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Fantasy Premier League, Game week 4 tips: It might be time to pick and drop few

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August is over, but so is the curse! Harry Kane exorcised his August demons with a thumping header against Manchester United last week. His first strike at Old Trafford came on the back of a goal against Fulham, a week earlier, that ended the England captain’s drought in the month that annually ushers in a new Premier League season.

September is usually the time when Kane puts on the proverbial scoring boots that stay in operation for the rest of the season. For Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, the first gameweek in September is usually all about the rigours of facilitating the entry of the pricey Tottenham forward in their teams.

This season, after a fruitful August, the managers who had decided to do without Kane for the initial part of the season — partly due to the August curse and partly due to his exertions at the World Cup — might have to change plans. But with a price tag of £12.5 million around Kane’s neck, it is easier said than done.

Accommodating Kane

Harry Kane has been in fine form in August making him a desirable players for FPL managers. Reuters

It’s a bit of a task. Conceding a points hit for extra tarnsfers is almost a given, but considering Kane’s pedigree and the his FPL track record, it might be a one-time investment. But how to do it? How to carry out the entire process without making your team suffer? Here are a few ways to get the Spurs goal machine in your side.

a) Drop Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero or Raheem Sterling — Swapping him for another big gun will save you transfer points. You can bring in Kane with a maximum of 4 points hit using this way. But it has its disadvantages. Dropping one of the above mentioned players who too are a regular sources of points might nullify the effect of bringing in Kane. So unless you believe Kane can outperform the other big guns, don’t settle for this path.

b) Drop two mid-range players, find cheaper substitutes — There are a lot of players in the range of £8-10 million that you can get rid of to accommodate Kane. Bobby Firmino, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Leroy Sane, Mesut Ozil, Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy are some of the players who don’t come for cheap and haven’t been able to justify their price tag this season. Binning such players to raise funds for the entry of Kane might be the right thing to do. For example — Kane’s Spurs teammates Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen could be swapped for the in-form Lucas Moura. The Brazilian has outperformed both Alli and Eriksen so far this season. Playing in a more advanced role, the former PSG man is likely to be among the points a lot more often. Costing approximately £2 million lesser, Moura provides more value.

Here is the list of similar bargain buys that you could look for as alternatives to some of the more expensive players, in order to bring in Kane or even otherwise.

Fixtures

 

Gameweek 4 fixtures

For the first time this season, none of the top six teams will come up against each other. That’s resulted in Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal having pretty straight forward games this week. Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham have tricky looking away games, but all the top six teams are expected to win this week. So if you have packed your team with players from the top six teams, you might be in for a good time.

The Blues have back-to-back home games against Bournemouth and Cardiff before a clash against West Ham. So it might be a good time to spend your money on a certain Eden Hazard. The Belgian made his first start of the campaign last week at Newcastle and delivered a Man of the Match performance. Every Chelsea attack went through the Belgian and he was rightly rewarded with a goal from the spot. Even in his two cameo appearances in the first two games, Hazard provided two assists. So if you have the money, bring in Hazard and make the most of Chelsea’s easy run of games.

The City midfield has become a bit of a minefield for FPL managers. With uncertainty over starters unlikely to settle soon, FPL managers might do well to avoid City midfielders. The two Silvas — Bernardo and David — appear sure starters but they haven’t been consistent enough to be picked.

Watford’s Pereyra is the third most selected midfielder this week. The return of 26 points from three GW for his price is a stunning one, but you would like to have a look at Watford’s upcoming fixtures before deciding to pick him. Watford face Spurs and United at home next, before twin trips to London to face Fulham and Arsenal. Thus, picking Watford players despite their fine run of form might not be the smartest thing to do considering their fixtures. If you are looking for cheap and effective players, Crystal Palace and Everton are certain to have better offerings in the coming weeks.

Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic is the most transferred in forward, but Zaha, with the kind fixture list that his side has at the moment, is certainly a better option. In defence, the situation is the same as every week. Attacking full-backs are the order of the day with Marcos Alonso, Kieran Tripper and Benjamin Mendy all high on demand. With these defenders rivaling the forwards for their points tallies, it is smart to go with the general trend,

Liverpool’s Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold are very economical alternatives coming at £5 million, especially considering Liverpool’s improved defensive resolve this season. Wan Bisakka’s return from suspension makes him very desirable option at a price of £4 million.

Captain conundrum

The usual suspects refuse to go away. Salah, Aguero and Kane will lead the captain’s choice again this week, but I’m slightly leaning towards the Manchester City man. The Argentine was unlucky not to score after seeing two of his efforts rebound of the woodwork last week against Wolves. Againt Newcastle expect Aguero and Co to be fired up to make up for last week’s dropped points.

If Newcastle play like they did against Chelsea at the Etihad, City who are a lot more potent in front of goal could rack up a cricket score. So Aguero is my choice for this gameweek.

Salah is never a bad option, but picking Kane is a tad risky this week considering Spurs are playing an in-form Watford side. But if you are in the mood to pull a rabbit out of the hat, a gamble on Zaha as your captain might be worth the risk.

Tags: #Aleksandar Mitrovic #Fantasy Premier League #Fantasy Premier League 2018/19 #Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 4 tips #Fantasy Premier League GW 4 tips #FPL #FPL 2018/19 #FPL GW 4 tips #FPL top picks #Harry Kane #Mohamed Salah #Sergio Agüero #Wilfred Zaha

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France 3rd time through to final after beating Belgium in semi

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It has been a tournament of extreme surprise and astonishment, So many upsets so many shocks. underdogs were doing amazing job till France and Belgium semi final that gave a marginal success to France over Belgium.

Losing manager Roberto Martinez discusses the fine margins that separated the two sides post-match:

“I think unfortunately for us the difference is a dead ball situation. The game was very close, very tight and it was going to be decided by the one that could get the final touch in front of the goal.

“We need to be understanding that one team wins and the other one loses but if you are going to lose it should be how we did it the players gave everything.

“Now we need to almost get rid of this disappointment, we have one game left and we need to finish on a high, the players don’t deserve to go out without that high. We wanted to get into the final and the players showed an incredible togetherness

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FIFA’ 2018 Finalist prediction.

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FIFA World Cup Russia 2018

England vs Belgium will likely become a battle of who can get the most cards. Here’s why:

England are on 6 points, +6 goal difference, 8 goals for, 2 goals against.

Belgium are on 6 points, +6 goal difference, 8 goals for, 2 goals against.

There’s nothing separating them. If they draw the next game the team with less yellow cards goes through in first, England currently have 2 yellow cards, Belgium have 3. If they finish on the same number of cards then FIFA will have to fip a coin.

Here’s why this is even more likely than it seems. The winner of this group will most likely go to the toughest part of the draw given Brazil end first in their group and Germany finish second. Both teams will already know if that’s the case once the game happens. If that’s the case both teams will have no incentive to win.

It could be better to finish 2nd in their group…

2nd:

  • Last 16: Senegal

  • QF: Mexico/Switzerland

1st:

  • Last 16: Colombia

  • QF: Germany/Brazil

Both teams will want to finish second which means they won’t want to score and the game will most likely finish 0-0. Then the team with more yellow cards will finish second which means both teams will be trying to get as many cards as possible.

This has everything to be one of the weirdest games in World Cup history.

#FifaWorldCup #Brazil #Germany #Belgium #Mexico #Switzerland #Russia #China #Portugal #Messi #Argentina #colombia

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Tri-Nation will host FIFA World Cup in 2026: Fifa Officials

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The US, Canada and Mexico will host football’s World Cup 2026 after it saw off a challenge from Morocco at the FIFA Congress. A joint bid by the three North American countries under the name ’United’ saw off the challenge of a rival proposal from Morocco, winning over two-thirds of the vote. The United bid persuaded 134 of the 203 delegates eligible to vote at the 68th annual Fifa congress, which was held on the eve of the 2018 tournament in Russia.

2026 wc.jpg

Morocco hoped to become the second African nation to host the tournament but earned just 65 votes on Wednesday and suffered defeat in a World Cup bidding process for the fifth time. One delegate, representing Iran, voted ‘none of the above’.

 

The 2026 tournament will also be the second World Cup hosted in more than one country, following Japan and South Korea’s joint effort in 2002. Canada and Mexico will stage just 10 games each, however. The United States will host 60 matches in total, including all games from the quarter-finals onward.

The US, Canada and Mexico will host football’s World Cup 2026 after it saw off a challenge from Morocco at the FIFA Congress.

The joint bid won 134 votes (67 percent) out of the 203 entitled to vote with Morocco bagging 65 (33 percent) when voting took place in Moscow on Wednesday, a day before the Russia World Cup 2018

Global Thread, Sports

Predictions of FIFA World Cup 2018: who are the finalist?

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By Dai Yuliang [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

World Cup begins today and soccer enthusiasts around the world are already making their FIFA World Cup 2018 predictions. Read on to learn about the top contenders and who is favored to win.

Brazil

With five World Cup wins under their belts, Brazil is always a factor, but after a historic embarrassment in 2014 on home soil, insecurity plagues the team. However, with a squad absolutely loaded with world class talent, Brazil may be putting forward its best team since the 2002 World Cup champions. It should come as no surprise that Brazil is highly favored to win in most FIFA World Cup 2018 predictions.

The 2014 team faced a crushing defeat after losing key players Neymar and Thiago Silva to injury and suspension, respectively. However, this side has much more depth than the infamous 2014 team. Neymar is currently recovering from an injury, raising some fears and PTSD flashbacks for Brazilians, but has been playing well, scoring two beautiful goals in 120 minutes of pre-World Cup friendlies.

Under the direction of Tite’s intellectual coaching style, Brazil has turned around from their former humiliation; they have only lost one game since Tite took over in 2016. After giving up seven goals to Germany in the 2014 semis, Tite has reorganized Brazil’s defense, relying heavily on Destroyer Casemiro.

After Thiago Silva’s accumulated yellow cards led to his suspension in 2014, there may be some concerns that temperament could get in the way, especially considering the longing for revenge against Germany. However, Tite has the Samba Boys playing a clean and refined game. Poor coaching has also been a concern for Brazil in the past, but Tite’s pragmatic and patient coaching has put these fears to rest.

Brazil is a country that notoriously lives and dies by their soccer team. Even homeless men can be seen sporting Brazil soccer regalia on game days. Brazil views itself as the mavens of soccer and their dedication to the game is an important part of national identity. The 2014 loss on home soil was a crushing blow to the entire nation. Although the national team won 2016 Olympic Gold in men’s soccer, they need a World Cup victory this year to leave the scars of 2014 behind. And with economic and political turmoil spiraling out of control in Brazil, they badly need the win.

Germany

Defending champions Germany are the second favorite, but after losing key players to retirement they may be between golden generations. Nonetheless, their team is still loaded with talent. Unlike more erratic Brazil, Germany is always well coached, organized, and disciplined, true to their Teutonic roots. Unsurprisingly, Germany has reached the semis every time in the past four World Cups.

However, after losing Philipp Lahm and other more experienced players to retirement, they’re going to need younger players to step up in leadership positions. But many consider Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger irreplaceable players and team leaders.

Coach Jogi Low is a World Cup veteran, having led the 2014 team to victory. As such, no one expects the German team to be rattled or unprepared for victory. Under Low, this team will be disciplined, well prepared, and calculating.

While Brazil is the leading champion for most World Cup victories, Germany is catching up with four wins under their belt. A German win would mean a tie with Brazil, a further blow to Brazilian identity.

Although the German national team is not as stellar as they have been in the past, they are definitely going to be a factor. Most FIFA World Cup 2018 predictions have German sitting in the first or second position. Brazil is going to need to be prepared to combat Germany’s European playing style in order to cinch the much needed victory.

Image Source: FIFA.com (screenshot)

Spain

Spain who were considered by many to be perennial underachievers finally proved themselves, taking home the trophy in 2010. After coming up short again in 2014, Spain was looked to be one of the favorites in many FIFA World Cup 2018 Predictions. After firing their coach, Julen Lopetegui, on the eve of the World Cup, soccer experts are now questioning Spain’s chances. The firing of Coach Lopetegui has raised some questions. Spain claims they did so because he negotiated a new contract to coach Real Madrid without consulting the federation.

France

France probably has the most talented roster this side of Brazil. They’re loaded from front to back with stars such as Griezmann, Mbappe, and Pogba. Didier Deschamps’ side certainly has to be considered one of the favorites. However, the 1998 Cup winners, also have a reputation for underachievement. Coming into this World Cup, they look as well prepared and organized as ever.

Belgium

Belgium hasn’t been getting a lot of hype, but like France, they present an extremely talented roster, suggesting there might be an upset in the making. Although talented, having never one the Cup, this European team is often overlooked. Stars Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku have led to this team being termed the “Golden Generation.” Led by Spanish coach Roberto Martinez, the Battleground of Europe has to be considered as a team that could eliminate one of the favorites.

Belgium faces England, Tunisia, and Panama in their group, so they should have no trouble advancing to the knockout round. However, they would need to get past Brazil and Germany to reach the finals.

Argentina

Argentina hasn’t won the World Cup in decades and Brazilians will tell you they cheated in ‘78 and ‘86. Led by international superstar Lionel Messi, Brazil’s arch nemesis shouldn’t be completely forgotten. Argentina’s roster is definitely not as talented as Brazil, relying far to heavily on Messi and showing defensive weak spots.

Argentina was meant to play Israel last Saturday, when threats were lodged against Messi, forcing a cancellation of the friendly match and reminding Argentinians how much of their hopes are pegged on one player. The team was eventually flown out of Israel on the Rolling Stone’s private jet.

FIFA World Cup 2018 Predictions: Finals

Brazil will face Germany again in the semis, stirring up old resentments and insecurities. Brazil is easily the better team, assuming follow Tite’s exceptional leadership and maintain their composure, they should have no problem advancing to the finals and eventually taking home the Cup. Because of the chaos surrounding Spain, Spain shouldn’t be expected to advance to the finals. A dream final for South Americans would be to see Argentina and Brazil facing off in the championship game. As far as who would win, it’s a no brainer.