- Drogba has scored 13 goals in 13 matches (all competitions) against Arsenal including 10 in his last 7 and five in the last three PL matches.
- Arsenal have won only 2 of their last 18 (all competitions) against Chelsea
- Arsenal have already dropped 9 points at home this season. No team has won the PL that has dropped more than 10 points since Arsenal in 2001-02
- Gunners have kept just one clean sheet in their last 7 PL home matches.
- Samir Nasri has scored 7 in his last 7 PL matches at The Emirates.
- Chelsea have won the last four PL matches against Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in the last three. If Arsenal lose it will be the first time in PL history they have lost 5 consecutive against another club.
- Arsenal have lost their last six PL matches against both Chelsea and Man Utd - and not won in their last 11 against them (all competitions)
Monday 27 December 2010
Arsenal-Chelsea stats
Merry Christmas!
Ok, a couple of days late but sleigh ho.....
We're taking a short winter break at FC Roger but will be back in the new year - see you then!
x
We're taking a short winter break at FC Roger but will be back in the new year - see you then!
x
Monday 20 December 2010
Man City v Everton
As mentioned before there may be a lack of goals tonight as Man City home matches only average 1.62 goals and Everton away matches just 2. Much could rest on whether transfer yo-yo Carlos Tevez plays or not. The Argentine now seems to love the club again so the stage is set for a barnstorming, goalscoring performance and the City faithful clutching him to their bosom again. Or maybe a bore draw and the little scamp gets himself sent off.- got to be one of the two?
Man City's terrible goalscoring record at home seems to show up in the Picklive points averages for their players. Kompany (56), Barry (59), the Toure boys (Kolo 55, Yaya 54) and De Jong (55) all have defend, destroy or dullness hardwired although that may be slightly harsh on Yaya on recent form. Barry and Yaya are (understandably) the only ones of those 5 that have a goal or assist to their name in Picklive this season so I'm recommending picking both if they start tonight. De Jong is suspended, even though he's not been booked in a Picklive match so far this season (don't the FA take this into account?), so he can be ruled out.
Tevez has an average of 47 which is a healthy amount for a striker. He's posted a 50+ in 6 of his 9 Picklive appearances this season and scored a brace 3 times. Perhaps it's the Christmas cheer or possibly my absolute desperation for some goals after the Real game last night but I'll be including Tevez tonight if he starts. If I end up picking 4 or more from City I'll then balance my optimism/desperation with a centre-back. I will probably resist my man-crush on David Silva (41) who I think has a huge score in him at some point soon and pick someone like Kolorov (62 last time out) who I think is a Picklive legend in the making (i.e. full-back and likes to bomb forward - a thinking man's Glen Johnson?).
As for Everton, they fluctuate wildly in their contributions to the Big Game, having had 3, 1, 1, 1, 3 & 4 men in the top 5 this season. They have players with huge averages including Arteta (87!!!), Baines (64), Fellaini (63) and Pienaar (58) but their talisman Arteta is suspended and Pienaar is struggling with a groin strain. So Fellaini and Baines may be the way to go although I fancy a centre back to do well and Jagielka (56) and Distin (52) both have decent averages.
My team (picked before the lineups are announced...): Yaya, Barry, Tevez, Kolorov and Jagielka.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Man City's terrible goalscoring record at home seems to show up in the Picklive points averages for their players. Kompany (56), Barry (59), the Toure boys (Kolo 55, Yaya 54) and De Jong (55) all have defend, destroy or dullness hardwired although that may be slightly harsh on Yaya on recent form. Barry and Yaya are (understandably) the only ones of those 5 that have a goal or assist to their name in Picklive this season so I'm recommending picking both if they start tonight. De Jong is suspended, even though he's not been booked in a Picklive match so far this season (don't the FA take this into account?), so he can be ruled out.
Tevez has an average of 47 which is a healthy amount for a striker. He's posted a 50+ in 6 of his 9 Picklive appearances this season and scored a brace 3 times. Perhaps it's the Christmas cheer or possibly my absolute desperation for some goals after the Real game last night but I'll be including Tevez tonight if he starts. If I end up picking 4 or more from City I'll then balance my optimism/desperation with a centre-back. I will probably resist my man-crush on David Silva (41) who I think has a huge score in him at some point soon and pick someone like Kolorov (62 last time out) who I think is a Picklive legend in the making (i.e. full-back and likes to bomb forward - a thinking man's Glen Johnson?).
As for Everton, they fluctuate wildly in their contributions to the Big Game, having had 3, 1, 1, 1, 3 & 4 men in the top 5 this season. They have players with huge averages including Arteta (87!!!), Baines (64), Fellaini (63) and Pienaar (58) but their talisman Arteta is suspended and Pienaar is struggling with a groin strain. So Fellaini and Baines may be the way to go although I fancy a centre back to do well and Jagielka (56) and Distin (52) both have decent averages.
My team (picked before the lineups are announced...): Yaya, Barry, Tevez, Kolorov and Jagielka.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Sunday 19 December 2010
Real Madrid v Sevilla
Sevilla are 14-1 longshots (on Betfair) to win tonight which kind of sums up their chances as Real have a very impressive 100% record to defend. However they are masters of the dark arts, if their mid-week match against Dortmund was anything to go by, so could make life awkward for Ronaldo's gang.
Stuttgart v Bayern Munich
Stuttgart are on their 3rd Coach this season and the latest one, Bruno Labbadia, recorded a 5-1 win over Odense in the Europa League in his first match in charge. The Stuttgart players are bouncing around training like Bambi according to bundesliga.de, apprently Bruno makes his players feel all warm and gooey inside. And he'll need to as Stuttgart are languishing, one place off the foot of the table.
Saturday 18 December 2010
Is Papa Grande behind this snow?
Perhaps the Big P is getting worried? With matches being postponed all over the place there's only 4 chances left to catch him before he goes to ground again. What are the chances? Well Papa G loves goals so we'll need a thrashing or a thriller to nail him...
Real Sociedad home matches only average 2.42 goals and Valencia away only 2.56 so I don't think we'll find him in Spain tonight. Despite being pants Stuttgart like to entertain by maintaining a healthy average of 3.74 although Bayern Munich may, unsurprisingly, spoil things by bringing their 2.42 average to the party.
Matches at big show-offs Real Madrid average 3.99 and Sevilla a not too shabby 2.99. With Tevez in a huff there may be no hope of improving the Man City average of 1.62, striker-phobes Everton won't be much help with an average of 2.
So it seems as if Madrid is the place to be if you want catch the cigar-smoking, sombrero-wearing, pick-tease. There's been a couple of close shaves, not least at the Emirates so that reward (at least £1800) may not go unclaimed.
Good luck one and all, we're going to need it.
BensBulls
Real Sociedad home matches only average 2.42 goals and Valencia away only 2.56 so I don't think we'll find him in Spain tonight. Despite being pants Stuttgart like to entertain by maintaining a healthy average of 3.74 although Bayern Munich may, unsurprisingly, spoil things by bringing their 2.42 average to the party.
Matches at big show-offs Real Madrid average 3.99 and Sevilla a not too shabby 2.99. With Tevez in a huff there may be no hope of improving the Man City average of 1.62, striker-phobes Everton won't be much help with an average of 2.
So it seems as if Madrid is the place to be if you want catch the cigar-smoking, sombrero-wearing, pick-tease. There's been a couple of close shaves, not least at the Emirates so that reward (at least £1800) may not go unclaimed.
Good luck one and all, we're going to need it.
BensBulls
Real Sociedad v Valencia
9th placed Real Sociedad are decent at home having won 5 of their 7 home games in the league this season. Their only 2 defeats were at the hands of two strong Madrid teams, Atletico and Real. Valencia, 5th in the league, have the fourth best away record in the league, even though they've lost 3 games on the road (Barcalona, Sevilla and Real Madrid) from 7.
Sunderland v Bolton
The new Picklive dataclock provides a very useful pair of numbers for analysing previous matches. Looking at the dataclock for the Sunderland match against West Ham (and selecting 'All Actions' in the drop-down) you can see 574-464. These are the totals of all the actions for both teams (home then away) during the match. A quick look at the BBC match report shows that Sunderland had 58% of the possession. This maps roughly to the amount of 'actions'. This could be very useful when picking your Big Game team...
Sunderland-Bolton stats
- Bolton have failed to score in their last three PL matches against Sunderland.
- Darren Bent scored four goals in the two matches last season including a hat-trick in the 4-0 home win (March). He has scored 10 PL goals against Bolton.
- Bolton haven't kept a clean sheet in their last 15 PL away matches.
- Sunderland have lost only one of their last 18 home matches.
- Sunderland have kept four clean sheets in their last five at home.
- Bolton have won one of their last 7 away matches
- Sunderland failed to score twice in their last 14 at home - both to Manchester United
Friday 17 December 2010
Monchengladbach v Hamburg
There could be plenty of goals in the final game of 2010 for these two teams before they go into winter break. Games involving Monchengladbach average 4.37 goals while games involving Hamburg seem miserly in comparison at 3.24. Could be a good opportunity to catch Papa Grande?
Useful web-sites No. 1: football-lineups.com
A simple but very useful site to kick this series off. Football-Lineups describes itself as a 'collaborative database' where fans can upload lineups from matches they've watched or attended. The slightly clunky design masks a very rich resource, perfect for researching teams you may not be familiar with.
Thursday 16 December 2010
Juventus / Man City stats
- The two sides have met in 3 previous games (including a 1-1 draw in Manchester earlier this season), with both sides winning a game each.
- City have met Italian opposition on just five previous occasions, winning two, drawing two and losing just one.
- Juventus have met English opposition in 40 previous games, winning 14, drawing 11 and losing 15.
- Juve have won just one of their last 12 European games against English opposition.
- City are unbeaten in their last eight games (all competitions)
- Juve themselves are unbeaten in their last 16 games.
- Manchester City have enjoyed just one victory in their last 6 European away games.
- Adebayor has bagged 4 goals in his last 2 Europa League games for City.
- Alessandro Del Piero has had a competition-high twenty shots so far (including one goal).
- Milos Krasic has successfully completed 20 dribbles, a competition-high.
Wednesday 15 December 2010
DinamoZagreb/PAOK
It's a big match for these two teams tonight - only one of them can qualify and it's all kicked off already.
Not much in the way of Picklive previous for these two though, just a solitary hammering for the Croatians away to Villareal. One notable performance in that match was of the goalkeeper, Kelava. He racked up a huge 79 points despite a yellow card (-10 points). I'd be surprised if he had another 11 shots on target to deal with though.
The other insights for tonight from that match are that the full-backs (Vrsaljko and Cufre) & central midfielder (Badelj) were the next biggest point scorers and so could be worth picking again as players in those positions traditionally do well on Picklive. The Press Kit tells that Sammir scores plenty and plays in midfield - a perfect Pickliver? He completed the 5th highest amount of passes in that match against Villareal which does suggest that he will be heavily involved tonight, playing at home. He may even get more than one shot off this time. He's scored 17 and made 9 assists this season.
For PAOK I'm relying on IMScouting who flag up Vieirinha and Vitolo as two key midfielders. I may just take them up on that suggestion. If not I'll have a look at whoever's partnering Vitolo in the middle (Pablo Garcia?) or one of the centre backs (Contreras?) who could well be busy tonight.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Not much in the way of Picklive previous for these two though, just a solitary hammering for the Croatians away to Villareal. One notable performance in that match was of the goalkeeper, Kelava. He racked up a huge 79 points despite a yellow card (-10 points). I'd be surprised if he had another 11 shots on target to deal with though.
The other insights for tonight from that match are that the full-backs (Vrsaljko and Cufre) & central midfielder (Badelj) were the next biggest point scorers and so could be worth picking again as players in those positions traditionally do well on Picklive. The Press Kit tells that Sammir scores plenty and plays in midfield - a perfect Pickliver? He completed the 5th highest amount of passes in that match against Villareal which does suggest that he will be heavily involved tonight, playing at home. He may even get more than one shot off this time. He's scored 17 and made 9 assists this season.
For PAOK I'm relying on IMScouting who flag up Vieirinha and Vitolo as two key midfielders. I may just take them up on that suggestion. If not I'll have a look at whoever's partnering Vitolo in the middle (Pablo Garcia?) or one of the centre backs (Contreras?) who could well be busy tonight.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Tuesday 14 December 2010
Brentford/Charlton
Tonight I am venturing out of my Championship comfort zone to have a look at a League One fixture (albeit in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy); it's Brentford v Charlton Athletic.
Brentford have been much better away from home this season; their last 5 away matches have been wins and 5 away victories is the highest in League 1. However, at home, they have lost 4 matches which is the joint second lowest number of home defeats after Walsall. Charlton have also done really quite well away from home with victories at Peterborough, Swindon, Southend and Carlisle. Last time these two teams met, at the beginning of October, Brentford won a rare match at home. Brentford are on run of good form at the moment but Charlton's last match was a rare home defeat to Walsall. Despite that, I think I am trying to say that I fancy Charlton to win but it will be close.
I am going 3 from Charlton and 2 from Brentford. Both teams featured before (Charlton twice).
Brentford's best players last time they were on Picklive were Spillane (Defender - 58 points), Woodman (Defender - 55), O'Connor (Midfielder - 50). Woodman also has Brentford's second most assists and has scored 2 goals this season so he's probably in. Spillane also has two assists to his name this season. Brentford have 2 strikers on 7 goals each; MacDonald and Alexander, but none particularly shone last time.
Charlton have a lot more to recommend I think, especially in midfield. After appearing on Picklive twice, two players have average scores (over the two games) of 55+; Francis (Defender - 63) and Wagstaff (Midfielder - 59). Wagstaff is Brentford's third top scorer with a respectable 7 goals and 4 assists so far. Francis scored a massive 76 points against Luton and Wagstaff scored 63 (admittedly with 2 goals). Defender Matt Fry will also make my team, he is on loan from West Ham. Midfielder Johnnie Jackson is also having a great season being Charlton's top scorer with 9 goals from midfield. And despite not appearing many times this season, midfielder Kyel Reid has the most assists for Charlton, with 7. He might get a run out in this cup game.
So 3 from Charlton out of Francis, Wagstaff, Fry, Jackson and Reid, and 2 from Brentford out of Spillane and Woodman.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
Brentford have been much better away from home this season; their last 5 away matches have been wins and 5 away victories is the highest in League 1. However, at home, they have lost 4 matches which is the joint second lowest number of home defeats after Walsall. Charlton have also done really quite well away from home with victories at Peterborough, Swindon, Southend and Carlisle. Last time these two teams met, at the beginning of October, Brentford won a rare match at home. Brentford are on run of good form at the moment but Charlton's last match was a rare home defeat to Walsall. Despite that, I think I am trying to say that I fancy Charlton to win but it will be close.
I am going 3 from Charlton and 2 from Brentford. Both teams featured before (Charlton twice).
Brentford's best players last time they were on Picklive were Spillane (Defender - 58 points), Woodman (Defender - 55), O'Connor (Midfielder - 50). Woodman also has Brentford's second most assists and has scored 2 goals this season so he's probably in. Spillane also has two assists to his name this season. Brentford have 2 strikers on 7 goals each; MacDonald and Alexander, but none particularly shone last time.
Charlton have a lot more to recommend I think, especially in midfield. After appearing on Picklive twice, two players have average scores (over the two games) of 55+; Francis (Defender - 63) and Wagstaff (Midfielder - 59). Wagstaff is Brentford's third top scorer with a respectable 7 goals and 4 assists so far. Francis scored a massive 76 points against Luton and Wagstaff scored 63 (admittedly with 2 goals). Defender Matt Fry will also make my team, he is on loan from West Ham. Midfielder Johnnie Jackson is also having a great season being Charlton's top scorer with 9 goals from midfield. And despite not appearing many times this season, midfielder Kyel Reid has the most assists for Charlton, with 7. He might get a run out in this cup game.
So 3 from Charlton out of Francis, Wagstaff, Fry, Jackson and Reid, and 2 from Brentford out of Spillane and Woodman.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
Contributors Wanted
Fancy writing for FC Roger? We're looking for a few more contributors to join the stable. If you can write a bit, play Picklive and can commit to a minimum of one post a week (which will be no more than an hours work) we want you. If you have a specialism, maybe a foreign league or random clutch of teams, then even better - especially if you know a bit about La Liga. If not, there's still loads of Premier League matches to cover, no experience necessary.You don't need to follow the style (or lack of it?) of the current contributors, you can carve out your own niche.
Drop an e-mail to footballclubroger@gmail.com if you're interested and we'll give you a test match to write for in the next week or two.
Ben
Drop an e-mail to footballclubroger@gmail.com if you're interested and we'll give you a test match to write for in the next week or two.
Ben
Monday 13 December 2010
Analysis: Man Utd
Just three tidbits tonight as there's tons of previous articles on this blog and stats on the Picklive team pages for these two teams.
If Vidic and Ferdinand start then Vidic is the pick if you fancy a centre-back. The Serbian has out-pointed his other half in all of their four previous starts (although Ferdinand was subbed after 50 mins against Valencia) and was United's 3rd, 2nd, 2nd and 4th highest scorer in those games.
If Scholes and Carrick start then Carrick is the pick. Legend though Paul Scholes is, Carrick has pipped him comfortably in their last two starts together. Scholes did demonstrate two additional qualities though, getting yellow carded and getting subbed. Not convinced? 4 of Scholes' top 5 scores have been without Carrick, the other one he finished behind Carrick.
Pick Fletcher if he starts in a 4 man midfield with Scholes or Carrick. Fletcher scored 82 and 84 the last two times this happened, the top and second top scores respectively. Conversely he only got a 42 when part of a 5 man midfield against Man City.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(by Ben Wraith)
If Vidic and Ferdinand start then Vidic is the pick if you fancy a centre-back. The Serbian has out-pointed his other half in all of their four previous starts (although Ferdinand was subbed after 50 mins against Valencia) and was United's 3rd, 2nd, 2nd and 4th highest scorer in those games.
If Scholes and Carrick start then Carrick is the pick. Legend though Paul Scholes is, Carrick has pipped him comfortably in their last two starts together. Scholes did demonstrate two additional qualities though, getting yellow carded and getting subbed. Not convinced? 4 of Scholes' top 5 scores have been without Carrick, the other one he finished behind Carrick.
Pick Fletcher if he starts in a 4 man midfield with Scholes or Carrick. Fletcher scored 82 and 84 the last two times this happened, the top and second top scores respectively. Conversely he only got a 42 when part of a 5 man midfield against Man City.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(by Ben Wraith)
Man United - Arsenal stats
I'll be at the match later, so will give you the stats now....
- Arsenal's record in their last 10 (all competitions) vs United & Chelsea - W0 D1 L9 F5 A22
- Rooney netted in both PL matches with Arsenal last season and has 7 in 16 matches against the Gunners in total.
- Arsenal have had at least five players booked in each of their last 3 league games at OT
- Arsenal have picked up 17pts on the road this season - the best away record in the division.
- Man United have the best home record with 22 points.
- 10 of Berbatov's 11 goals this season have been scored with Rooney on the pitch.
- Last time Arsenal lost a game with Howard Webb as the referee was at OT (April 2008) - since then they have won six and drawn three when he was in charge.
- United have picked up more PL wins (15) and points (56) against Arsenal than any other club.
- Arsenal's only win in the last nine against United was a 2-1 win at Emirates in November 2008 - Nasri scoring both goals.
- Arsenal have failed to score in 5 of their last 8 league visits to OT and have not scored more than once in their last 25 league visits since a 4-2 defeat in old Division One in November 1984.
Sunday 12 December 2010
Barcelona - Real Sociedad
Victor Valdes was the only Barcelona player who didn't score more than Xabi Alonso's 40 in their destruction of Real Madrid. They also had the top five players in their match against Villareal! Real Sociedad have featured twice on Picklive and haven't had a player score more than 50 (both home matches) so I will going with all five players and can't seriously recommend any of their players!
So which 5 Barcelona players do you want in your team?! I think there will be a lot of people with the same teams! Xavi has to be in most BG teams and there is something wrong with you if he doesn't get into yours! I think Iniesta and Busquets will have to be in your BG team if you want to win. I am sure most people will be going with Messi and why not? He managed to get 71 even without a goal against Madrid - considering he has scored 56 in 51 matches for Barcelona this year, the chances are he's going to get another... The three for me that could differentiate your team from others is Alves, Pedro and Villa. Alves is very consistent and can score highly (91 vs Villareal). David Villa will need a goal or two to get more than 50 really but is worth a gamble I think tonight. Pedro is another who would probably need a goal.
- Barcelona have won 15 of the last 16 against RS including last 12
- Catalans are unbeaten in 12, winning 11
- Messi has scored 10 of his 15 goals away from home.
- RS have won their last two matches
- Barcelona have not conceded in their last three and only two in their last seven.
- Barcelona have scored three or more goals in their last 6
- RS have lost four of their seven away matches
Spurs-Chelsea stats
- Chelsea are without a win in their last four at White Hart Lane - losing three including the last two.
- Spurs are unbeaten in their last 11 PL home London derby matches winning the last 6.
- Tottenham have won their last three at home against 'Big four' clubs - all by a 2-1 scoreline.
- Chelsea have failed to win both PL away matches this season after a CL match - 1-1 draw at Newcastle and 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.
- Chelsea have not scored more than once in their last six.
- Drogba has score 6 in the last 7 in London derbies.
- Chelsea have just five points from last 18 available - their worst run since 2000
Spurs/Chelsea
There's plenty of Picklive stats available for both Spurs and Chelsea and there's 6 or 7 players from each side to pick from this afternoon.
First job then is to decide on the split between the two teams.Spurs had 3 of the top 5 at home to Liverpool (Assou-Ekotto 83, Modric 76 and Palacios 64) 2 away to Arsenal (Kaboul 81 and van der Vaart 57), and 3 away to Bolton (Gallas 71, Kaboul 63 and Hutton 63).
Chelsea have had a more mixed time recently. They had 5 of the top 6 away to Newcastle (Mikel 73, Malouda 71, Bosingwa 69, Ivanovic 66 and Kalou 62) and then 1 and 4 of the top 5 when losing to Sunderland (Ferreira 64) and Liverpool (Terry 97, Mikel 87, Alex 71 and Cole 66) respectively. Looking back at some of Chelsea's bigger games shows a more balanced result, 3 of 6 at home to Arsenal (Alex 71, Mikel 65 and Essien 62) and 3 of 5 away to Man City (Essien 83, Malouda 74 and Cole 65).
With Tottenham on a better run of form than Chelsea, and at home, I'll be going for 3 Spurs and 2 from Chelsea.
Narrowing it down to five though is tricky. One player I will be going for is Assou-Ekotto, in the last four Spurs home games on Picklive he's been their top scorer twice and second twice. Similarly I'll be looking for consistency with my two Chelsea picks. Essien has the highest average and hasn't dropped below 50 this season. John Terry scored 97 in his last game on Picklive and also has a decent average.
That leaves me two Spurs players to pick and I'll go for a centre back (some doubt over Kaboul who would be my first choice) plus one of either Bale or Modric. Mind you, you could pick any five from these two teams and you'd have a good chance of winning.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
First job then is to decide on the split between the two teams.Spurs had 3 of the top 5 at home to Liverpool (Assou-Ekotto 83, Modric 76 and Palacios 64) 2 away to Arsenal (Kaboul 81 and van der Vaart 57), and 3 away to Bolton (Gallas 71, Kaboul 63 and Hutton 63).
Chelsea have had a more mixed time recently. They had 5 of the top 6 away to Newcastle (Mikel 73, Malouda 71, Bosingwa 69, Ivanovic 66 and Kalou 62) and then 1 and 4 of the top 5 when losing to Sunderland (Ferreira 64) and Liverpool (Terry 97, Mikel 87, Alex 71 and Cole 66) respectively. Looking back at some of Chelsea's bigger games shows a more balanced result, 3 of 6 at home to Arsenal (Alex 71, Mikel 65 and Essien 62) and 3 of 5 away to Man City (Essien 83, Malouda 74 and Cole 65).
With Tottenham on a better run of form than Chelsea, and at home, I'll be going for 3 Spurs and 2 from Chelsea.
Narrowing it down to five though is tricky. One player I will be going for is Assou-Ekotto, in the last four Spurs home games on Picklive he's been their top scorer twice and second twice. Similarly I'll be looking for consistency with my two Chelsea picks. Essien has the highest average and hasn't dropped below 50 this season. John Terry scored 97 in his last game on Picklive and also has a decent average.
That leaves me two Spurs players to pick and I'll go for a centre back (some doubt over Kaboul who would be my first choice) plus one of either Bale or Modric. Mind you, you could pick any five from these two teams and you'd have a good chance of winning.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Bolton/Blackburn
Bolton have a clutch of players who average around 40 points: Steinsson, Robinson, Cahill, Holden, Knight and Davies. Robinson (47) and Knight (45) are the stand out picks and, I would suggest, should be the first on your shortlist. Kevin Davies averages 41 but that masks a wide range of scores: 87, 22 and 15. Petrov, Taylor and Lee could rack up some serious Picklive scores but have rarely played the full 90 and so are probably too risky. One thing to note is that Holden is coming back from injury and so this may affect the length of time he stays on the pitch.
Blackburn have only had 2 players in the top 5 in their last 3 Picklive games. No players in the top 5 against Arsenal is no disgrace but to only have Pedersen in there at home to Sunderland and Villa is less impressive. Pedersen then seems to be the stand out pick for Rovers but he had a miserly 36 points in the Arsenal game and his 70 against Villa included 40 points for two goals. All the other Blackburn players have fluctuated wildly with the exception of Nelsen with a 54 and 44. The New Zealander should be heavily involved today as he'll have a battle on against Davies and Elmander.
I fancy Bolton to score slightly above their average today (As Blackburn are not of the same calibre as Spurs or Liverpool) and Blackburn slightly below as they're away from home for the first time on Picklive this season. That feels like it should translate into a 4/1 mix. However, if you were picking just on averages you would go for Knight, Robinson, Steinsson/Holden, Pedersen and Nelsen. Blackburn do have a fantastic record against Bolton so maybe that is the best mix?
Personally, I fancy Bolton to buck the trend so I'll be going for 4 Trotters, Knight, Robinson, Cahill (Holden is too risky) and Petrov (he's my risky punt if he starts). Plus 1 Rover, Nelsen.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Blackburn have only had 2 players in the top 5 in their last 3 Picklive games. No players in the top 5 against Arsenal is no disgrace but to only have Pedersen in there at home to Sunderland and Villa is less impressive. Pedersen then seems to be the stand out pick for Rovers but he had a miserly 36 points in the Arsenal game and his 70 against Villa included 40 points for two goals. All the other Blackburn players have fluctuated wildly with the exception of Nelsen with a 54 and 44. The New Zealander should be heavily involved today as he'll have a battle on against Davies and Elmander.
I fancy Bolton to score slightly above their average today (As Blackburn are not of the same calibre as Spurs or Liverpool) and Blackburn slightly below as they're away from home for the first time on Picklive this season. That feels like it should translate into a 4/1 mix. However, if you were picking just on averages you would go for Knight, Robinson, Steinsson/Holden, Pedersen and Nelsen. Blackburn do have a fantastic record against Bolton so maybe that is the best mix?
Personally, I fancy Bolton to buck the trend so I'll be going for 4 Trotters, Knight, Robinson, Cahill (Holden is too risky) and Petrov (he's my risky punt if he starts). Plus 1 Rover, Nelsen.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Bolton-Blackburn stats
- Blackburn are unbeaten in their last 7 league matches against Bolton - winning 5 of them.
- Bolton have failed to score in three of the last four against Blackburn.
- Bolton have lost only one of their last 10 at home in the league.
- Blackburn have conceded 11 goals in their last two away matches and have conceded the most away goals in the division (19).
- Bolton are without a win in all 6 matches against fellow North-West clubs this season.
- There have been 51 goals scored in Bolton matches - only Blackpool and Arsenal matches had seen more goals before this weekend (52)
- Allardyce in unbeaten in his four matches against Bolton since leaving - winning three.
- Blackburn have won four of their last six (12 points) - only Man United have a better record over this period (14 points).
Saturday 11 December 2010
Newcastle/Liverpool
There's plenty of previous discussion of these two teams on this blog. Liverpool here, here and here, Newcastle here and here. Not much has changed since those games. Both sides have a consistent core to pick from and it's impossible to recommend anyone outside of that group
For Newcastle, Barton, Tiote and Enrique are consistently excellent as is Nolan when he scores. For Liverpool, Lucas, Meireles, Johnson and Konchesky are the regular picks, Maxi Rodriguez has been improving recently.
So the Big Game will all boil down to which team sees more of the ball and how many goals are scored. I'll be leaving those decisions until just before kick-off. Tiote, Enrique and Lucas will almost certainly be in my team, I'm a bit concerned about Barton and Nolan as they've had knocks recently and could be sub risks. A punt on Torres or Carroll could be worth it to get an edge but they'd probably need a brace to make it worth it.
Good luck!
By BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
For Newcastle, Barton, Tiote and Enrique are consistently excellent as is Nolan when he scores. For Liverpool, Lucas, Meireles, Johnson and Konchesky are the regular picks, Maxi Rodriguez has been improving recently.
So the Big Game will all boil down to which team sees more of the ball and how many goals are scored. I'll be leaving those decisions until just before kick-off. Tiote, Enrique and Lucas will almost certainly be in my team, I'm a bit concerned about Barton and Nolan as they've had knocks recently and could be sub risks. A punt on Torres or Carroll could be worth it to get an edge but they'd probably need a brace to make it worth it.
Good luck!
By BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
ICT/Rangers
Rangers can go clear at the top by five points if they win in Inverness this lunchtime. The Thistle are in fourth so should give the Glasgow side a good game. However, they're far better away from home and I can't seeing them ending Rangers' 100% away record. They should however get at least one player in the top 5 - they had 49% possession at home to Hibs recently and 49% at home to Celtic back in August, Rangers had 53% at Kilmarnock in their last away trip. If Inverness get up around 48/49% then it should be worth including one or two of their players.
But who to pick? For Rangers it's quite straightforward. Broadfoot (46 points avg.), Papac (49), Davis (61), Whittaker (54) and Bougherra (47) all racked up decent scores in the two games against Man Utd. in the Champions League. All except Broadfoot are in the squad, although Papac is an injury doubt, and should make up the core of your Big Game team. Naismith could also be worth a try, he would've had 51 in the home game against Man Utd. if he hadn't picked up a yellow. Miller is top scorer with 18 and worth considering if you fancy goals.
Without stats for Inverness I'll be picking across their back four and central midfield. Munro and Tokely are the usual centre back pairing, Cox and Duncan have been in the middle recently (due to injuries to others), McCann and Shinnie are probably the full-backs with Duff possibly starting at either right-back or central midfield based on the last few games.
One thing to note for the Live Game is that Rooney takes the penalties for ICT and has scored a massive 6 of his 13 goals that way so far this season. If you're feeling brave he could be worth a punt in the Big Game too. (Nb. Miller takes the pens for Rangers and has 4 from 18 goals)
My team: Munro, Duff, Davis, Whittaker, Naismith (unless I have a last minute flash of bravery and drop Duff for Rooney and Naismith for Miller).
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
But who to pick? For Rangers it's quite straightforward. Broadfoot (46 points avg.), Papac (49), Davis (61), Whittaker (54) and Bougherra (47) all racked up decent scores in the two games against Man Utd. in the Champions League. All except Broadfoot are in the squad, although Papac is an injury doubt, and should make up the core of your Big Game team. Naismith could also be worth a try, he would've had 51 in the home game against Man Utd. if he hadn't picked up a yellow. Miller is top scorer with 18 and worth considering if you fancy goals.
Without stats for Inverness I'll be picking across their back four and central midfield. Munro and Tokely are the usual centre back pairing, Cox and Duncan have been in the middle recently (due to injuries to others), McCann and Shinnie are probably the full-backs with Duff possibly starting at either right-back or central midfield based on the last few games.
One thing to note for the Live Game is that Rooney takes the penalties for ICT and has scored a massive 6 of his 13 goals that way so far this season. If you're feeling brave he could be worth a punt in the Big Game too. (Nb. Miller takes the pens for Rangers and has 4 from 18 goals)
My team: Munro, Duff, Davis, Whittaker, Naismith (unless I have a last minute flash of bravery and drop Duff for Rooney and Naismith for Miller).
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Atletico-Deportivo stats
- Atletico have won six of the last seven against Deportivo.
- Deportivo are without a win in their last 8 at Vicente Calderon (1999)
- Forlan has scored five in his last five matches against Deportivo.
- Atletico have lost their last two La Liga matches.
- Deportivo have won only one of their seven away matches and lost four.
- Atletico have won four of their seven home matches and lost only twice.
Newcastle - Liverpool stats
- Liverpool have won seven of their last eight PL matches against Newcastle including the last four - scoring at least three goals in the four matches.
- Dirk Kuyt has scored three in his five starts against Newcastle.
- Ryan Babel has scored in his last two at St.James Park
- Newcastle have won one of their last 7 PL home games.
- Liverpool have won two of their last 17 PL away games.
- Pardew has failed to win any of his last 7 PL matches in charge. He has lost three of his four matches against Liverpool and drew 2-2 at Anfield in his last match with Charlton.
- Newcastle have scored five goals in their last six.
- Newcastle have conceded nine goals in their last three.
Inverness - Rangers stats
- Inverness are in great form picking up 10points from the last 12 available including a 2-2 draw at Celtic in their last match.
- However they have failed to score in their last three home matches against Rangers.
- Caley Thistle are unbeaten in their last two against the Old Firm and in 43% of their matches against them - Only Dundee Utd have a better record (49% unbeaten).
- Rangers have taken 18 points from matches in which they have gone behind this season.
- The match at Ibrox finished 1-1
- Rangers have won all 7 away matches this season - they have netted at least twice in all of these matches.
Friday 10 December 2010
QPR v. Watford
More 'proper football' action tonight as Picklive features another non-premiership game. QPR have famously not lost all season while Watford have had an ok season - they are currently sitting 10th and last week's victory against Leicester was their first win in 8 games. Watford have more points away from home but this one, I'm sure, is going to go QPR's way today.
QPR are the team to beat in the Championship this season and I think it's a question of "Who am I going to leave out?" tonight; you could pick 5 random players and have a good chance of winning. I am contrary though, so I am going to go 4 from QPR and 1 from Watford.
QPR have featured on Picklive once before, a 1-1 draw away to Bristol City. On that occassion, the highest scring players were Faurlin (midfield - 77, with no goals and no assists!), Clint Hill (defender - 64), Matthew Connolly (defender - 62), Kyle Walker (defender - 53). Any of these should do well tonight.
Last time QPR played I singled out Kasper Gorkks (defender) but he didn't quite perform on the night. Despite this, I will still be picking him again and hoping last time was a one off. He likes to get forward and is QPR's 4th highest scorer this season, with 4 goals.
Adel Taarabt also under performed last time out - he scored 44 points overall and was the 7th highest QPR player. He is QPR's top scorer, QPR's top goalscoring assistant (assister?) and the Championship's top, er, shooter 65 shots on goal! 42 on target!). However, tends to get subbed around the 70th minute, as he did last time.
Watford featured on Picklive once before too. On that occasion, midfielder John Eustace was the top scorer with 84 points (one goal). Striker Danny Graham is Watford's top scorer (10 in all competitions) and scored a healthy 63 last time around, but 40 of those points was from 2 goals. I have a mental glitch which prevents me fom picking strikers for the big game though, so I may look at midfielder Stephen McGinn, defender Adrian Mariapa or defender Martin Taylor. But I wont pick any of them. With Taarabt shooting so freely, goalie Scott Loach might be worth considering.
I MAY pick midfielder Jordan Mutch (on loan from Birmingham - most attempts on goal, 5 assists).
So 4 from Faurlin, Hill, Connolly, Gorkss, Walker, Taarabt and 1 from Eustace and Mutch.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
Thursday 9 December 2010
Luton/Charlton
So, the "magic" of the Cup has conjured up this F.A. Cup replay between Blue Square Conference Premier high flyers Luton Town and League One high-flyers Charlton. Paul Daniels could not have done it better himself.
Luton surprised Charlton by drawing 2-2 at the Valley and earning this replay on November 27th. Due to the snowy weather neither team have played since. The winner of this goes to play Tottenham in early January, so lots to play for for both teams. Both teams doing well in their leagues so this could be closer than expected; I think Luton might fancy this one. I, however, dont. I think Charlton will win and I think Luton might get a goal or two. Charlton did not play a full streangth side last time out and they are unlikely to tonight. With this in mind, I am assuming that the squad will be unchanged from the last game.
With all this in mind, I will be picking most from Charlton. It's hard to pick any stand out players as stats are hard to come by in professional footballs nether regions.Midfielder Also, 3 Charlton players who would be in contention for my pick are either ineligible or banned (Christian Dailly, Lee Martin, Marcel Seip).Kyel Reid will make my 5. If playing, midfielders McCormack and Wagstaff and Defender Simon Francis will make my pick due to good showing the one and only time Charlton were featured on Picklive.
Two Luton players I will be mulling over are Midfielder Andrew Drury and Striker Matthew Barnes Homer, who is Luton's top scorer this season - and Luton need to score tonight. Drury scored twice at the Valley but has Luton's worst disciplinary record..If I am feeling particularly dangerous I may stick the Luton goalie, Mark Taylor, in my sqaud. But probably not.
So my team is McCormack, Wagstaff, Francis and Reid and from Luton, one from Drury, Barnes-Homer and Taylor.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
Luton surprised Charlton by drawing 2-2 at the Valley and earning this replay on November 27th. Due to the snowy weather neither team have played since. The winner of this goes to play Tottenham in early January, so lots to play for for both teams. Both teams doing well in their leagues so this could be closer than expected; I think Luton might fancy this one. I, however, dont. I think Charlton will win and I think Luton might get a goal or two. Charlton did not play a full streangth side last time out and they are unlikely to tonight. With this in mind, I am assuming that the squad will be unchanged from the last game.
With all this in mind, I will be picking most from Charlton. It's hard to pick any stand out players as stats are hard to come by in professional footballs nether regions.Midfielder Also, 3 Charlton players who would be in contention for my pick are either ineligible or banned (Christian Dailly, Lee Martin, Marcel Seip).Kyel Reid will make my 5. If playing, midfielders McCormack and Wagstaff and Defender Simon Francis will make my pick due to good showing the one and only time Charlton were featured on Picklive.
Two Luton players I will be mulling over are Midfielder Andrew Drury and Striker Matthew Barnes Homer, who is Luton's top scorer this season - and Luton need to score tonight. Drury scored twice at the Valley but has Luton's worst disciplinary record..If I am feeling particularly dangerous I may stick the Luton goalie, Mark Taylor, in my sqaud. But probably not.
So my team is McCormack, Wagstaff, Francis and Reid and from Luton, one from Drury, Barnes-Homer and Taylor.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
Wednesday 8 December 2010
Arsenal/PartizanBelgrade
It would seem an open and shut case tonight. Partizan Belgrade have zero points, -9 goal difference and nothing to play for. Arsenal need to win to be sure of qualifying and have won their last two home games in the Champions League 5-1 and 6-0. So surely it's best to pick 5 Arsenal players for the Big Game?
Well, yes. No clever turn of analysis here to subtly convince you of anything else!My recommendation is pick 5 Arsenal players.
In the 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk four of the usual subjects from midfield (Song, Nasri, Wilshire, Fabregas) made the top 5 plus Clichy. Although a seemingly obvious five, only one player nailed the 100% Big Game score - old favourite Ivar the Engine. Contrast that with the 6 - 0 against Braga, only three predictable players were in the top 5 (Fabregas, Clichy, Wilshire) at the end of that. Arshavin (only three times over 50) and Chamakh (only twice) made up the other two points. There was no Big Game that night but I would bet that no one (save for a maverick or lucky newbie) would've got the 100%
So, who to pick? First off, Nasri will probably be in almost everyone's five. He's only twice ever scored less than 50 and his average is second only to the mighty Fabregas (66.3 to 68.8). Wilshire (60), Clichy (59.6), Denilson (52.2), Song (50), Sagna (49.9) have the next highest averages and are all in the squad. Eboue is the main name missing from that list and his average has suffered due to being frequently used as a sub (or subbed). If he starts and can play most of the game he could repeat previous scores of 76, 81 and 92.
The main problem with a game like this though is that several people could select the same side. The options to get an edge mainly revolve around Arshavin, whoever plays upfront, the centre backs or the Partizan goalkeeper. I'll be going for Nasri, Wilshire, Clichy and then one of Denilson, Song, Sagna or Eboue depending on the starting lineup. And then I'll be adding a random 5th player to try and find me that edge.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Well, yes. No clever turn of analysis here to subtly convince you of anything else!My recommendation is pick 5 Arsenal players.
In the 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk four of the usual subjects from midfield (Song, Nasri, Wilshire, Fabregas) made the top 5 plus Clichy. Although a seemingly obvious five, only one player nailed the 100% Big Game score - old favourite Ivar the Engine. Contrast that with the 6 - 0 against Braga, only three predictable players were in the top 5 (Fabregas, Clichy, Wilshire) at the end of that. Arshavin (only three times over 50) and Chamakh (only twice) made up the other two points. There was no Big Game that night but I would bet that no one (save for a maverick or lucky newbie) would've got the 100%
So, who to pick? First off, Nasri will probably be in almost everyone's five. He's only twice ever scored less than 50 and his average is second only to the mighty Fabregas (66.3 to 68.8). Wilshire (60), Clichy (59.6), Denilson (52.2), Song (50), Sagna (49.9) have the next highest averages and are all in the squad. Eboue is the main name missing from that list and his average has suffered due to being frequently used as a sub (or subbed). If he starts and can play most of the game he could repeat previous scores of 76, 81 and 92.
The main problem with a game like this though is that several people could select the same side. The options to get an edge mainly revolve around Arshavin, whoever plays upfront, the centre backs or the Partizan goalkeeper. I'll be going for Nasri, Wilshire, Clichy and then one of Denilson, Song, Sagna or Eboue depending on the starting lineup. And then I'll be adding a random 5th player to try and find me that edge.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Arsenal - Partizan Belgrade stats
- This will be only their second meeting - Arsenal won 3-1 in Belgrade (September)
- Partizan have lost five of their last six matches against English opposition.
- Arsenal need to get the same/better result than Braga to qualify for the next stage of the CL.
- If Arsenal don't qualify they will be the first team to win their first three group matches and fail to qualify.
- Arsenal have nine different goalscorers this CL season, more than any other club.
- Belgrade are without a CL win - their last point was 7 years ago in a 1-1 home draw with Marseille.
- Arsenal have not scored in four of their last five CL matches in December.
- In the first match, Arsenal had 17 shots (13 on target).
- The Gunners average 3.7 goals per game in their last 7 CL home matches.
- Partizan have lost all 5 of their CL away matches, scoring only once.
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Man Utd. v Valencia
Man Utd. could set a pretty impressive record tonight; to become the first ever team to complete the group stage without conceding a goal. If that's not reason enough to go for a win then maybe avoiding Barcelona and Real Madrid in the next round is? Perhaps they will play conservatively in order to avoid defeat? This could well allow Valencia a greater share of possession than normal. The breaking news is that Rooney and Berbatov start. This would suggest attacking intentions by Ferguson and so I'm recommending a 4/1 split in favour of the home team.
Man Utd. have been much discussed on these pages before, the midfield is usually the key with Scholes, Fletcher and Carrick all Picklive favourites. Carrick's average of 44.8 looks lower than it should be as it includes a 15 and a 7 which can both be ignored. The full-backs often do well but a centre back like Ferdinand can dominate the passing from the back and so should be considered carefully. Nani has his moments, averages over 50 and is capable of huge scores. Rooney also has a great average (49.7) but that masks a wide range of scores and whilst you could pick up an 84 or 80 you could end up with a 43, 36, 28 and 27 - which could leave your Big Game team struggling or storming ahead!
Valencia have been on more recently than Man Utd. when losing to Real Madrid on Sunday. The totals on the game page don't seem quite right so treat with caution. The two stand out performances seem to be from the goalkeeper Guaita (66 points) and Mata (47). Bruno Saltor, T Costa, Navarro and Mathieu are the other strongest contenders.
Getting the balance right will again be the key tonight. If Man Utd. dominate as they should then 5 reds in your Big Game team is they way to go. It also depends on Valencia - will they attack and try and top the table? Or will they not bother?
Tips: Go for Anderson and Carrick. If you fancy 5 Man Utd players add either Vidic or Ferdinand, one of the Silva twins and Nani. If youthink Man Utd will dominate but still want to include a Valencia player, consider Guaita or Navarro. If you think Valencia may have a fair bit of the ball I would recommend 1 or 2 of Albelda, T Costa, Mata and Mathieu.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Man Utd. have been much discussed on these pages before, the midfield is usually the key with Scholes, Fletcher and Carrick all Picklive favourites. Carrick's average of 44.8 looks lower than it should be as it includes a 15 and a 7 which can both be ignored. The full-backs often do well but a centre back like Ferdinand can dominate the passing from the back and so should be considered carefully. Nani has his moments, averages over 50 and is capable of huge scores. Rooney also has a great average (49.7) but that masks a wide range of scores and whilst you could pick up an 84 or 80 you could end up with a 43, 36, 28 and 27 - which could leave your Big Game team struggling or storming ahead!
Valencia have been on more recently than Man Utd. when losing to Real Madrid on Sunday. The totals on the game page don't seem quite right so treat with caution. The two stand out performances seem to be from the goalkeeper Guaita (66 points) and Mata (47). Bruno Saltor, T Costa, Navarro and Mathieu are the other strongest contenders.
Getting the balance right will again be the key tonight. If Man Utd. dominate as they should then 5 reds in your Big Game team is they way to go. It also depends on Valencia - will they attack and try and top the table? Or will they not bother?
Tips: Go for Anderson and Carrick. If you fancy 5 Man Utd players add either Vidic or Ferdinand, one of the Silva twins and Nani. If you
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Man United - Valencia
Quick one from me, not sure if Ben is about to post a preview?
Looks like United have put out a strong team and Valencia a slightly weakened one with no Soldado / Mata.
I think the Real Madrid / Valencia match shows that Valencia players will not be scoring too highly tonight at Old Trafford. They also struggled in their match at Sevilla!
I will be going all five United players. Carrick & Anderson will probably be the highest scorers, as usual for United the centre-midfielders do very well! You may want to gamble on Rooney and that wouldn't be a bad idea as shown with his 84 at Rangers - 64 without a goal is still very respectable! Nani and Park are worth looking at but may need a goal to feature in top 5. Rafael and Fabio both like to go forward and I think they will do well tonight. I prefer Vidic to Rio and has a good average score of 66.
I think substitutes might play a part for United with Ferguson giving some of his stars an early night if the match is over?
If you want to go with a Valencia player then I would recommend Abelda, Mathieu, Banega or Miguel.
I will be going with Carrick & Anderson. Then it's a choice between either Rafael, Fabio, Nani, Park and Rooney
Simon G
Looks like United have put out a strong team and Valencia a slightly weakened one with no Soldado / Mata.
I think the Real Madrid / Valencia match shows that Valencia players will not be scoring too highly tonight at Old Trafford. They also struggled in their match at Sevilla!
I will be going all five United players. Carrick & Anderson will probably be the highest scorers, as usual for United the centre-midfielders do very well! You may want to gamble on Rooney and that wouldn't be a bad idea as shown with his 84 at Rangers - 64 without a goal is still very respectable! Nani and Park are worth looking at but may need a goal to feature in top 5. Rafael and Fabio both like to go forward and I think they will do well tonight. I prefer Vidic to Rio and has a good average score of 66.
I think substitutes might play a part for United with Ferguson giving some of his stars an early night if the match is over?
If you want to go with a Valencia player then I would recommend Abelda, Mathieu, Banega or Miguel.
I will be going with Carrick & Anderson. Then it's a choice between either Rafael, Fabio, Nani, Park and Rooney
Simon G
Useful article on Valencia
Interesting article on Zonal Marking reviewing the Real Madrid v. Valencia clash. Plenty of useful insight to be gleaned!
Manchester United - Valencia Stats
- If United keep a clean sheet it will be the first time a club has not conceded in the group phase.
- Valencia have failed to score in five of their seven matches against Manchester United
- United have lost only two of their 18 home matches against Spanish opposition - losing to Real Madrid (3-2) in 1999/2000 and Deportivo La Coruna in 2001/2002.
- Valencia have not lost in their last five visits to England in the CL winning one and drawing four.
- United have only scored two goals in their last eight against Spanish opposition but have kept seven clean sheets in those matches.
- Since the start of last season, Valencia have lost only two of their last 19 European matches (9-8-2). These defeats came against Club Brugge (1-0) in last season’s Europa League and against Manchester United (0-1) earlier this season.
Monday 6 December 2010
Liverpool v. Aston Villa
“The return of Houllier”
Houllier returns to his former club where he won five trophies in six seasons. Carragher and Gerrard are the only Liverpool players still there from when he was a manager, however they are both injured so won’t face their former boss.
Liverpool have some good home form winning their last three at Anfield and keeping a clean sheet in their last two. I think they should win and control possession against a young Aston Villa side. I will be going with 4/5 Liverpool players in my BG team.
Lucas is one of the better Liverpool players on Picklive and should benefit without Gerrard – the only time he hasn’t scored more than 50 when starting was when he got sent off at Stoke, he averages 57 when he starts and is pretty consistent. Meireles seems to do well on the game and his 94 in the 3-0 win at home to West Ham is a good indication that he could put in a good performance tonight. Rodriguez seems to be finally getting used to the PL and his highest two Picklive games were his last two against West Ham (94) and Tottenham (63). Liverpool full-backs seem to do well especially at home and when they can go forward more – Glen Johnson averages 63 in his 3 matches at home and Konchesky 59. If you think Aston Villa will cause Liverpool some problems then Kyrgiakos and Skrtel should be considered. Kuyt and Torres will do well if there are goals.
Six of Aston Villa’s last nine goals in the league have been scored by players aged 21 or younger – says it all really. They seem to be struggling at the moment losing their last two and have lost five of their seven away matches. If Liverpool are as dominant as I think then Dunne and Collins could put together some scores like they did against Arsenal (66 and 62). Warnock and Young could do ok but are prone to a yellow card. Bannan is a doubt so I will give him a miss tonight. Clark is a nice pick and can find the net as he showed against Arsenal, he has scores of 78, 61, 51, 31, 29 but again is a yellow card risk.
I am tempted to go with all Liverpool players, a choice between Lucas, Meireles, Rodriguez, Konchesky, Johnson and Kuyt. If I go with an Aston Villa player it will be one of the back four or Clark.
Few stats to finish with….
Houllier returns to his former club where he won five trophies in six seasons. Carragher and Gerrard are the only Liverpool players still there from when he was a manager, however they are both injured so won’t face their former boss.
Liverpool have some good home form winning their last three at Anfield and keeping a clean sheet in their last two. I think they should win and control possession against a young Aston Villa side. I will be going with 4/5 Liverpool players in my BG team.
Lucas is one of the better Liverpool players on Picklive and should benefit without Gerrard – the only time he hasn’t scored more than 50 when starting was when he got sent off at Stoke, he averages 57 when he starts and is pretty consistent. Meireles seems to do well on the game and his 94 in the 3-0 win at home to West Ham is a good indication that he could put in a good performance tonight. Rodriguez seems to be finally getting used to the PL and his highest two Picklive games were his last two against West Ham (94) and Tottenham (63). Liverpool full-backs seem to do well especially at home and when they can go forward more – Glen Johnson averages 63 in his 3 matches at home and Konchesky 59. If you think Aston Villa will cause Liverpool some problems then Kyrgiakos and Skrtel should be considered. Kuyt and Torres will do well if there are goals.
Six of Aston Villa’s last nine goals in the league have been scored by players aged 21 or younger – says it all really. They seem to be struggling at the moment losing their last two and have lost five of their seven away matches. If Liverpool are as dominant as I think then Dunne and Collins could put together some scores like they did against Arsenal (66 and 62). Warnock and Young could do ok but are prone to a yellow card. Bannan is a doubt so I will give him a miss tonight. Clark is a nice pick and can find the net as he showed against Arsenal, he has scores of 78, 61, 51, 31, 29 but again is a yellow card risk.
I am tempted to go with all Liverpool players, a choice between Lucas, Meireles, Rodriguez, Konchesky, Johnson and Kuyt. If I go with an Aston Villa player it will be one of the back four or Clark.
Few stats to finish with….
- Aston Villa’s only win in their last 17 PL matches against Liverpool was 3-1 at Anfield last season.
- Liverpool have scored in each of their last ten PL home matches against Aston Villa, since a 0-0 draw in March 2000.
- Hodgson has won three of his four PL home matches against Villa – his only defeat was a 2-0 in his last meeting on January 30.
- Pepe Reina is on 99 PL clean sheets - he can become the ninth goalkeeper to reach this milestone in the division.
- Aston Villa have conceded 10 goals in their last four PL matches and 24 in total this season.
- Villa have picked up four PL away points – only Wolves (1) and West Ham (3) have fewer points this season.
- Only one of the last seven meeting between Liverpool and Villa have been won by the home side.
Simon G (grunny27)
Sunday 5 December 2010
Sunderland/WestHam
A quick post for this one - not that it needs much more that that for two teams that have a few predictable leading players each.
West Ham only got 1 player in the top 5 when beating Man Utd. 4-0 in the Carling Cup. That player was Obinna and he only made it into the top 5 due to 3 assists. The Hammers' previous match also saw them get 1 player in the top 4, Mark Noble, against Liverpool. I think this partly shows that West Ham are a poor Picklive side no matter what they're doing on the pitch. Only Noble and Parker stand out (although Gabiddon isn't far behind) and I feel it's only usually worth picking one of them for any match.
Sunderland on the other hand have had stronger performances on Picklive recently. They got two in the top 5 against Everton and 4 against Chelsea. Henderson is their strongest Pickliver, Bardsley, Welbeck and Onuoha the next best. It's a mixed bag after that so I can't recommend anything other than those four from Sunderland and then taking your pick from the 3 (or 4 including Obinna) Hammers mentioned above.
My team: Henderson, Bardsley, Welbeck, Onuoha and Parker (who is doubtful so Gabiddon as back up - Noble is out)
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
West Ham only got 1 player in the top 5 when beating Man Utd. 4-0 in the Carling Cup. That player was Obinna and he only made it into the top 5 due to 3 assists. The Hammers' previous match also saw them get 1 player in the top 4, Mark Noble, against Liverpool. I think this partly shows that West Ham are a poor Picklive side no matter what they're doing on the pitch. Only Noble and Parker stand out (although Gabiddon isn't far behind) and I feel it's only usually worth picking one of them for any match.
Sunderland on the other hand have had stronger performances on Picklive recently. They got two in the top 5 against Everton and 4 against Chelsea. Henderson is their strongest Pickliver, Bardsley, Welbeck and Onuoha the next best. It's a mixed bag after that so I can't recommend anything other than those four from Sunderland and then taking your pick from the 3 (or 4 including Obinna) Hammers mentioned above.
My team: Henderson, Bardsley, Welbeck, Onuoha and Parker (who is doubtful so Gabiddon as back up - Noble is out)
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
WestBrom/Newcastle
Last time out I tipped Jara, Mulumbu, Brunt, Morrison, Tamas and Shorey for West Brom. Similarly I think picking across the midfield and the full-backs will serve you well in this match. The problem is tipping before the teams are out. As it stands Mulumbu is suspended, Brunt, Scarner, Shorey and Morrison are all doubtful. My advice is to wait for the line-ups and pick as many players from the above as you can.
The Baggies tend to pass the ball a lot and get decent possession stats. Their Picklive stats don't necessarily show that but those two matches include a 6-0 hammering by Chelsea and a strange match against Blackpool that saw them down to 9 men.
West Brom still got 7 players over 50 points across those two games and I fully expect them to get 5 or 6 over that mark against the Toon. So a Big Game team full of West Brom players would probably still rack up a nice score. It boils down to getting the right amount of Newcastle players into that five.
Tiote, Barton and Enrique are the stand out consistent Magpies. Nolan usually scores when on Picklive and if you think he will again he should be in your five if he starts (he is rated as doubtful though). Otherwise my tips differ little from last time out
So, tips are: Brunt, Shorey and Morrison if they start - Tiote and Enrique for Newcastle. One thing to consider is if West Brom struggle to get a midfield out Newcastle may dominate and you could add Barton in.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Update:
Brunt, Morrison, Scharner and Shorey all start. Barton and Nolan don't.
My team - Brunt, Morrison, Cech, Tiote & Enrique.
Good luck!
The Baggies tend to pass the ball a lot and get decent possession stats. Their Picklive stats don't necessarily show that but those two matches include a 6-0 hammering by Chelsea and a strange match against Blackpool that saw them down to 9 men.
West Brom still got 7 players over 50 points across those two games and I fully expect them to get 5 or 6 over that mark against the Toon. So a Big Game team full of West Brom players would probably still rack up a nice score. It boils down to getting the right amount of Newcastle players into that five.
Tiote, Barton and Enrique are the stand out consistent Magpies. Nolan usually scores when on Picklive and if you think he will again he should be in your five if he starts (he is rated as doubtful though). Otherwise my tips differ little from last time out
So, tips are: Brunt, Shorey and Morrison if they start - Tiote and Enrique for Newcastle. One thing to consider is if West Brom struggle to get a midfield out Newcastle may dominate and you could add Barton in.
Good luck!
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Update:
Brunt, Morrison, Scharner and Shorey all start. Barton and Nolan don't.
My team - Brunt, Morrison, Cech, Tiote & Enrique.
Good luck!
Saturday 4 December 2010
Millwall/Scunthorpe
The second of today's Championship matches on Picklive is the glamour tie that is Millwall v. Scunthorpe. They may have outbid England for the World Cup, but their icy weather cant stop this one going ahead! Take that, Russia!
I fancy Sucnthorpe to get a draw here; Millwall are mid table and Scunthorpe are warming up the relegation zone but Millwall have only won one of their last five at home and Scunthorpe have won 3 of their last five away. Should cancel each other out. Millwall also have the worst scoring to shot ratio in the Championship and are in a dismal run of form.
Both teams have injuries and uncertainties; Millwall have 3 regular players who might not play today, dependant on a fitness test. Not an easy one to predict, or get excited about for that matter.
So, Milwall. They have never appeared on Picklive before and I cant find much to recommend any of their team. Striker Steve Morison has had 62 shots on goal, on and off target, in all competitions. This has resulted in 6 goals for Millwall. He is their top scorer but has not scored in 6 games. Paul Robinson (Defender) has had the most appearances this season and is a decent player; a defender who likes to get forward on occassions and is sixth most prolific shooter for Millwall. Kevin Lisbie might make my team, if playing. Midfielder Josh McQuoid is on loan from Bournemouth and, if playing, might score some suprise Picklive points; only 21, in four seasons with Bounremouth he has made 15 appearances and scored 9 goals from midfield. Probably wont start.
Scunthorpe made an apprearence on Picklive before, when they were beaten 5 - 2 at home by Man. U. in the cup. In this game, 4 players scored more than 60 (Wright (midfield), Woolford (midfield), Nolan (defender) and Byrne (defender)); Wright scored a massive 99 points, which included a goal and a yellow card. He doesnt start every game and when he does, he tends to get subbed around the 70th minute.
Micahel O'Conner (midfielder) will also get a place in my squad; Joint top scorer (6 in all competitions) with Woolford. As Millwall have an awful shot to goal ratio, I might consider the Scunthorpe goalie Joe Murphy as there might be a lot of saves to be had for the big lad between the sticks.
So, I will be going mainly for Scunthorpe players with Woolford, Nolan, Byrne with maybe O'Conner OR goalie Murphy PLUS one of Morison or Robinson for Millwall.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
I fancy Sucnthorpe to get a draw here; Millwall are mid table and Scunthorpe are warming up the relegation zone but Millwall have only won one of their last five at home and Scunthorpe have won 3 of their last five away. Should cancel each other out. Millwall also have the worst scoring to shot ratio in the Championship and are in a dismal run of form.
Both teams have injuries and uncertainties; Millwall have 3 regular players who might not play today, dependant on a fitness test. Not an easy one to predict, or get excited about for that matter.
So, Milwall. They have never appeared on Picklive before and I cant find much to recommend any of their team. Striker Steve Morison has had 62 shots on goal, on and off target, in all competitions. This has resulted in 6 goals for Millwall. He is their top scorer but has not scored in 6 games. Paul Robinson (Defender) has had the most appearances this season and is a decent player; a defender who likes to get forward on occassions and is sixth most prolific shooter for Millwall. Kevin Lisbie might make my team, if playing. Midfielder Josh McQuoid is on loan from Bournemouth and, if playing, might score some suprise Picklive points; only 21, in four seasons with Bounremouth he has made 15 appearances and scored 9 goals from midfield. Probably wont start.
Scunthorpe made an apprearence on Picklive before, when they were beaten 5 - 2 at home by Man. U. in the cup. In this game, 4 players scored more than 60 (Wright (midfield), Woolford (midfield), Nolan (defender) and Byrne (defender)); Wright scored a massive 99 points, which included a goal and a yellow card. He doesnt start every game and when he does, he tends to get subbed around the 70th minute.
Micahel O'Conner (midfielder) will also get a place in my squad; Joint top scorer (6 in all competitions) with Woolford. As Millwall have an awful shot to goal ratio, I might consider the Scunthorpe goalie Joe Murphy as there might be a lot of saves to be had for the big lad between the sticks.
So, I will be going mainly for Scunthorpe players with Woolford, Nolan, Byrne with maybe O'Conner OR goalie Murphy PLUS one of Morison or Robinson for Millwall.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
Ipswich Town/Swansea CIty
TWO Championship games featured on picklive today! First up is Ipswich v. Swansea. Ipswich have not previously been featured on Picklive but Swansea have had the pleasure once before when they beat Cardiff 1 - 0 away from home. Both teams have lots to play for as Swansea are 3 points behind hated rivals Cardiff in 2nd place in the table, and Ipswich are 4 points away from the relegation zone. Also, Ipswich have lost their last 4 matches and Roy "Up Yer B******s" Keane will be anxious to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat.
Ipswich have had only 4 clean sheets this season. Also, Keane has used more players (29) than any other manager in the Championship. So I don't really fancy Ipswich much. But Tommy Smith and Grant Leadbitter are both decent players; I might consider one or both of them. I also MIGHT consider Northern Ireland international Gareth McAuley who is solid at the back for Keane.Well, not solid as such looking at Ipswich's recent form, but he is a quality player.
When Swansea City last played (picklive stats here) I tipped midfielder Scott Sinclair. As you can see from the points on the day, Sinclair didn't do anything spectacular, with 24 points. But I still rate him and will be picking him for my team; he remains Swansea's top scorer.
Defender Garry Monk was the top scorer last time, with most of his points coming, unusually, from interceptions - however he is "unlikely" to feature today, so wait until the teams are announced before going ahead.. Two other players got over 50 points; Midfielder Mark Gower and the amsuingly named defender Angel Rangel. Rangel managed his impressive score of 58 despite being awarded a yellow card. To this, I am going to add Ashley Williams and Alan Tate, both defenders. Tate scored well last game, Williams didn't but thats no barrier to getting into my team. Both players figure highly on the ACTIM index and I expect them to do well.
So: Sinclair, Gower, Rangel, Tate and one from Williams, Smith, Leadbitter and McAuley.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
Ipswich have had only 4 clean sheets this season. Also, Keane has used more players (29) than any other manager in the Championship. So I don't really fancy Ipswich much. But Tommy Smith and Grant Leadbitter are both decent players; I might consider one or both of them. I also MIGHT consider Northern Ireland international Gareth McAuley who is solid at the back for Keane.Well, not solid as such looking at Ipswich's recent form, but he is a quality player.
When Swansea City last played (picklive stats here) I tipped midfielder Scott Sinclair. As you can see from the points on the day, Sinclair didn't do anything spectacular, with 24 points. But I still rate him and will be picking him for my team; he remains Swansea's top scorer.
Defender Garry Monk was the top scorer last time, with most of his points coming, unusually, from interceptions - however he is "unlikely" to feature today, so wait until the teams are announced before going ahead.. Two other players got over 50 points; Midfielder Mark Gower and the amsuingly named defender Angel Rangel. Rangel managed his impressive score of 58 despite being awarded a yellow card. To this, I am going to add Ashley Williams and Alan Tate, both defenders. Tate scored well last game, Williams didn't but thats no barrier to getting into my team. Both players figure highly on the ACTIM index and I expect them to do well.
So: Sinclair, Gower, Rangel, Tate and one from Williams, Smith, Leadbitter and McAuley.
Good luck!
Robin (Warriors)
Thursday 2 December 2010
Villareal/DinamoZagreb
It's even harder to tip for this match. There are two Picklive games for Villareal here and here. The results of these games seem to suggest that Bruno, A Lopez and Marchena are the most reliable bets. These stats show that Rossi (8 goals, 56 shots), Cazorla (4, 37) and Nilmar (8, 40) are the ones to go to for shots and goals.
In their last home game in the Europa League Villareal had 61% of possession against PAOK Salonika. In fact, in the match in Zagreb they got 50% of possession despite losing 2 nil and having a man sent off. This suggests to me that Villareal will dominate possession and so therefore the Picklive points.
I just don't know enough about the Zagreb side to be able to offer any insight and I couldn't find any stats either. Although I may just pick Igor Biscan for old times sake.
My team: Bruno, A Lopez, Marchena, Cazorla and Nilmar. (depending on starting line-up)
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
In their last home game in the Europa League Villareal had 61% of possession against PAOK Salonika. In fact, in the match in Zagreb they got 50% of possession despite losing 2 nil and having a man sent off. This suggests to me that Villareal will dominate possession and so therefore the Picklive points.
I just don't know enough about the Zagreb side to be able to offer any insight and I couldn't find any stats either. Although I may just pick Igor Biscan for old times sake.
My team: Bruno, A Lopez, Marchena, Cazorla and Nilmar. (depending on starting line-up)
by BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Steaua/Liverpool
It's difficult to offer any concrete tips for tonight's match as I just can't seem to find any weighty tips for Steaua. From their last (and only) Picklive match you can assume that Geraldo is pick of the centre-backs, Latovlevici is the better of the two full-backs and Bicfalvi the better of the central midfield pair. Interestingly (maybe) those three are on the left of their respective pairings. Steaua seem to put more passes together down that side of the pitch (but again - only based on a sample of one!!).
Tanase and Stancu seem to be the goalscoring threats, both having picked up 2 goals and an assist in the Europa League. If you think Liverpool will concede two or more tonight then I would advise including one of them.
As for Liverpool I can't see past Kyrgiakos and Poulsen. Both have made big scores and are reasonably consistent. Pacheco, Jovanovic and Babel haven't done in enough in Picklive terms to make a case for inclusion in a game where Liverpool may well have the minority of possession. Joe Cole is just too unpredictable for me to risk but I wouldn't be surprised if he got a 28 or a 75! The rest of the back five hasn't got the pedigree to impress. Two exceptions that I might risk are Kelly and Shelvey, I have a hunch on both of them but can't make the statistical case.
Steaua should be well up for this tonight as they need the win more than Liverpool do. Steaua should see more of the ball but Liverpool have a great points/possession ratio. For that reason I'm going for a fairly balanced split. I'm going to go for 3 for Steaua and 2 for Liverpool, the same split that would've won the Trabzonspor game.
My team: Geraldo, Vlatovlevici, Bicfalvi , Poulsen and Kyrgiakos
Good luck!
By BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Tanase and Stancu seem to be the goalscoring threats, both having picked up 2 goals and an assist in the Europa League. If you think Liverpool will concede two or more tonight then I would advise including one of them.
As for Liverpool I can't see past Kyrgiakos and Poulsen. Both have made big scores and are reasonably consistent. Pacheco, Jovanovic and Babel haven't done in enough in Picklive terms to make a case for inclusion in a game where Liverpool may well have the minority of possession. Joe Cole is just too unpredictable for me to risk but I wouldn't be surprised if he got a 28 or a 75! The rest of the back five hasn't got the pedigree to impress. Two exceptions that I might risk are Kelly and Shelvey, I have a hunch on both of them but can't make the statistical case.
Steaua should be well up for this tonight as they need the win more than Liverpool do. Steaua should see more of the ball but Liverpool have a great points/possession ratio. For that reason I'm going for a fairly balanced split. I'm going to go for 3 for Steaua and 2 for Liverpool, the same split that would've won the Trabzonspor game.
My team: Geraldo, Vlatovlevici, Bicfalvi , Poulsen and Kyrgiakos
Good luck!
By BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Brum/Villa
Birmingham City have only won once in 10 cup games against the Villa but they may fancy their chances tonight. Villa have 10 first teamers out and will be fielding a young side again.
In Picklive terms this may all be irrelevant though. Even with their young guns Villa have had 10 different players score 50 or more in their last 3 Picklive outings, Birmingham only 5.
The Villa list looks like this (scores in last three matches in brackets):
Clark (78, 31, n/a)
Dunne (66, 75, 52)
Collins (62, n/a, 37)
Friedel (56, 58, 20)
Warnock (53, 54, 44)
Bannan (52, 69, 31)
L Young (47, 73, 30)
Downing (30, 65, 53)
Hogg (n/a, 55, 27)
Albrighton (n/a, n/a, 66)
And for Birmingham like this:
Johnson (60, 46, 32)
Larrson (57, 35, 1)
Ridgewell (54, 44, 33)
Gardner (53, 40, 44)
Ferguson (48, 62, 53)
Honourable mentions should go to Carr (36, 47, 42) and Dann (31, 47, 38) who have both almost reached the 50 mark and have a bit of consistency about them.
So, for Birmingham, the stand out pick is Ferguson who is by far the biggest and most consistent points scorer. After that I would go for Gardner whose 40 would've been a 50 were it not for a yellow card. 53, 50, 44 is dependable but not exciting and that's why.....
....I'm recommending going for Ferguson plus 4 Villa players. Narrowing those Villa players down to 4 is a trickier decision though.
First off I like Dunne, his score of 66 last time out included a 10 point assist but he consistently scores 50+ and his 75 proves he can score big too.
Clark was more impressive in midfield than at centre back and his scores reflect that (78 and 31 respectively). However, his 78 includes two goals and he has been booked in both of those Picklive games. You need him to score and I won't be risking that against a tough Birmingham defence.
Collins would've outscored Dunne last time out were it not for the latters assist. He could be a good pick if you want to drop the shoulder on all those players going for Dunne?
Friedel can score well but I just can't see him being that busy tonight.
Warnock is consistent but I just don't excited about picking him. He doesn't seem as dynamic a player as he once was and he seems to get involved in spats and unnecessary challenges. He is solid though and, much like Gardner earlier, will be close to sneaking in the five for the Big Game.
I've been deeply impressed by Bannan and he's delivered solid scores in the last two games. His 31 would've been more impressive without the yellow card, especially as it was a low scoring match for Villans.
Luke Young is similar to Dunne as he is consistent but also capable of big scores, that 73 is his second of the season. I think Dunne edges him though.
Downing has posted some good scores this season (including a 71 and two 65s) but needs to have a great game and/or score to be worth picking. He's hard to leave out - toss a coin?
I haven't got enough stats on Hogg to argue his case and Albrighton looks like he's out injured. So lets roundup with my picks:
My team tonight: Ferguson, Dunne and Bannan are certainties if they start. After that I will go for either Clark or Downing and try and get a goal. Plus one from the dependables: Collins, Luke Young, Warnock or Gardner.
Good luck!
by
BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
In Picklive terms this may all be irrelevant though. Even with their young guns Villa have had 10 different players score 50 or more in their last 3 Picklive outings, Birmingham only 5.
The Villa list looks like this (scores in last three matches in brackets):
Clark (78, 31, n/a)
Dunne (66, 75, 52)
Collins (62, n/a, 37)
Friedel (56, 58, 20)
Warnock (53, 54, 44)
Bannan (52, 69, 31)
L Young (47, 73, 30)
Downing (30, 65, 53)
Hogg (n/a, 55, 27)
Albrighton (n/a, n/a, 66)
And for Birmingham like this:
Johnson (60, 46, 32)
Larrson (57, 35, 1)
Ridgewell (54, 44, 33)
Gardner (53, 40, 44)
Ferguson (48, 62, 53)
Honourable mentions should go to Carr (36, 47, 42) and Dann (31, 47, 38) who have both almost reached the 50 mark and have a bit of consistency about them.
So, for Birmingham, the stand out pick is Ferguson who is by far the biggest and most consistent points scorer. After that I would go for Gardner whose 40 would've been a 50 were it not for a yellow card. 53, 50, 44 is dependable but not exciting and that's why.....
....I'm recommending going for Ferguson plus 4 Villa players. Narrowing those Villa players down to 4 is a trickier decision though.
First off I like Dunne, his score of 66 last time out included a 10 point assist but he consistently scores 50+ and his 75 proves he can score big too.
Clark was more impressive in midfield than at centre back and his scores reflect that (78 and 31 respectively). However, his 78 includes two goals and he has been booked in both of those Picklive games. You need him to score and I won't be risking that against a tough Birmingham defence.
Collins would've outscored Dunne last time out were it not for the latters assist. He could be a good pick if you want to drop the shoulder on all those players going for Dunne?
Friedel can score well but I just can't see him being that busy tonight.
Warnock is consistent but I just don't excited about picking him. He doesn't seem as dynamic a player as he once was and he seems to get involved in spats and unnecessary challenges. He is solid though and, much like Gardner earlier, will be close to sneaking in the five for the Big Game.
I've been deeply impressed by Bannan and he's delivered solid scores in the last two games. His 31 would've been more impressive without the yellow card, especially as it was a low scoring match for Villans.
Luke Young is similar to Dunne as he is consistent but also capable of big scores, that 73 is his second of the season. I think Dunne edges him though.
Downing has posted some good scores this season (including a 71 and two 65s) but needs to have a great game and/or score to be worth picking. He's hard to leave out - toss a coin?
I haven't got enough stats on Hogg to argue his case and Albrighton looks like he's out injured. So lets roundup with my picks:
My team tonight: Ferguson, Dunne and Bannan are certainties if they start. After that I will go for either Clark or Downing and try and get a goal. Plus one from the dependables: Collins, Luke Young, Warnock or Gardner.
Good luck!
by
BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
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