-
-
New to the game? It's free and easy to play - Sign up now. Existing players log in at the top of the page.
-
-
-
Blog
-
News. Posted on: 4 Mar 2010
- Comments (13) | Link
Depending on which teams you've invested your millions in, Gameweek 29 is either looking desperate of holding a whole lot of promise. The absence of Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa from this week's fixture list are the principal reasons for worry and if you had two from each of those teams then, truly, you would be staring into the abyss!
And in that sentence we return back to last week's debate about extra players. A bigger squad would eliminate this problem, say those who would prefer change. But to counter that there are other games out there for those who want a big squad to choose from and part of the art of CYKI management is to plan ahead. A 12-man squad is how we play the game round these parts y'all! It's the reason CYKI Blog team, BloggersChoice, will have a near full complement of players anyway.
Back to GW29 and it's an old Premier League triumvirate who will be carrying most of our hopes with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool all odds-on for wins this weekend.
Shortest in the betting – and perhaps most likely to weigh in with a big win (meaning big points) – are Arsenal. The Gunners find themselves right back in the title chase following United's recent defeat at Everton and Chelsea's Stamford Bridge meltdown against Manchester City. With Burnley in town there really cannot be anything other than a home win – the Claret and Blues have picked up a lone point on their travels this season.
The champions travel to Wolves and, while the test is a little stiffer, they should also emerge triumphant. The Reds will no doubt have one eye on AC Milan's Wednesday night visit to Old Trafford and that could be their undoing. Mick McCarthy will surely not wave the white flag as he did in his side's away fixture earlier this campaign.
Rafa's Reds have the stiffest task at Wigan and are most likely to drop points but Roberto Martinez's team are horribly out of form with just three points from the last six games. In fact, this is JUST the sort of game Liverpool lose – shed your Reds!
Burnley, like Bolton, play twice this week when Stoke visit on Wednesday night and that would be the one reason to keep hold of any players from the Turf Moor club. Wanderers' pair of matches are a little more winnable, though both West Ham and Sunderland are road trips for Owen Coyle's relegation fighters.
Away from this week's matches we couldn't let a blog entry go by without a mention of recent blog debate which has focused on a couple of SPECIAL ONES and their blog commentary – are they the same person? They say no, but they certainly sound a bit special to me...
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 1 Mar 2010
- Comments (8) | Link
Wayne Rooney again stole the headlines this weekend and it's odds-on he'll be making them again in six days time. With Chelsea in FA Cup action, Manchester United have the chance to take top spot in the league and the Wolves backline must be fearing young Wayne's appearance at Molyneux.
Of course, Rooney's Carling Cup-winning header made no difference to CYKI matters but it just again underlined what a stellar season the 24-year-old is having for United. Replacing Michael Owen early in the second half, he needed less than 45 minutes to make his mark with that looping header over Brad Friedel.
If he doesn't do the business at Wolves, CYKI managers will likely be looking at a painful gameweek. Of the recognised favourites only Arsenal (at home to Burnley), Liverpool (at Wigan) and Everton (who welcome Hull) are in action as FA Cup quarter-finals dominate the weekend.
The Gunners will be going for a fourth straight win after late goals landed a victory at Stoke secured in honour of team-mate Aaron Ramsey, who suffered a sickening injury in an apparently honest challenge by Ryan Shawcross despite the Stoke defender receiving a red card for the tackle. The reaction of the former Manchester United trainee as he departed the field in tears suggested there was no malice involved.
Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were on the mark for Liverpool as Rafa's Reds continued their strong form. Any managers looking for a late surge up private league tables should look to either of this duo for late season points. Benitez will surely take no chances as he attempts to land the hallowed fourth spot.
Everton suffered their first Premier League defeat of the year at Spurs on Sunday in a topsy-turvy game that showed the best and worst of the Lilywhites. Harry Redknapp's men were untouchable in the first half and unwatchable in the second. They may own fourth spot now, but it would take a bold man to bet on them holding it after Gameweek 38.
There's no midweek Premier League action to savour but England are at Wembley for a World Cup warm-up against Egypt. Our guests are African Cup of Nations champions, prepare for more Rooney-centric headlines on Thursday morning...
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 26 Feb 2010
- Comments (11) | Link
Should CYKI stay a 12 man game or do we need more subs?
That's been one of the debates in the comments of this blog the last gameweek (amongst SPECIAL ONES and Chelsea players' sex lives) and with a gameweek like this one coming up, you might just fancy having a couple of extra players on the bench to bring on.
Because, with Manchester United and Aston Villa among the absentees, the cupboard will be looking bare for a good proportion of us.
That pair will be at Wembley duking it out for League Cup glory where it's odds-on the Carling Cup will be lit up by more Wayne Rooney heroics. The man on whose World Cup hopes England increasingly rely just refuses to come down from his season-long high. Everton may have contained him last week but West Ham couldn't and Wazza saved many a gameweek with his Tuesday night double.
Without Fergie's charges most managers' hopes will rest on leaders Chelsea, who tackle FA Cup losers Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. After a golden start the pressure is beginning to mount on Roberto Mancini following a run of three games without a win. Those sack happy owners will be sharpening the knives mark my words...
Carlo Ancelotti's men come into the game off the back of a Champions League defeat, but 2-1 at Inter Milan is a lot more respectable than 3-1 at Stoke (with all due respect to Tony Pulis and co) and anything other than a solid three points for the home side will be a disappointment. Drogba looks likely captain material for those of us with him in our teams.
But while Rooney was the man last week and Drogba will be the man this week, it'll be the Manchester United no.10 that most of will look to in GW 29. The fixture list throws up some challenges at this time of year with the domestic cups getting in the way of regular league football. Chelsea's FA Cup quarter-final means they miss out next week, while United sit this one out. Similar problems will affect the FA Cup quarter-finalists which include Spurs, Fulham, Villa and more. It may give you headaches but remember everyone else has the same problems!
Away from Chelsea, Liverpool's home game against Blackburn looks highly winnable and with the Anfield defence coming together nicely in recent weeks a clean sheet looks expected (though martin Skrtel's injury will weaken the back four). Arsenal face a tough game at Stoke, but after that they have a nice run and, together with Rafa's mob they are a team to be on at the moment.
The proof! Liverpool's next three fixtures: Blackburn (home); Wigan (away); Portsmouth (h). Arsenal's next three fixtures: Stoke (a); Burnley (h); Hull (a).
And that leads happily onto this week's transfers where BloggersChoice looks fairly settled with only minor tinkering needed. Only Matthew Upson and Rooney will definitely be absent this GW and it's going to be farewell to the man in claret and blue. Given my thoughts on Pool and the Gunners that should be the destination for my transfer targets but it's to Anfield we go with Emiliano Insua the target.
The other transfer also comes from the back four where it's going to be au revoir to Chris Baird. Fulham will suffer fixture congestion soonish and getting rid now allows a bit more room for manoeuvre next GW. Sylvain Distin will be the other purchase – yes, a trip to Spurs suggests Everton will concede but the following run are kind and the Frenchman offers a bit of value. So ner!
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 18 Feb 2010
- Comments (16) | Link
After one looooong gameweek we're back with an almost perfectly formed blast of Premier League footy – I say 'almost', but as we all know the Uniteds of Manchester welcome Gianfranco Zola's Claret and Blue Cockneys for a Tuesday night knees-up at Old Trafford.
That will delight us managers with young master Rooney in our sides, while doing the opposite to those who don't. It's a tough old game sometimes.
As fellow CYKI manager Colin Hodgson commented on last week's blog – this double GW for United and the Hammers will see many of us scanning the ranks of both for transfer targets. And that will inevitably drive asking prices up with some of us unable to afford our chosen targets.
But while some of the red-shirted ranks will come up on the expensive side (the same cannot be said of those at Upton Park) there may still be some bargains to be had at Old Trafford.
With central defensive duo Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand out, there must be some bargainous propositions at the back – with the versatile pair of Wes Brown and Jonny Evans particularly appealing. True, Ferdinand and Vidic are on the cusp of coming back but question marks hang over both and their deputies are adept at covering in a variety of positions with Brown favoured as a potential purchase.
But there's a danger in focusing too hard on United this gameweek, as anyone who has perused the fixture list knows the champions do not play at all in GW28 along with the Hammers, Aston Villa and Hull. With just two transfers to play with each week, next week's fixtures must always be in your mind.
Away from United, big things will be expected from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea who all play teams in the bottom eight, with the first two named at home. Spurs will once again be fancied to get past 'lowly' opposition, but are always capable of disappointing. There's also a seismic clash at Eastlands where fourth place chasers Manchester City and Liverpool do battle.
CYKI blog team, BloggersChoice, looks pretty well balanced ahead of GW27 with Drogba and Rooney upfront and a nice selection of attacking mids. The only changes to be made are at the back where the end is nigh for Ryan Shawcross and Shay Given.
City's next three games are pretty frightening while Shawcross' exit will make way for the aforementioned Wes Brown who looks a handy signing if only for one week.
There's no vote as this blogger will not be in a position to make the transfer on Saturday morning – please leave suggestions for a new keeper in the comment box. Manuel Almunia is the current favourite...
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 8 Feb 2010
- Comments (9) | Link
What had looked like the most exciting title race (ever!) a few months back has now been reduced to the two usual suspects. Arsenal's limp form when it came to the crunch means Wenger's (very) little wonders will have to wait another year to intricately pass their way to Premier League success while all the other pretenders have proven to be just that – there's surely no way Liverpool and their competitors for the final Champions League place will find themselves competing for the title this year is there?
Part of what separates the top two from the rest is the genius of their leading men – Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba. Both teams are driven forward by a brilliant, uncompromising striker at the height of his talents. This season's top goalscorer honours will be surely be decided by either Rooney or Drogba after both again underlined their brilliance and determination this gameweek to go clear in the race to be named Premier League Golden Boot.
In fact, so sure am I of this pair's dominance that I intend to get Chelsea's hitman in alongside United's little Scouse force of nature to create an unstoppable forward line for CYKI blog team, BloggersChoice (cue Bond villain laughter). Time constraints mean there'll be no vote this week as this blogger will be far away from Blighty by the time those Tuesday games kick-off.
The move for Drogba is an obvious selection – very obvious – but hopefully we're getting on him ahead of the crowd. Yes, he's present in 21 per cent of teams but that number will only keep growing should his form continue. Rooney, by contrast, is in 44.7 % of teams out there. Available for £12.9m, Drogba could add another million to that total by the end of the season.
Gameweek 26 takes the pair away from home against tricky opposition – Chelsea go to Everton while United have an early rehearsal for the Carling Cup final at Aston Villa. Neither game will be easy and it's possible that both leading strikers could draw a blank, but it's a risk I'm prepared to take.
Of course, with Manchester City in action twice this GW, the sensible option is to move for one of the Eastlands' stars but something seems amiss with Mancini's men. Is it just me or is Carlos Tevez less effective when Emmanuel Adebayor is around?
Stoke, Wigan and Bolton are the other teams to play twice in GW26 and Tony Pulis' men are the ones showing the tastiest form of the trio. Wigan are somehow holding off the relegation rivals while Owen Coyle is still bedding in at Bolton.
Stoke's Matthew Etherington could be the second transfer of the week – though he does come up against Shay Given which isn't ideal. Andrei Arshavin and Peter Crouch are the likely duo making way to allow Drogba into the BloggersChoice XII.
As ever, let us know your thoughts...
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 4 Feb 2010
- Comments (13) | Link
There were some interesting comments in last week's blog – no, Sarkwha, we're not talking about your input – on whether it is the obvious approach that pays or if it's the manager who gambles on unknown quantities that gets ahead of the pack.
The answer, as ever, is probably somewhere in between, but I've always thought there was more merit in swerving the big names and assembling a battalion of overlooked gems. Ronaldo's presence in the game over the last few years just seemed to make the game too easy. I usually gave him a miss and tried to pick up points elsewhere. Sure, it made scoring tougher but at least it felt like you'd earned your corn when you got it right.
That approach may go some way to explaining the presence of some unfamiliar or unexpected names in the BloggersChoice XII. I was trying to find an edge, Robin!
Joking aside, I can offer an explanation for each one but they're usually the product of a double gameweek purchase – Baird, N'Gog – and would be the second transfer made by me, outside of the usual vote. Sometimes they've come off, other times not. More on BloggersChoice later though...
Onto this week's games and aside from what will surely be a home romp for Manchester United, who welcome bottom-placed Portsmouth to Old Trafford, chiselling out the points may be a touch tricky.
That is down to a trio of games pitting some of the usual CYKI pointscorers head-to-head, the most obvious of which is Arsenal's trip to Chelsea.
Just over a week ago everyone wanted a Gunner – and preferably two – in their side but a draw with Aston Villa and last weekend's home defeat at the hands of a Nani- and Wayne Rooney-powered United has tarnished our view of Arsene Wenger's boys. We'll see whether that's fair after Sunday's late kick-off.
The weekend kicks off with the Merseyside derby at Anfield. Everton have been sneaking up on the outside lane in 2010, collecting points faster than most. But surprisingly perhaps, so have Liverpool. The pair sit third in the form table with 14 points from the last six games. Prising them apart is going to be tricky.
Spurs and Villa are both in similar form, with nine and eight points from their last six respectively. Like the Anfield clash it's difficult to split the two, but the 31 per cent of managers with Richard Dunne must be wary of coming up against Jermain Defoe.
The fixture list adds up to a bit of a headache and transfer moves for CYKI Blog team, BloggersChoice, are not obvious. The urge is to get rid of Petr Cech, with Arsenal in town this week and Everton away next. But if that happens, Ricardo Carvalho should go too.
Picking replacements isn't easy so vote yes or no to get rid of the Chelsea pair and post a comment to recommend the pair we draft in. Manchester City would be a risky purchase, given they play away, but a pair of fixtures in GW26 against Bolton and Stoke could bring clean sheet points. Let us know your thoughts...
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 28 Jan 2010
- Comments (7) | Link
Fixture congestion is bringing both joy and pain to CYKI managers as we all attempt to juggle resources and take advantage of a rash of double gameweeks for a number of teams.
This week is the turn of Chelsea to play 180 minutes when they travel to Burnley and Hull for a pair of matches in quick succession.
But while we're all bound to flock to the Blues for our purchases, Gameweeks 25 and 26 will have to be in the back of our minds – Arsenal are at Stamford Bridge for what could be a big title decider while the following weekend takes Chelsea to Everton. So while GW24 brings gifts, the following two fixtures are far tougher. Factor that into your transfer policy.
Looking back on the unloved, deformed, little being that was GW23, Chelsea and Everton were the teams to be on. Both won at a canter, conceding no goals and scoring early to give fans an easy ride and a midweek boost, in the Londoners' case assuming the Premier League lead again.
Everton have started the year in impressive form – aside from an FA Cup slip, they're unbeaten – but Gameweeks 25-28 bring tests in the shape of Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs. It'll take a brave manager to stick by any of Goodison's finest during that run.
Other than Chelsea, three other teams are in action twice this week – Fulham, Hull and Portsmouth. In truth, none of the trio are in great shape and only the Cottagers appeal. A home tie with Aston Villa may end up like the Claret and Blues midweek test against Arsenal – goalless – while the visit of Portsmouth on Wednesday seems the likeliest time for Fulham's winless streak to come to an end. Indeed, this run of fixtures looks the ideal time for Roy Hodgson's men to rediscover their winning touch – a distinctly ordinary bunch of teams await until Manchester United on March 13.
So it is with Fulham that we start this week's vote.
Finally, the time has come to bid farewell to Portsmouth's Kevin Prince Boateng and you have a choice of replacing him with one of Craven Cottage's finest: Damien Duff or Danny Murphy, both are handy goalscoring midfielders who could bring in valuable points over the next few gameweeks.
The other player likely to see the exit door is Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen, who is injured but if available will line up against Wayne Rooney and co. Should he come back the following gameweek it'll be against Chelsea, if the return comes in Gameweek 26, Liverpool will be the opposition.
The fixture list can be cruel at times.
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 24 Jan 2010
- Comments (14) | Link
A large proportion of us have got him in our sides and after a heaven-sent gameweek the rest must be asking themselves: can I afford not to have Wayne Rooney in my side?
Manchester United's Scouse-born hitman fully underlined his brilliance with a four goal assault on Hull's defence last Saturday, his second, third and fourth all coming after the 82nd minute to transform a routine 1-0 into a 4-0 thumping.
Those who made Rooney captain for Gameweek 23 – and CYKI blog team BloggersChoice were amongst them – are looking at 52 points next to Wayne's name on the team screen and they will be sporting the widest of grins when surveying private leagues across the game. Bully for them!
But the game moves on and Gameweek 24 brings a mini midweek rush of eight matches with four teams – Manchester United, Manchester City, Hull all Stoke missing out. So, we're all Wayne-less this week.
And looking at the fixtures, some of us will be scoring considerably less than Rooney's GW23 haul. Normally home games for Spurs, Chelsea and Aston Villa would equal home wins and big points but when Fulham, Birmingham and Arsenal are the visitors nothing is guaranteed.
Defeat at Stoke excepted, Arsenal are operating at full throttle and will go to Villa Park as marginal favourites for a win. There should be goals for either side in what is a mouthwatering fixture.
Spurs are wobbling in all competitions and Fulham could be another unfancied team to leave White Hart Lane with a point or three in their pockets.
Chelsea shouldn't be overly troubled by Birmingham, but Alex McLeish's Blue Army keep on winning and a 2-1 victory over resurgent Everton at Goodison Park was another impressive result in a season that keeps bringing good things.
The Toffees get a shot at instant redemption when Sunderland come to town on Wednesday night and will be fancying their chances after the Black Cats' losing run continued at Portsmouth in the Cup. Humbled at Stamford Bridge, Steve Bruce's men were unable to jolt themselves back to life at Fratton Park. For me, Everton are the home bankers in GW24.
And if the Toffees are the team to be on this week, West Ham might just be the dark horses of 2010 (please, don't laugh!). A change in ownership at Upton Park will have given the Claret and Blues a boost and results were picking up anyway with notable draws at Chelsea and Aston Villa in recent weeks.
And with that thought in mind, BloggersChoice will be bringing Matthew Upson for Patrice Evra and Petr Cech for Shay Given. Both transfers will hopefully bring in points this week but they are also made with next week in mind – Chelsea and West Ham both play twice in Gameweek 25.
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 14 Jan 2010
- Comments (11) | Link
Football goes from famine to feast this weekend with a big bundle of games awaiting us and four CYKI favourites playing twice.
After the decimation of the Premier League calendar in Gameweek 21 the scent of big points is in the air with Arsenal, Manchester United, Spurs and Liverpool – yes they are one of the favourites I refer to – racking up 180 minutes of action.
The latter two teams face off at Anfield in midweek in a hasty rescheduling of last Sunday's abandoned match. Once that's over it will have been three games in eight days for Rafa's Reds following Wednesday night's FA Cup embarrassment at the hands of relegation-threatened Championship outfit, Reading.
Benitez is now left with very little on the domestic calendar, just a tough slog against the stream in the Premier League as he strives to make fourth place that was guaranteed to the Anfield owners and fans earlier this campaign. Truly, this is a chastening season for Liverpool.
Of course, it could all end happily if Champions League qualification is assured and it may be that now is the time to get on the Liverpool bus and ride it all the way to May. It's not beyond them to go on an epic winning run – it has happened before – but they could have done without injuries to CYKI favourites Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun.
But GW22 is not all about Pool.
Arsenal play a neat, little home-and-away double-header against Owen Coyle's Bolton that will have managers holding on to any Gooners a little excited.
And the same emotion will be felt by those of us with a double hand of Old Trafford's finest. A pair of home games against Burnley and Hull will be just what Sir Alex Ferguson wanted following another mini wobble.
Hull are the other team who must play twice and they kick off GW22 at White Hart Lane. Already 19th in the table, there will be pints spilt and eyebrows raised all across the land should Hull find themselves out of the relegation zone once this pair of games are out the way.
If the formbook can be trusted, CYKI managers could be in for a successful gameweek. It will all come down to who you select from the big boys and, of course, who your captain is.
CYKI blog team, BloggersChoice, has a healthy smattering of Arsenal, United, Spurs and Liverpool players to make top man this week, but we need your help making the right choice.
It's already been decided to replace Martin Petrov with Luka Modric and that leaves us with one transfer to bring in an Anfield player. The question for your vote is whether it's Pepe Reina or David N'Gog (don't laugh!).
The case for Reina is his excellence will be spread over 180 minutes. The case against is that he'll come up against BloggersChoice attackers Modric and Peter Crouch in the second of those fixtures.
The case for N'Gog is that Pool have no-one else but him to play upfront. The case against is obvious.
Now place your vote and help us decide!
- Comment on this post »
-
News. Posted on: 11 Jan 2010
- Comments (0) | Link
Carlos Tevez or Dimitar Berbatov?
That question's a bit of a no-brainer right now with the Argentinean in outrageous form and the Bulgarian stuttering so badly that he was unable to hold down a place on the United bench at Birmingham City. One thing's for sure, you can bet Sir Alex was wishing he'd rebuffed City's big money offer this summer.
Carlito scored his tenth, 11th and 12th goals of the season as Roberto Mancini's money men swept through Blackburn Rovers 4-1 on Monday night on what only the third game of the Premier League weekend.
That was after snow and ice made conditions too hazardous for chairmen at the seven other Premier League grounds. The big cheeses clearly couldn't bear the thought of lawsuits should any fans hurt themselves on their way to or from a game. It made for a dull weekend CYKI-wise with few points available.
Games did go ahead at Arsenal and Birmingham and they produced interesting results, with neither the league's second or third placed teams capable of putting pressure on Chelsea. The continued inability of Manchester United to get into top gear is intriguing and maybe a little worrying for those managers and fans who have placed their eggs in that particular Premier League basket.
Gameweek 22 brings an opportunity to banish that talk with Burnley and Hull making the trip to Old Trafford. That should bring two wins for Sir Alex and a little peace before what is shaping up to be one of the season's defining moments - Arsenal away on January 31 - providing the snow doesn't interrupt again in the next few days of course.
- Comment on this post »
-
-
-
Latest blog posts
-
Points or pain in Gameweek 29? It just depends how you play the game »
News — Posted on: 4 Mar 22:35
-
Rooney roadshow rolls on »
News — Posted on: 1 Mar 22:05
-
Cup football causing fixture list foul-ups - do we need extra players? »
News — Posted on: 26 Feb 10:57
-
Don't focus too hard on United this Gameweek... »
News — Posted on: 18 Feb 22:11
-
Two horse title race means it's time to focus on the quality and bring in the big guns »
News — Posted on: 8 Feb 17:24
-
Obvious or unexpected - how do you win at CYKI? »
News — Posted on: 4 Feb 23:05
-
Great one week, bad the next - always check the fixture list »
News — Posted on: 28 Jan 22:22
-
Hail King Rooney: Can you afford not to have Wayne in your side? »
News — Posted on: 24 Jan 21:10
-
After the snow , an avalanche of games ... big points are available but where? »
News — Posted on: 14 Jan 23:24
-
Pressure on at Old Trafford as Brum frustrate and Carlos keeps scoring »
News — Posted on: 11 Jan 22:59
-
Snow more please - we just want Premier League football! »
News — Posted on: 8 Jan 10:24
-
More, more, more football as the Christmas games keep coming »
News — Posted on: 27 Dec 17:45
-
-
-
Joseph Dyer
-
-
- Points
- 1,471
- Rank
- 198
- Total players
- 22,671
- Gameweek 29
- 27 »
-
-
-
England
-
-
-
Leagues
-
Transfers & Finances
- Total transfers
- 47
- Team value
- 101.0
- In the bank
- 2.0
- View transfer history »
-
-
-
-
