Fantasy Football, Returns!

[Atko]

Anyone fancy joing a Fantasy Footy League, again?.
fantasy.premierleague.com/

I have set up a league for Cage users to play in. 'Cage Forum League'. The code is 11179-3214

1) Log your details.
2) Create your team.
3) Go to leagues.
4) Enter the above pin and your in.

[newham]

I'm in, but what do you mean 'reigning champions'? I won it last year!!!

[Atko]

Thats another league that I won last season, didn't think about that when I set up the cage league, oops!

[Higgy]

Signed up, my teams not based around Henry honest lol

[Shorty]

My stunning team is making another appearance.

[v]

Signed up & raring to go!

[P.G.F.I.]

Signed Up. ;D

[jaycourtney]

i'm in its good having
Lehmann
Terry
Lampard
Gerrard
and Henry on the same team!

[newham]

How can you afford all them?

[Rio]

I was thinking the same
I'm signed up, prob be the only girl...i'll whip you boys lmao

[andyd]

Doesn't say much for the res of Jay's team though. Fantasy football is never a game you win by having 4 stars and a bunch of also rans, team building with a strategy tops big names every year.

I'm not scared Jay! ;D

[newham]

Is ScotGirl playing? It'd be nice to play a whole season against her

[Adam]

The Boys In Blue are in!

I'll give you four of my players..

Joe Cole
Steven Gerrard
Tim Cahill
Thierry Henry

[Rio]

Pah mine still better than yours lol!

[DaveE]

I'm gonna wait til all the Italians have signed for the English clubs, then I will put my team in

[belak]

newpanther said:

I'm gonna wait til all the Italians have signed for the English clubs, then I will put my team in

I doubt it, Cannavaro is being touted as being Chelsea bound, but I wouldn't expect any of the high profile players to come to the Premiership.

Despite what Sky say, it is NOT the best league in the world

[newham]

And what are your reasons for thinking that? Only the Spanish league can really compete and i'd say that even that isn't as good overall as the Premiership.

[belak]

newham said:

And what are your reasons for thinking that? Only the Spanish league can really compete and i'd say that even that isn't as good overall as the Premiership.

Italian football is widely regarded as being technically better than the English football.

It isn't a hard concept to fathom, just watch an Italian game, followed by Premiership football. The difference is there too see.

Premiership games are often more entertaining, as Italian football is more tactical.

[newham]

belak said:

Italian football is widely regarded as being technically better than the English football.

In Italy...

belak said:

It isn't a hard concept to fathom, just watch an Italian game, followed by Premiership football. The difference is there too see.

I think many get 'technique' mixed up with 'well-organised'. Italian sides like a good back line as we all know. Going forward, they aint too clever. Technically they're a league behind the English, Spanish or even German games. It's not just my opinion too, they were on about it during the WC.

belak said:

Premiership games are often more entertaining, as Italian football is more tactical.

Again, it's simply a case of Italian games being more cautious. There is comfortably more tactics involved in an English or Spanish game whilst also being more entertaining.

Don't get pulled into the Italian media spin trap. Their game isn't as good as they make it out to be.

[Alf Garnett]

They won the world cup Dan!!

And their entire squad was Serie A players. Regardless of the other business they must have some ability.

The premier league is only regarded as the best in the world by the English media. Same difference.

[newham]

Fair point, the vast majority were from Serie A and they won the World Cup. Well done. However, you cannot claim that a league that is as corrupt as Serie A is the best in the world. Not only is the league completely tainted by cheats, it's boring and has no money.

Oh, and believe me Andy, no it aint. The general feeling amongst the world media is that it's between the Spanish and English league, quite rightly too. The quality, technique, atmosphere and entertainment is the best in the world in those two leagues and therefore

[belak]

newham said:

However, you cannot claim that a league that is as corrupt as Serie A is the best in the world. Not only is the league completely tainted by cheats, it's boring and has no money.

I never stated Italian football was the "best in the world," so don't make accusations that are false. I have however, and do believe, that Italian football is better than English footie. Italian teams have consistently won trophies in Europe, as well as getting to actual finals. English teams have not had continual success in European competition since the early 1980's.

As for your remark about "cheats," that doesn't take away anything from the players themselves as no player has been implicated in the recent wrong doing, it's men in suits that are at fault.

Italian football is "boring," maybe too you, but again it doesn't detract from the quaility of the players and as for your comment about it "has no money."

What relevance does that have? Forest were heavily active in the transfer market last season, but didn't gain promotion despite spending more money on agents than anyone else in League One.

Barnsley got promoted though, spent less than Forest and were ultimately more competitive. Bracknell Bees aren't as financially stable as Panthers, yet they still won a ISL title, something that Panthers have never done.

[Alf Garnett]

newham said:

Fair point, the vast majority were from Serie A and they won the World Cup. Well done. However, you cannot claim that a league that is as corrupt as Serie A is the best in the world. Not only is the league completely tainted by cheats, it's boring and has no money.

Oh, and believe me Andy, no it aint. The general feeling amongst the world media is that it's between the Spanish and English league, quite rightly too. The quality, technique, atmosphere and entertainment is the best in the world in those two leagues and therefore

A couple of points if I may:-

Serie A may have been tainted withthe corruption but the Italian FA can't have corrupted the world cup.

Parts of the second paragraph I agree with. Entertainment and atmosphere the Premier league is better than most, but Technical abilityand quality? To some degree we are good but not the best in europe IMO.

[newham]

belak said:

I never stated Italian football was the "best in the world," so don't make accusations that are false.

Apologies, i mis-read your original statement

belak said:

I have however, and do believe, that Italian football is better than English footie. Italian teams have consistently won trophies in Europe, as well as getting to actual finals. English teams have not had continual success in European competition since the early 1980's.

2005 - Champs League Winners - Liverpool
1999 - Champs League Winners - Man Utd
2001 - UEFA Cup Winners - Liverpool
2000 - UEFA Cup Runners-Up - Arsenal
1998 - Cup Winners Cup Winners - Chelsea

3 Winners, 2 Runner-Ups

1999 - Cup Winners Cup Winners - Lazio
1999 - UEFA Cup Winners - Parma
1998 - UEFA Cup Winners - Inter
1997 - UEFA Cup Runners-Up - Inter
2005 - Champs League RU - Milan (given recent developments, their qualification ought to be cast in reasonable doubt)
2003 - Champs League Winners + RU - Milan and Juve (same)
1997+98 - Champs League RU - Juve
1996 - Champs League Winners - Juve

5 winners and 4 runner-ups with a couple in doubt...

To be honest, that's more one-sided than i thought it was, although it's much less impressive when you take into account semi-finals too (but it's far too late to be doing that). Take Juventus out of that equation and it's a lot less impressive, fair play to the Italians though, fairly consistent. Doesn't make it a better league however, the Portugese have 5 finalists in the last ten years too.

belak said:

As for your remark about "cheats," that doesn't take away anything from the players themselves as no player has been implicated in the recent wrong doing, it's men in suits that are at fault.

How do you fix a game without getting players involved? No players have been implicated yet if i'm correct but is purely a matter of time. Sure, 99% of the players play honestly but the league is still corrupt and that takes away all legitimacy and respect they may have had, especially considering the guilty parties are 80% of the top clubs in the country.

belak said:

Italian football is "boring," maybe too you, but again it doesn't detract from the quaility of the players and as for your comment about it "has no money. What relevance does that have? Forest were heavily active in the transfer market last season, but didn't gain promotion despite spending more money on agents than anyone else in League One"

If you want to go see a well organised defence, maybe that league is for you. If you want to experience great atmospheres, stunning goals regularily and attacking football with fewer draws and honest play, go see an English game.

As for the money, it is a league that has bankrupted itself and is going to end up paying for it. The public had lost interest in it to a certain degree (doesn't that say a lot?) and teams were looking at a short future and are still failing to attract and develop many of the stars of the future to foreign shores, the long term effect of which has not been felt yet.

belak said:

Barnsley got promoted though, spent less than Forest and were ultimately more competitive. Bracknell Bees aren't as financially stable as Panthers, yet they still won a ISL title, something that Panthers have never done.

Barnsleys wage bill was the third highest in the league, but i see your point. Bracknell were an anomaly with an excellent coach. For every Bracknell there are three Belfast's and four Sheffield's.

Look, i see your point and it aint a bad league by any means. However to suggest it is technically or even overall of better quality than either La Liga or Premiership is ludicrous in my eyes and the eyes of the majority too. It's not just the current state, but it is the future that looks brighter for LL and the Prem too for reasons outlined above.

Serie A has had Fiorentina relegated for 'financial irregularities' when they were at their peak. It's had Juve, Fiorentina and Lazio relegated and had points docked for fraud and Milan have been docked points plus their European rights for the same. Not only does this weaken the league, it shines a new doubt over their achievements in the last decade.

English and Spanish football > Italian football

[newham]

andyblath said:

A couple of points if I may:-

Serie A may have been tainted withthe corruption but the Italian FA can't have corrupted the world cup.

Not at all, i'll give them that. As i say, Serie A does have some quality!

andyblath said:

Parts of the second paragraph I agree with. Entertainment and atmosphere the Premier league is better than most, but Technical abilityand quality? To some degree we are good but not the best in europe IMO.

If you class technical ability as decieving the referee and defending resolutely then maybe. As i've said, Italian football may be more organised but it's technically superior. La Liga has the most quality in my eyes.