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.
Good afternoon guys, any suggestions on how I can improve this WC draft? I’d have to bench one of Austin, Kane, or Downing each week, but downgrading Downing to Boyd/JWP doesn’t really give me enough money for anyone better than Kane or Austin, and I bought Downing at 5.8 so I figured I’d leave him in for now.
Pantilimon Heaton
Terry Wisdom Hutton Bertrand Wasilewski
Hazard Sanchez Silva Fabregas Downing
Kane Austin Rooney/Falcao/RVP
2.4 left ITB to swap Rooney/Falcao/RVP for Aguero when he’s back. But I still have .8 I can spend to improve elsewhere if needed. Questions I have are which United forward is best until Aguero is back, and should I get Costa in for Austin by swapping Fabregas to Chadli/Siggy? Also, would losing Sanchez for Cazorla for a front line of Rooney/Falcao, Kane, and Aguero be better? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
1. Rooney
2. No
3. Possibly, would like to see a bit more of Cazorla and Sanchez
Also, I have the same GK pairing as you but will most probably get rid of Heaton in my WC. Burnley aren’t looking like the defensive fortress they were in the consecutive nil-nil games.
I like the WC team, Red. Ima keeping Haz, Fab and Sanchez (although Caz might work the form he’s in) for mine and going Downing–>Chadli (along w/ Kane) with Spurs fixtures. West Ham might dip a bit w/o Song, Sakho etc.
Afternoon Red.
1. Falcao.
2. Given the fixtures, i would get Costa.
3. I flirted with the idea of Cazorla, but similar to Costa, the fixtures are set up for Sanchez to score big so i would go with him.
Looks a great squad mate. Still 8 days to tinker away though
hi Red
on WC myself also. Bit of struggle with little options up front.
Falcoa might (might) be a long term shot. Aguero may be phased back in and they have a few tough fixtures.
At the moment I have Kane, Austin and Costa up front – helping you zero
I dont like rotations as I always seem to get it wrong. Krul is back shortly too btw.
Good luck mate. Front 7 look like my front 7.
I’m kind of lucky I have all the important players in already (apart from Fabs, I have Sterling). Hmmmmmmmmmm. What I did with my last wildcard (something that didn’\t work out by the way) is just get the price risers and make my team the morning the wildcard ends.
Thank you for the advice AT, Sanchez, NIN, Dreamers, and Raz!! I’ll keep working on it, I feel like I need a couple differentials in there still. It feels pretty template-y at this point. Cheers guys!
How’s this WC team? Can just afford it if I do it now.
Forster (Gilks)
Azpi / Clichy / Naylor / Hutton / Bruce
Haz / Sanchez / Silva / Fab / Chadli
Kane / Austin / Rooney or Falcao
Rooney or Falcao –> Aguero when he returns. What do you guys think?
Hi Sanchez, can’t really argue with that midfield! As long as you leave some £ for Aguero then I reckon that’s a very good WC team.
Thanks Init! Who are you thinking of keeping/getting in for your eventual WC team?
My team is falling to pieces as was evident these past few weeks. I’m using my WC this week. These are my swaps so far:
Hart -> DeGea (For one week then going to get Forster)
Moore -> Cameron
Duff -> ? (I think he returns so maybe just leave him)
Azpi -> Terry
Williams -> Betrand (Better fixtures upcoming)
Downing -> Chadli
Cork -> Sanchez
Austin -> Kane
Any thoughts, additions / deletions? Should I look into adding Clichy? After getting Forster I’ll still be .2 short of getting Aguero back so I need to remedy that. Thanks everyone.
The moves all seem sensible – just 2 points, will you actually get Forster in for DDG as those keeper moves always seem good in theory and then hit the back burner sharpish when something else comes up as it invariably does and the other is that I think you need to plan to have that Aguero money to hand now as it’ll be hard to find as and when it’s actually required.
:thumbup:
Yeah I took Andy’s advice below and will pick up boyd/elmohady which leaves me the money to pick up aguero. You think if I want Forster I should take him for ManU game and hope for the best?
I don’t think Tottenham are a team that warrant double coverage in both Chadli and Kane, I’d probably stick with just Kane as my Spuds player.
Pretty random statement so I’ll expand, I’d take a Hull player (Elmohady) over Chadli and Boyd over Sanchez.
Boyd you’d be looking to play over the next 4 games with his fixtures with your Hull rotation benched and as soon as Burnleys fixtures hit the skids with Man Utd and Chelski in GW 25 and 26 your Hull player can fill the void with two home fixtures.
This will leave plenty of change for either Costa/Rooney to Aguero.
It should also leave some funds in pocket in case Kane busts, IF kane does end up producing little you’ve little room for maneuver in the 5.5m price range for a forward.
:thumbup: thanks, took your advice and switched around.
Feels like I’m set (for now). This is my team for the next gameweek. I have 2.9m in the bank (which always feels odd). In just 2 moves I can get in both Fabregas for Sterling and Kun for Costa. Who needs a wildcard? :dance:
And never ever f-ing doubt Panti again. My second goalie will be freaking Mannone, so I’ll always have a goalie and no rotation headaches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :growls:
I mean ffs. Dude got 10 points versus Chelsea and 4 versus City. I don’t see anyone copying those scores, unless they stop a few penalty’s. 😉
Hi guys,
First pass WC.
0.9 ITB.
Not sure about it (quite a lot really :))
Would prob prefer another big striker (Falcoa maybe) with Costa but like Austins next fixture.
Chadli might be too expensive also to not play him.
Might even downgrade Silva (after he rises tonight) and have money to upgrade Austin unless he runs amok.
thoughts please?
Loving the fact that the subs can outscore your main team. :dance:
give me some helpful feedback :finger:
That’s helpful. In other words, I’m telling you: ”You have a well-balanced team”.
ah – didnt get that. Thanks so
Is that a good or bad thing though? I generally like a crap enough bench. Had King all season so far
Well, I hate the fact that Boyd and Pantsu are consistently outscoring my first 11.
Goalie choice I’ll make easy for myself, Pant and Man. One less headache and one less weekly decision to make. Boyd I’ll keep though. I’d hate having players like Chadli on my bench. :p
Looks a well rounded squad. Chester is a bit of a risk but nothing major really. Maybe downgrade one of Cesc/Silva and bulk up up front or maybe buy an expensive defender.
cheers Nin. Not liking any of City defenders with the fixtures and have already 3 Chelsea. Arsenal dont entice me defence wise. Was looking at Shaw but had a knock in the last game.
Howdy init, how’s tricks? You hitting that button or waiting until the transfer window ends?
Not settled yet if I’m going to used it after the 17th or the 31st.
Aaah you asked Innit. I should’ve know. Nobody ever asks me anything anymore.
And nobody ever helps me with my team anymore…
Do you need help with your team Raz? 😉
Here’s a clever and handy tip to make sure you get replies: Ask a bloody question!!
These things shouldn’t be forced innit. They have to come naturally. Obviously they don’t, so don’t bother. :p
Hi Raz, how are you?
See? They only start talking to you when they pity you Raz.
Just tell them you’re fine.
”I’m fine Innit.”
Excellent, let’s move on then :p
I’m ok for this week I think NIN so I’ll just play it by ear and use it whenever the opportunity or need arises.
Nice. Any tips for those of us who have pulled the trigger? By that i mean, any players/teams you would 100% include? Aside from the obvious, of course
Boyd! Must have