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improbable but ultimately true 8/24/2006
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starting fantasyland lineup 8/16/2006
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starting fantasyland lineup 10:47am 8/16/2006  

A. Shevchenko T. Henry
A. Lennon T. Rosicky M. Ballack L. Garcia D. Duff
S. Hyypia J. Carragher G. Heinze
J. Reina

With 0.57 credits to spare under my budget, even. Shevchenko and Ballack are good buys because they're undervalued, being newcomers to the Premiership. My only concern is the extent to which they'll both get playing time. If i was in José's shoes, Shevchenko would be starting every game, with Drogba and Kalou competing for the second striker spot. Ballack is a tougher nut ... Mourinho is adamant he'll play Lampard and the German together, and Makelele is an automatic starter in the holding midfield spot. But you have to figure Joe Cole, Arjen Robben, Michael Essien, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Mikel Jon Obi are going to be fighting their way into the midfield, potentially limiting Ballack's time on the pitch.

Luis Garcia is a dependable goalscorer at Anfield, while Damien Duff is poised to get regular playing time and show his skills after his move to Newcastle. Aaron Lennon is a bit of a wild-card ... he emerged last season and earned himself a place in England's World Cup squad. But he's young. Can he continue his rapid ascension? Tomas Rosicky is another undervalued Premiership newcomer, but like all newcomers his experience may not instantly translate to English success.

Gabriel Heinze is also undervalued because he didn't play much at United last year because of injury. He had a decent World Cup and should be an automatic starter at Old Trafford again. My defense is otherwise straight outta Liverpool, featuring solid central defenders Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia in front of not-fabulous-but-benefitting-from-a-good-defense keeper Jose Reina.

A lot of my purchases were bargain hunts, in a successful effort to conserve funds to splash out on centerpiece striker Thierry Henry. Hopefully he doesn't go break his leg and leave me broke.

last edited 10:47am 8/16/2006 back to top
 
 
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