospectives on Fiso in the coming weeks!

[Oddsman]

Thanks for the preview Biscuitman. Just relieved that I can bench my legion of crocked players today. With a reasonable showing in the Cup Final hopefully I can cling on to a top 10 finish.

All the best to MV today. Was in virtually the same boat as you 2 years ago and we all know how that finished Trailing Greenie, also by 5 points, going into the last EPL games of the season and with an inferior turnout in the forthcoming Cup Final my chances didn't look good. The odds grew even longer when Ashley Young scored an early goal for Greenie. Cue Richard Dunne's sending off and an unlikely 8-1 scoreline to Boro with Downing 2 goals and 2 assists Outscored Greenie by 18 points that day and that coupled by Kranjcar's failure to score in the FA cup saw me home. Hope you have a similar day today Chris as I had 2 years ago.

[MindVampire]

I would think Cold Pigeon pretty much has it in the bag now LOL

[looneytoon77]

Top Team scored 62pts - Highest scoring team for the day got 82pts, lowest was 40pts - Hopefully the top team can consolidate it's place in the top 70 with the 62pt score, will see tomorrow.

Sounds like you didn't have a good day MindVampire?

[reds363]

Unlucky MV if you did have a bad day - I feared that might be the case watching the goals roll in at Stamford Bridge in the second half, thinking that you would have picked a star man from Old Trafford to try and gain a lead over Pigeon.


Generals in 3rd swung the bat massively today, but wildly missed. Being 39 points off the top two, and 62 clear of the Giants in 4th, it was worth a long shot at glory. I was actually pretty pleased at half-time, but nothing went right in the second 45 and I ended the day with 49 points.

A better day though for my other two teams which played some strong straight-bat shots. 78 for ISO, looking to advance within the top 20 (with my previous ISO best of 17th in 06/07 being the target) - and 79 for my team in 108th, confident of finally entering the top 100 tomorrow.

[Biscuitman]

70 for Jammy Dodgers in 8th, and 71 for Tasty Biscuitmen in 28th today.