My EPL Fantasy Team

The English Premier League began this weekend and so did the fantasy football season. I went through dozens of draft team sheets to come to my final selection. This year I changed my team selecting philosophy to shift the spotlight onto known goal-scorers instead of fielding a well-balanced team. Defense is the most inconsistent fantasy points scoring position. Clearly defenders can have great games and score important goals from set pieces, but in the average match there are too many factors that can knock a defenders point down. I avoided spending large sums of money on strong defensive player from the Big 4 by scouring the mid-table teams for goal scoring defenders. It is also in my game plan to field the minimum number of defenders as allowed. Therefore I have more space for the midfielders and forwards. Stacking a midfield full of players known for producing goals and assists is the key to any teams and fantasy managers success. Without a second thought, I had to purchase Frank Lampard, because this man has topped the fantasy league tables for several years now. I splashed £12m each on Lampard, Drogba, and Rooney, but that represents last years first, second, and third place finishers. Let's hope each player stays on track and prove their worth.

Here is my Hassall United squad to begin the 2010/2011 season:

Goalkeepers: £5.5m Gomes (Tottenham Hotspurs), £3.5m Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: £5.5m Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), £4m Jody Craddock (Wolverhampton Wanderers), £4.5m Roger Johnson (Birmingham), £5m Fabio Aurelio (Liverpool), £3.5m John Mensah (Sunderland)

Midfielders: £12m Frank Lampard (Chelsea), £7.5m Ashley Young (Aston Villa), £5.5m Jack Rodwell (Everton), £8.5m Florent Malouda (Chelsea), £5m Zoltan Gera (Fulham)

Forwards: £12m Dider Drogba (Chelsea), £12m Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), £6m Mauro Boselli (Wigan Athletic)

I have also created a watch list for players I nearly selected. In a perfect world the players I selected at the start of the season will play top-notch football and will be healthy the entire term. Obviously things happens, so I must be prepared to make transfers.

Goalkeepers: Edwin van der Sar, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, Shay Given

Defenders: Alex Baptiste, Michael Dawson, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Brede Hangeland, Gary Cahill, Aaron Hughes, Phil Jones, Liam Ridgewell

Midfielders: James Milner, Sebastian Larsson, Matthew Etherington, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Lee Chung-Yong, Samir Nasri, Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere, Lee Cattermole, Daren Fletcher

Forwards: David Ngog, Darren Bent, Marouane Chamakh, Kevin Davies, Jermaine Beckford, Javier Hernandez, Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez, Jermain Defoe

The Outside Midfielder

I mentioned earlier that over the past few months I have been volunteering at Ultimate Goal Ministries with the U-15 club soccer squad. One member in particular on the Synergy 96 team has continually sought my advice on how to excel at the position of outside midfielder. So I write this blog entry for the benefit of Esa, in hopes that I can explain the value and importance of the wing player.

First of all, the outside midfielder should be one of the fittest members of the team. Throughout a match, this positional player may very well cover more distance than anyone else on the field. His area of responsibility is from box-to-box. In defense, he must mark the widest opponent on his flank. If he is presented with a situation where there is no man to mark, the wing player shall shift into the middle of the field to squeeze the space around the ball. In this way, he is preserving the defensive compactness at his team's core. On offense, the outside midfielder must find space on the wing to utilize the width of the field, especially in the initial stages of an attack. By providing width, he will force the opponent's defense to open up to account for his attacking presence. While charging into enemy territory, the outside midfielder should make supporting runs and show for the ball. Should the ball come to the wide player, he must be ready to either find space for a pass, turn and dribble further downfield, deliver a cross, or take a shot if within range of the goal.

In the modern game, many offensively minded teams have reduced the responsibilities of the outside midfielder to that of an attacking machine. In this setup, the player is best known as a winger, and his realm of play spans from just inside his own half to the opponent's goal. The quintessential winger is a pacey sprinter, full of tricks, and enjoys hugging the touchline to find space to deliver crosses. When given liberty, many wingers prefer to cut infield with the ball and pose a threat to the heart of the defense. Creative wingers can present inch-perfect throughballs to fellow attackers or unleash tricky shots from tight angles when play allows them space infield. Traditionally, right-footed players are enlisted on the right side and left-footed players are found on the left side to accommodate the player's stronger foot. However, coaches in increased numbers are requiring wingers to be proficient with both feet in to play on either flank. Whenever called upon, wingers may be signaled to switch flanks as a quick change of tactics in a match. The advantage being that a winger playing on his weak side can now comfortably cut into the middle on his dominate foot to take on a defender's weaker foot.

Best Outside Midfielders & Wingers to Watch

Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain)
Iniesta is the strong silent type on the flank. He is greatly admired for his silky control and eye for the perfect pass. He humbly gives all his effort to fight in defense to win the ball back for his team. He excels at being an auxiliary forward on the counterattack.

Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen, Germany)
When asked to play on the left flank instead of the center, Ozil is not one to shy away from producing spectacular plays. He is an exciting young talent to watch and may soon earn a big money move to a world class club.

Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspurs, England)
Lennon shows immense composure on the with the ball on the right flank and has vastly improved his decision making and crossing.

Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich, The Netherlands)
Robben is fast, tricky, and lethal when he cuts inside for a shot. He is a big-time player who scores crucial goals for club and country.


David Silva (Manchester City, Spain)
Silva is a versatile player who can play either on the left or right of the pitch. He has great vision on the field and is a valuable support player to any center forward.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
Ronaldo is the prime example of a modern day winger. He possess all the attributes of a superstar that strike fear into the hearts of defenders. Though he may appear selfish at times, he does produce a flurry of goalscoring opportunities for his team and himself.

The Fun Waiting Game

There are quite a few things that I wait for with excitement. Eagerly I look forward to the end of summer because many of my favorite things start anew.

European Club Football -
I have had a summer of enjoyment watching the World Cup, but after a short break from soccer I am ready for the business end of the sport to commence. Mid to late August is the beginning of the 2010/2011 season for all the top leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany). I devote every weekend for nine months following my favorite teams and players. My wife, Jodie, calls it an obsession, and I cannot truly disagree with her.

Fantasy Football -
Football has a duel meaning on this section. Last year was actually my first time to play any sort of fantasy sport. I joined two leagues, one for the English Premier League and one for the Champions League. Sadly, after I made Jodie field a team, she in turn completely out scored me by the end of the term. Needless to say I am ready to redeem myself this season. What will be new for me this year, is that I am going to attempt to play some fantasy football American style. My college roommate has been asking for years if I was interested in joining his competition, and I do believe that 2010 is the year for me to throw my hat into the ring.

Soccer Season for Ultimate Goal -
So in all of my downtime while being unemployed, I have come across one useful way to volunteer my time and services. This summer I began to work with an organization in Southeast Nashville that ministers to underprivileged teen boys through soccer. I have found my niche working with Ultimate Goal's U-15 club soccer program. The summer pickup games served as a tryout for the select team, and soon the boys will start exercising in structured practices in preparation for the season to begin. I do not know how much I can be involved in the fall, but I am pumped about seeing them compete.

Megan moves to Spain -
My sister, Megan, will be studying aboard in Madrid, Spain for a one year MBA program starting in September. She is a super smart girl and deserves every chance in the world to succeed. I feel that this move will help rekindle the passion she had for international travel and business. Plus, I look forward to her getting away from the things that have held her back for too long.

Halo: Reach and Assassin's Creed 3 -
I admit that I am a big kid most of the time. Jodie rightfully pointed out that my Birthday wish list read like that of a twelve year old boy. I relish in easy entertainment. That is why I can't hardly wait for two of my most loved video game franchises to release new titles this fall. Both Halo: Reach and Assassin's Creed 3 will be available just in time for Christmas. I see several hours of pure bottom mashing fun in my future.

TV Shows -
Okay, so this is a weird one for me. I have not been one to watch much TV, in terms of sitcoms and dramas, but this summer season has got Jodie and I hooked on three shows. We were first intrigued by The Glades because all of teasers leading up to the premiere slightly resembled Showtime's Dexter. In reality it is not much like Dexter, but it still entertains with its own quirky, bullheaded, cop humor. Found in the same genre, Rizzoli & Isles, is a law enforcement drama that marries the seriousness of Law and Order with the science geek cred found in Bones including the social awkwardness. One aspect that makes this series interesting is that the story comes from a female perspective, which is done in such a way that male viewership is not alienated. The final choice we recommend is Covert Affairs. Who doesn't love an international spy drama that is low on the seriousness and high on the sexiness with Piper Perabo (that girl from Coyote Ugly). There you have it, I now have a new TV episode to wait for every Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights.

Waiting Game

I very much feel like my life is in a waiting period. It is not so much a dreadful feeling like that of waiting in a doctor's waiting room for test results or the frustrating feeling of waiting in traffic when you are already late for a meeting. My life is in the waiting moment preceding a soccer match. There is an intense stillness and and sense of anticipation when the players are lined up in the tunnel before they step on to the pitch. In the wait, players focus on the task before them and strive to settle the last fleeting thoughts of doubt or pressure that stand in the way of victory. Soon it will all be lights, camera, and action.

It has been nearly five months since I was laid off from the bank. I submitted my application to the Nashville Police Department shortly after I was released from the world of the working. That was when I officially become a player in the waiting game. The wait is long. The hiring process is "meticulous and time consuming, lasting, on average, four to eight months" so says the department's website. My spirit has not been hindered by the time I have had to wait thus far. If anything, I can take solace in the fact that I have moved past the halfway point in my waiting period. What lays ahead of me are the pre-employment tests and a series of interviews. The wait has allowed me to focus on improving my physical conditioning and to mull over why I should be a good candidate for the police academy. Many times in life our goals require us to give something of ourselves to achieve greatness, and at this point I have the time to sacrifice.

Time will tell if my aspiration for a career transition into law enforcement is meant to be. My only investment in this endeavor has been time. If in a few weeks I have failed to earn a spot in the academy, then I am no worse off than when I first stepped out onto the pitch of the waiting game.