International Tournaments in January & February 2015
Some of you will have read the header and thought Tournaments! There’s only the African Cup of Nations to contend with…. wrong answer boys and girls! There is also the AFC Asian Cup in Australia to deal with. It could mean that some Premier League players will be unavailable for 3-4 gameweeks. With FIFA regulations stating that “For a final competition players must be released and start to travel to their national team no later than the Monday morning of the week preceding that of the start of the relevant final competition, and must be released by their association the morning of the day after their last match of the tournament” this could have a huge impact on Fantasy Manager’s January Wildcards.
Now I bet some of you still think that these tournaments will not have an effect on your Fantasy sides, well to name but a few players, if you have the like of; Bony, Yaya Toure, Cisse, Sakho, Jedinak and Yoshida then you will be affected.
Let’s start off with the African Cup of Nations or ACON:
The African Cup of Nations is the international football championships for the African Football Confederation, (CAF) and will be taking place in Equatorial Guinea. ACON will take place between 17 January to 8 February 2015. Players can start reporting to their National Associations from the 5th January.
At present the 30 man squads are only available; this will be reduced down to 23 at a date to be confirmed. At present there are 20 Premier League players going to ACON. Here is the initial list of players by club, who could be going to the Tournament:
Crystal Palace- Adlene Guediora (Algeria), Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo)
Everton- Christian Atsu (Ghana)
Hull- Mohamed Diame (Senegal)
Leicester- Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Jeff Schlupp (Ghana)
Liverpool- Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast)
Man City- Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)
Newcastle- Mehdi Abeid (Algeria), Papiss Cisse (Senegal), Cheick Tiote (Ivory Coast)
Southampton- Emmanuel Mayuka (Zambia), Sadio Mane (Senegal)
Stoke- Mame Biram Diouf (Senegal)
Swansea- Wilfried Bony (Ivory Coast)
Tottenham- Nabil Bentaleb (Algeria)
West Ham- Alex Song (Cameroon), Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal), Diafra Sakho (Senegal)
West Bromwich- Youssouf Mulumbu (DR Congo)
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Next up is the lesser known Tournament known as the AFC Asian Cup:
The AFC Asian Cup is the international football championships for the Asian Football Confederation. (AFC) The winner will qualify for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. The Cup is taking place in Australia and will take place between the 9 January to the 31 January 2015. Players can start reporting to their National Associations from the 29th December.
Like ACON at present only the 30 man squads are only available. There are 7 Premier League players selected in preliminary squads for the Asian Cup. This Cup competition will impact Fantasy Premier League teams during Gameweeks 21-23. The initial list is:
Aston Villa- Chris Herd (Australia)
Crystal Palace- Mile Jedinak (Australia)
Liverpool- Brad Jones (Australia)
QPR- Yun Suk Young (QPR)
Southampton- Maya Yoshida (Japan)
Swansea- Ki Sung Yueng (Korean Republic)
West Brom- Jason Davidson (Australia)
It remains to be seen when players involved in this Tournament will be called up by their Associations. I would suggest to all you Fantasy Managers to keep a close eye on the squads and don’t get caught with you pants down! West Ham look like they could be effected the most by these tournaments losing Alex Song, Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho. Some of the players involved are popular with many a Fantasy Manager, Wilfried Bony, Mile Jedinak and Yaya Toure being the main protagonists.
Plan your transfers carefully and remember the January Wildcard can only be used after Gameweek 20 starts until Gameweek 23 ends.
STERLING or ERIKSEN ….?
Eriksen
Eriksen.
Anyone Else
Chadli looking better at the moment, but Eriksen is on set pieces, so your choices. Personally I like Chadli, was great at the beginning, went on a slump, and now is back in cracking form.
I’ve Like Chadli but he’s not nailed on to start every game so maybe Eriksen is my man Cheers Mate.
Pretty sure Chadli is nailed on. The only matches he didn’t start was when he was injured or recovering from injury.
He has started the last 4 games, and it seems like Spurs is adapting to the lone forward role now which is the best formation where Chadli starts and performs.
So yeah, Chadli still prone to rotation due to formation changes, as Soldado has to start some time, but still.
What does everyone think of this?
Sell Yaya –> Hazard
Bony –> Kane
Take a hit for Costa –> Rooney
5.3 mil left over to bring Kun in when he returns
Not worth a hit, for me.
Afternoon NIN. What do you think I should do then?? I’m definitely selling Bony for Kane it’s just these moves are the only ones I can think of that will be good till I play my WC
I would just do the Yaya and Bony moves and then leave it at that. Chelsea have Newcastle at home next, whereas United have a tough game vs Southampton. Rooney is playing in midfield too. Costa -> Rooney is a long way off being worth a -4, in my opinion.
I can’t make the Yaya to Hazard move because I already have three chelsea players so need to sell Costa to bring in Hazard.
+1
Confused as to how you can’t fund the transfers without the hut but will have 5,3m leftover? Am I missing something?
I can fund the transfer but I currently have Terry,Fabregas and Costa so can’t bring Hazard in as I would then have too many Chelsea players so must sell one.
Hmm, i’m still unsure on the value of a hit for Costa though. Could you get Sanchez instead of Hazard, or drop your other Chelsea player? Whoever that may be.
Sanchez is an option but I just feel that Arsenal might not preform well over their next few fixtures
Why is that? He’s playing really well most weeks and is the 2nd highest scoring FPL player so far.
I’m not sure it’s just a gut feeling but with everyone recommending him I’m starting to think my guts wrong. Haha
Just do the Hazard and Kane moves.
Get Sanchez and keep Costa.
IMO, Costa & Sanchez is better than Rooney & Hazard, and that’s before taking the 4 point hit into account.
You can sort the team out properly in a couple of weeks with your Jan wildcard.
Thanks EBC. Everyone is recommending this move so might aswell just make it.
Team all set for coming GW? 1FT and 5.6M itb.
Like the look of Trippy and Chadli this GW, but think my defense is all set and dont have place for Chadli just yet. Have plans of adding SOTON cover next GW in form of Bert.
Thoughts?
Those still in Cup, I wish you all the best.
Looks good, B. Personally i would play Boyd ahead of Austin.
That will be very risky. :what:
B I’d be inclined to play Hutton over Taylor. Villa seem to be keeping a lot of clean sheets lately and Swansea don’t.
Thanks. Might play Hutton.
No problem mate
Guys need urgent help.Thinkin of playin Wc.Have some dobuts
Chadli or Siggy as 4th Mid
Coalback or Boyd as 5th Mid
Should i ditch Sanchez for Sterling/Eriksen/Tadic or any 8.5mid so that i have cash for Kun(Returning by gw 22-23 maybe)
Should i keep both Costa n Kun when Kun returns.Is Costa really worth 11.2m
Alrady got Kane.Shall i post my current team n estimated WC team to give u a clear idea?
Chadli
Who ever is cheaper
Sanchez for this GW, Tadic from next. Dont like Sterling/Eriksen.
Yes, keep Costa, unless there is a variety in forwards, which at the moment is lacking.
Thanks B.I will upload Current n Estimated team images to give u a clear idea
Who Would You Guys Start this Gw ?
Morgan (H) v ASTON VILLA
Jones (H) V Southampton
Jones.
Personally Id suggest Morgan. Look at the goal scoring record of AV in the past few games.
+1
+1
+1
I have yet to see absolute confirmation that Yaya will not play the next gameweek. Ivory Coast’s first game is on the 20th Jan, so Yaya could conceivably play on the 10th? Can anyone provide a source for the assumption that he’s already left?
To clarify:
* Can anyone provide a source for the assumption that will leave before the next gameweek?
I read on Sky Sport all ACON players are to be called to international duty on the 5th of January.
*But I think some teams are trying to push it to the 10th I don’t know how successful they will be though.
Read on:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2315512-toure-fitness-afcon-duty-raise-concerns-for-man-city-heading-into-new-year
‘Manuel Pellegrini confirmed on Wednesday that Yaya Toure will leave for the AFCON in Equatorial Guinea on January 5, meaning he is available for Manchester City’s next two matches, at home to Sunderland on New Year’s Day and the FA Cup tie with Sheffield Wednesday three days later.’
No direct quote from Pellegrini and the Bleacher Report isn’t the most reliable source, however I must submit that in all likelihood he will not play after the FA Cup. Hope City can push back the date though!
Not saying it is a direct quote but all the evidence suggests he won’t play GW21 and that is good enough for me.
I agree.
To clarify, I know you weren’t quoting Pellegrini. I read the article and it doesn’t use his words at any point, which often makes me question the integrity of the source. Despite this, I concede it’s almost definite that Toure is off to Africa after the FA Cup game.
I see, no problem mate