U/20 FIFA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: SPAIN 1 - ITALY 3 - SPAIN GO HOME

SPAIN lost 1-3 to ITALY in the last 16 round of the U/20 FIFA WorldChampionships in Egypt after a brilliant group phase & go home.The Spanish team started slow & without rhythm, & then lost BOITAin the 28th min to a red card. With Spain down to 10 men, theItalians took over & exploited the advantage to score two quickgoals via MUSTACCHIO & MAZZARINI to knock out the Spaniardsearly in the 2ºhalf.

REAL MADRID: CASILLAS & GUTI ARGUE ON FIELD - PROBLEMS IN THE DRESSING ROOM?

Hi guys, glad to be back from New York City. SFS has been awayfor 5 days & since Madrid lost its 2016 Olympic bid to Rio & REALMADRID lost 2-1 to SEVILLA FC to highlight the “problems” theMadrid team has in its defence & a “dependence on Ronaldo” whodid not play that game due to injury.In fact, Real Madrid was outplayed (saw the game from NYC) & thedefeat has created tensions within the team that

Gameweek 8 Wrap-up

Plenty of goals this week with only one clean sheet going into Monday's clash at Villa Park. The game of the weekend came at the Emirates with Arsenal hitting 6 against Blackburn, who themselves looked useful in the first half. Fabregas was incredible (getting a goal, 4 assists and 3 bonus points) and that performance should end any doubt there was over my ranking of him in line with - if not ahead 0f - Gerrard and Lampard this season. With Van Persie able to contribute goals, assists and bonus points, he also showed his fantasy class and that he can rightfully be considered alongside the top tier of strikers in the Premier League.

Prediction assessment
My predictions were pretty mixed the clean sheet rankings being rendered useless by the fact that only two teams kept one, one of which was Portsmouth on the road which not many would have predicted. The other was Chelsea which I did get - much to criticism of a few readers - which really wasn't all that surprising. Chelsea are very tight at home and have still only surrendered one goal in six games in all competitions. Ancelotti played a very narrow team including Deco and Ballack in place of wide men like Malouda, Kalou or Cole. Liverpool failed to capitalise on that and Chelsea dominated the middle of the park and stopped Gerrard running the game. Arsenal's fixtures look better over the next few weeks but I would rank Chelsea as the best team defense right now, way ahead to United and Liverpool at this point.

My captaincy rankings were decent with Fabregas, Van Persie all contributing good or great games while Rooney and Lennon disappointed. Rooney was embarrassing against Sunderland and his petulant and childish behaviour should concern fantasy managers who paid 11m+ for his services. In his career he has been streaky when it comes to goals and the international weekend might be a welcome break. Note that United travel to both Liverpool and Chelsea in the next 3 weeks so it might be worth looking at moving Rooney after week 9's visit of Bolton (who Rooney normally does well against).

On the horizon
Defensively, City have pretty good looking fixtures with only three troubling fixtures (@Liv, Che and @Tot) between now and week 21. Richards was my pick there but with Zabaleta starting the last two I think Bridge becomes the best pickup at Eastlands. Zabaleta himself is 5m so might be worth a punt but I could see Richards back in fold at some point so I'd go with Bridge who should play every week barring injury. Aside from the week 11 trip to the Emirates I also like Spurs avoid the coming weeks, despite conceding two to Bolton this week. At 5.1m I think Assou Ekotto remains the best pick here, though if you jump on him quick you should be able to make a quick buck on Corluka (5.3) who will no doubt get the attention of other owners following his goal this week.

I love City's attacking fixtures with home games to Hull (week 14) and Burnley (week 12) looking particularly tasty. After his return tonight against Villa I think Adebayor is a buy and - along with Van Persie - is the pick of the premium strikers over the next 6 weeks. Ireland was benched tonight against Villa and is no longer worthy of fantasy consideration while Wright Phillips form concerns me (I sold him) and I think better options can be found. Everton also have good attacking fixtures and I like Louis Saha as a midprice option for those looking to differentiate themselves from Darren Bent. Blog poster dhs_media_ssharp has been singing the praises of Bilyaletdinov (6.5) and the chalkboard of his first league start shows why. Plenty of balls played into the danger zone, including corners which he is very accomplished with. Not a total steal at 6.5 but there is a gap in talent at that price range and with the upcoming fixtures I like the young Russian to contribute some fantasy points soon.

Market Watch
These tips are purely based on the ability to make cash rather than how much I like an individual player based on his schedule and all other factors

Buy
Thomas Vermaelen should hit 7m after his goal this weekend and I think he is fairly priced based on his superior outfield skills. I do not normally pick defenders based on the goalscoring but Vermaelen has shown he isn't simply a 'head the odd corner in' type of centre back. Defensively Arsenal's fixtures aren't amazing but good enough to consider Vermaelen, who should still give a small price rise if you move quickly.

Cesc Fabregas has already risen to 10.8 but I could see this hitting 10.9 or even 11.0 by the time the international break is over. Even a that price he is still considerably less than Gerrard and Lampard and provides better value. Still a buy option in my eyes.

Darren Bent has 5 in his last 4 and the goal at Old Trafford shows he can do it against the big boys too. Back to back bonus awards are also welcome and I would set a long term projection of 8m for Bent as managers continue to move over to putting their money in strikers.

Sell
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have net transfers out of fifteen and ten thousand and Lampard's price has fallen to 12.4m. The man himself insists the goals will come but until he hits the net from open play in the league I would follow this trend and move your cash into premium strikers before the pair's prices fall further.

As noted above, Wayne Rooney was poor this week and with a tough schedule to come some owners could switch to Drogba, Torres or Adebayor causing the England striker's value to fall a bit.

Saturday Roundup

Pretty quiet fantasy day today despite 15 goals being scored in 5 games. Goalscorers like Yebda (0.0%), Vennegoor of Hesselink (0.3%) and Fletcher (0.5%) ensured that most teams will have failed to score too many points, as will the fact that the only clean sheet was kept by Portsmouth, on the road! The only fantasy star to register a goal for the week was the impressive Darren Bent who was also credited with a man of the match award of 3 points. Having missed out through the first 6 games, Bent now seems to have got the pundits attention having notched back-to-back clean sheets, despite the fact that Cana or Cattermole were widely praised as the dominate players in the fixture. This added scoring category makes Bent even better and the fact he went to Old Trafford and scored makes him not only a guaranteed every week play, but also a captain candidate if the matchup looks good.

The biggest game in fantasy terms was Sunderland's surprise draw at Old Trafford which reaffirms my high regards for Steve Bruce's side. I am also further convinced that United hold very little fantasy value right now as the majority of their team is either overvalued or at risk of rotation. Having assumed Giggs would keep his place in the side and that either of Carrick and Anderson might be rested, I was shocked that all three missed out, and worse for fantasy owners, Carrick and Anderson came on and contributed nothing thus sentencing their managers to a 1 point haul. Of the United midfield I think only Fletcher warrants consideration, and even he is at risk of rotation due to Ferguson's hesitance to drop the Scottish terrier in midweek European ties. Up front, Berbatov has shown some signs of life but is grossly overvalued at 9.5m while Rooney's display of petulance and sulking today show why he isn't - and never will be - in Torres' class in both reality and fantasy terms.
The real surprise though is United's frailty at the back, which was underlined again today. With just three clean sheets this season (Birmingham, Wigan and Stoke) United defenders are not worth 6.7m+ as similar points hauls can be found from Villa (4.5m+), City (5.5m+) and Stoke (4.5m+) players. Foster is still okay value at 5.1m but there is no way he keeps his place when van der Dar returns and with Liverpool and Chelsea on the horizon it might be worth shopping for his replacement sooner rather than later.

Hopefully tomorrow will bring more fantasy excitement and I am relying on Arsenal - Song, Cesc and Van Persie (c) - to rescue me after a poor Saturday on which just 13 points were scored.

Pure Juice Shakeup

02 October 2009 (Manchester) -- Pure Juice manager Chris Glover is no stranger to controversy having ditched club captain Lampard back in week 5 and shockwaves have rocked Juice again with news that both Shaun Wright Phillips and Richard Dunne have both been sold and replaced by in-form winger Aaron Lennon and Arsenal defender/midfielder Alex Song.

"I feel like both lads give us something different and will help us in the long run to rack up a higher points haul", said Glover. "I was concerned with having Dunne and Collins from Villa and we really thought it was time to ride the Arsenal fixture list while the going is good".

There's no arguing about the Lennon pickup, though some pundits are suggesting that Song is not guaranteed first team football at the Emirates and therefore looks like a risk for the Juice boss:

"I think with Denilson out Song is a good prospect and we are sure he can do a job for us in the coming weeks".

Glover's decision to stick by his Chelsea defender Ashley Cole (and back him for a clean sheet this week) caused some controversy amongst the media and Glover will be sure to suffer a backlash should Cole struggle on Sunday.

Around the League

Lampard not worried by Blues' form (Football365) - Lampard isn't worried by his team's form, but fantasy owners should be worried by Frank's. Only one goal this season is a worrying total for a 12.5m player, though 4 assists in 7 games is a nice return. The great asset for midfielders though is that they earn more points per goal than strikers so assists and bonuses are unlikely to get it done and justify his lofty price. I am far from ready to write Lampard off who is still the man-to-beat as the best in fantasy, but at least for now, I will continue to say he is overpriced based on his form and Chelsea's fixtures which are up and down for the next few weeks.

Walcott back in Gunners mix (Football365) - Walcott and Bendtner are back though Eduardo is out for Wenger's men. I would imagine Bendtner will remain on the bench while Walcott has a chance to start in the front 3 alongside Van Persie and Arshavin. This brings into doubt the fantasy future of Rosicky and I would avoid both players until the situation clears up.

Keane eyes top four finish (Football365) - Keane is in hot form and with Defoe out with a hand injury, the Irishman will play again this week at Bolton, likely alongside Peter Crouch. Keane is the natural replacement for Defoe owners who cannot raise sufficient funds to bring in Van Persie or Anelka, and want to cash in on Spurs' good looking fixture list.

Fergie faces midfield headache (Sky Sports) - Ferguson has hailed the performances of Anderson and Carrick in midweek suggesting the pair will retain their places this week. Oh wait, actually, he has also praised Scholes and Fletcher meaning that pair will play. Confused? The United midfield is a fantasy minefield and despite the form of Giggs I would only recommend Fletcher at this point based on his low price tag. At 7.1m and 6.9m Giggs and Carrick are just too expensive to have on your bench and look overpriced until a steadier lineup emerges.

Ade handed suspended ban (Sky Sports) - Good news for fantasy fans as one of the best value strikers returns this week after his 3 game ban. Monday's game at Villa is tough so I would give him that one to get back up to speed then bring him in the week after when 5 of the next 6 games look great. I still like Van Persie alot but Adebayor might jump Drogba in my striker value rankings based on the Ivorian tough fixtures in weeks 12-15. Coincidentally, Torres' fixtures improve from week 12 onwards so a good strategy (and one I will probably employ) would be to free up enough cash by week 12 and then bring in El Nino for Drogba.

Denilson injury rocks Arsenal as midfielder is ruled out for two months (Daily Mail) - While losing Denilson is not good news for Arsenal, it might be decent news for fantasy owners who are on board with Alex Song, a player I have liked for a while. Song was excellent against Olympiakos midweek and with Denilson out he should play every week from now on. Being classed as a defender gives him access to clean sheets (which Arsenal have a decent shot at in the next few weeks) while playing in midfield obviously gets him a bit further forward (though don't expect too many goals and assists). For 5.5, he is great value and I am well and truly on board in light of the Denilson injury.

Stay tuned throughout the day and up until deadline time tomorrow for any breaking news, or check out Twitter for the latest updates.

Gameweek 8 Preview

The dust has settled from the Champions League which brings to a close a mixed midweek for English sides. Liverpool were undone by a very impressive Fiorentina side while United's win was tainted by an injury to Michael Owen, though if any fantasy manager is sticking by the former England star at 7.9m, they need more help than I can provide in the next few paragraphs. Arsenal looked okay despite leaving it late to see off Olympiakos on Tueday, while Chelsea continued a poor weak with a mundane display against minnows Apoel. With all those distractions behind us its time to focus on the fantasy week ahead, and where better to start than at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea entertain Liverpool in the fixture of the week.

Gameweek 7 Fixtures
Bolton v Tottenham
Burnley v Birmingham
Hull City v Wigan
Wolves v Portsmouth
Man Utd v Sunderland
Arsenal v Blackburn
Everton v Stoke City
West Ham v Fulham
Chelsea v Liverpool
Aston Villa v Man City

The fixture of the week is undoubtedly the game at Stamford Bridge though the real fantasy points could be had at Old Trafford and Arsenal where the two football giants face sides that have struggled somewhat on the road this year. Liverpool looked very poor in Florence midweek and Martin Skrtel has not settled in at the back alongside an underachieving Jamie Carragher which has caused Liverpool to leak goals this year (10 in 7 games so far). I therefore really like Drogba and Anelka (who scored on Wednesday) this week, with Anelka usually good for a goal his former clubs (just ask Arsenal). With Torres in such hot form I am not thrilled about playing Cole or any of his defensive teammates this week, but unless you can transfer them out for United or Arsenal players they are still worth playing unless you have incredible depth. Mascherano should be fit for the game, which could thrust Gerrard into a more advanced position meaning Auerlio will miss out, unless he replaces Insua at left back. The other risk would be the inclusion of Babic or Riera ahead of Benayoun but I am going to stick with the Israeli and hope Benitez does too.

I am a huge fan of Steve Bruce and his Sunderland side but on the road this year they have only picked up 3 points in 3 games despite only face Bolton, Stoke and Burnley. Man United are a different proposition altogether and I love Rooney this week to get his 7th and maybe even his 8th or 9th League goals of the season. Carrick's midweek goal could allow him to keep his place in the team, though I would expect Darren Fletcher back with perhaps Anderson missing out. Fletcher (5.6m) is great value in the middle, while Giggs' (7.1) continuing form means we must give him some attention. I am not convinced the Welshman will start though having played 90 minutes on Wednesday so that is a risky pick for me.

Arsenal look like the other good source of fantasy points this week and I am still firmly behind Van Persie (10.1) after his goals last weekend and on Tuesday night. Fabregas is in excellent form in my eyes (and Wenger's) and I love him to score this week having been unlucky to miss out in midweek. With just one goal on the road this year, Blackburn are struggling for goals and the likes of Vermaelen and Clichy look to be a good play this week. Equally, Song (who is classed as a midfielder) was excellent against Olympiakos and I think he should hold his place in the lineup, providing good value for his owners.

Captain Rankings
1. Robin Van Persie
2. Wayne Rooney
3. Didier Drogba
4. Cesc Fabregas
5. Aaron Lennon

Arsenal have the best matchup and therefore have two players in the list this week. Van Persie and Fabregas are both in excellent form and I like them both to score or contribute heavily this week. Drogba is rested from midweek and showed against Wigan that he can score when the team is misfiring and I think he gives Liverpool huge matchup problems for the week ahead. As noted above I love Rooney this week and he in only number two because of Sunderland's superior defensive record on the road (1.33 GPG) compared to Blackburn (2.5 GPG). The wildcard pick of the week isn't much of a wildcard with his excellent performances so far this year but at 8.1m Lennon still provides tremendous value for money. Spurs have scored well on the road this year (2.33 GPG) while Bolton have conceded a few (1.66 GPG). J'Lloyd Samuel does not have the quality to contain the tricky winger and with Defoe, Keane and Crouch all firing this season the assists and possibly goals should continue to flow for Lennon.

Clean Sheet Rankings
1. Arsenal
2. Everton
3.Man United
4. Burnley
5. Chelsea

I love Arsenal this week on both sides of the ball and having conceded just one goal at the Emirates this year I expect a clean sheet against a Blackburn side that has scored just one goal on their travels. Despite his rapid price rise I think Vermaelen (6.8) is still decent value due to his ability to score goals in ways other than traditional centre backs. Clichy (6.3) has been in poor form this year and I like him to bounce back over the coming weeks and I think he is decent value at his current value. As noted above, Song (5.5) is playing in midfield but is classed as a centre back and he could be outstanding value if he keeps his place in Wenger's side.
Stoke have struggled on the road again this year while Everton are improving and I like Moyes' men to win this one fairly comfortably. Baines (6.3) due to his penalty duties and Distin (5.0) are the value picks here and both are great plays this week.
United's defense are looking better of late and should be able to contain Sunderland despite the impressive duo of Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent. Vidic hasn't looked as good as last year but I think they'll get back on track with a comfortable 2 or 3 nil victory here. On a side note, Foster has been confirmed as the starter for that one.
Burnley and Chelsea round out the last and both might be surprise picks. Burnley have only conceded 1 goal at home this year and Birmingham have scored just twice on the road. I expect a very tight game here and would not be surprised by a 0-0. Chelsea meanwhile welcome a Liverpool side featuring the best striker in England, if not the world in Fernando Torres. However, Liverpool are not in the best form and despite scoring 7 on the road I am not convinced by them just yet. Chelsea have been very tight at home (one goal in three games) and I expect a close encounter in this one, with Chelsea able to shade it.

I will follow this up with an injury post but I wanted to get the rankings out there early in case anyone needs help with transfers. Why not post or tweet your lineup/transfer questions and I'll give any advice I can.