Fantasy football managers, much like their Premiership counterparts, dread an international break. Not only is there a tiresome lull in the FF action, but there’s the very real risk that your precious investments will get crocked in a game that doesn’t even count!

Some players will pull out of an international squad with an ‘injury’ that is about as convincing as Stephen Ireland’s new hair. No, not you Giggsy, of course not. Any true patriot could suffer a minor injury that happens to coincide with a Wales friendly on 32 (thirty-two) separate occasions. But others can sustain genuinely career-threatening injuries, as the likes of Michael Owen and Dean Ashton know all too well.

The dreaded possibility of losing a player to an injury suffered on international duty became a grim reality for thousands of Fantasy Football managers this week….
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Tags (click to view more!): Premiership, Wales, Michael Owen, Fantasy Football

Being a foreigner my football experience is slightly poor to say the least, however each day is proving to be a learning experience for me. There is nothing like the team rivalry experienced in the English Premier league it is best expressed in vocal outbursts from the fans in the stands.

Here are some of the best I could find for each team in the Premiership. I was trying to ignore all of those that had foul language, so these are actually pretty much the only ones I was able to post. If you know of any better ones – which I am sure you do, please reply to this post and note them down – just mind the language in case any kids are bunking school to read football blogs.

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Elano is officially the best bargain in YTM 07/08, snatching an overwhelming 46 votes (30%) of our previous poll. The Brazilian maestro, valued at a miniscule £4m, has bagged an unprecedented 49 points so far - making him a worthy winner in our book.

Our new poll, ”Who will score the most YTM Points?” is expected to create a wave of controversy throughout the fantasy football world… Have we left out your favoured choice? Or have we hit the nail on the head with Fabregas, Ronaldo and co? 

I can hear the arguments erupting in offices and homes across the land: “They haven’t put Lee Dong Gook in this thing!”, “What? No Stanislav Varga?”, and “Shefki Kuqi anyone?”

Kuqi is present in just 2 of the 83,584 YTM teams - and yes, 2 villages are still missing their idiots…

In all seriousness, if you think our latest poll is missing a gem, leave a comment and we’ll either add him or do our best to explain his absence. Now get voting!

Matt @ YTM 

We’re a cosmopolitan bunch at YTM HQ and whilst our weekend focus was on events at Wembley, Paris and Hampden Park, we had a sneaky eye on how final qualification unfolded in the African Cup of Nations.

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Tags (click to view more!): African Cup of Nations

After a weekend of scintillating sport that included watching a team of experienced, over achieving, under paid (they’ll get a bonus of £60,000 each if they win the World Cup - John Terry gets twice that in a week for Chelsea) Englishmen coping with the intense pressure cooker of a tournament knock-out situation I’m wondering what Steve McClaren and Co. can learn from their sporting cousins.

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Tags (click to view more!): John Terry, Steve McClaren

After much deliberation, we have finally decided on a winner for our footballing song-titles competition. Though we had a number of strong contenders, our winner is Brian Edmondson with his fantastic suggestion “Lescott Ready To Rumble” by PJ and Duncan. Get in touch Brian, and we’ll sort you out with your prize.

Keep checking in on the YTM blog for more great competitions in the near future.

Cheers,

Andy @ YTM 

Fantasy Football is all about decisions. Some of them you get fantastically right, but most of the time you are left wondering what might have been.

Have you spent £6m on a spectacular dud? Or have you snapped up a surefire bargain at just £2m?

It’s time to reveal some of the best and worst decisions made by YTM managers so far this season, and it makes for interesting reading…   (more…)

Tags (click to view more!): Fantasy Football

Not much changes at the top-level of English football, with the notable exception of Steve McClaren’s ever-whitening teeth.

Another major tournament is looming, and doubt remains over England’s participation next summer. This week sees two make-or-break fixtures, with a relatively straightforward tie at home against Estonia followed by a potentially tricky trip to the artificial pitch of Russia.

I believe it’s time for Macca to concentrate less on maintaining his two remarkably independent haircuts (the thatch at the back and the jaunty chestnut tuft a few inches further forward), and more on re-jigging the defence in preparation for Euro 2008.

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Here we sit, in a week of international football, in which the league teams will have a chance to put their feet up, sit on the couch and watch the best of the best battle it out on the playing field. It’s a good time for a breather - but because you can’t get enough, let us have a look at what has been happening so far this season. In numbers…
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The draw for the ‘Group Stage’ of this season’s UEFA Cup has just taken place, and there have been a few interesting match-ups.
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Tags (click to view more!): UEFA Cup