(All awards are made on basis of contributions in all WSFFL competitions. Where there is a tie, contributions in league matches take precedence. Then I'll try to separate them by goals scored. Then by lower transfer fee. If you see two or more names in a position I still couldn't split them.)
GK: Ederson (Muppets)
DEF: Virgil van Dijk (Athletico), Aymeric Laporte (CFJs), Andrew Robertson (Cheese) David Luiz (Wheels)
MID: Raheem Sterling (Muppets), Eden Hazard (FW LG XI), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Markian), Luka Milivojevic (Muppets)
ATT: Sergio Aguero (Claymore), Mo Salah (FW LG XI)
Subs: Alisson (Mega Bucks); Kyle Walker (Artisans); Paul Pogba (Nil Satis); P-E Aubameyang (Mega Bucks)
Ederson keeps his place in goal, Sterling heads up midfield again and Salah keeps his place in the forward line
Hazard and Aguero come back into the side after being substitutes last year, Walker continues to warm the bench.
Last year's line-up
Friday, 24 May 2019
2018/19 Awards - 500k Team of the Season
(More of the same but with players from the bargain basement.)
GK: Jordan Pickford (Aardvarks)
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Trusted), Nathan Ake (Wateringhole), Patrick van Aanholt (Artisans), Jamaal Lascelles (Aardvarks)
MID: Raheem Sterling (Muppets), Luka Milivojevic (Muppets), Nathan Redmond (Athletico), Andros Townsend (Nil Satis)
ATT: Harry Kane (Markian), Gerard Deulofeu (Artisans)
Subs: Vicente Guaita (San Dimas); James Tarkowski (Muppets); James Ward-Prowse (Athletico); Marcus Rashford (Wateringhole)
Lot of players on the English Team of the Year list on this one too. Could they be underrated at auction time?
Only Sterling, Kane, Rashford and Milivojevic were in last year's 15.
GK: Jordan Pickford (Aardvarks)
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Trusted), Nathan Ake (Wateringhole), Patrick van Aanholt (Artisans), Jamaal Lascelles (Aardvarks)
MID: Raheem Sterling (Muppets), Luka Milivojevic (Muppets), Nathan Redmond (Athletico), Andros Townsend (Nil Satis)
ATT: Harry Kane (Markian), Gerard Deulofeu (Artisans)
Subs: Vicente Guaita (San Dimas); James Tarkowski (Muppets); James Ward-Prowse (Athletico); Marcus Rashford (Wateringhole)
Lot of players on the English Team of the Year list on this one too. Could they be underrated at auction time?
Only Sterling, Kane, Rashford and Milivojevic were in last year's 15.
Thursday, 23 May 2019
2018/19 Awards - English Team of the Season
(Same rules as before but English players only)
GK: Jordan Pickford (Aardvarks)
DEF: Kyle Walker (Artisans), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Trusted), Jamaal Lascelles (Aardvarks), James Tarkowski (Muppets)
MID: Raheem Sterling (Muppets), Nathan Redmond (Athletico), Andros Townsend (NSNO), James Ward-Prowse (Athletico)
ATT: Jamie Vardy (Wheels), Harry Kane (Markian)
Subs: Ben Foster (Markian) ; Michael Keane (Wateringhole); Dele Alli (FW LG XI); Troy Deeney (Cheese)
As it's the first Nations Leagues Finals this summer and England are there let's have a 23-man squad...
Callum Wilson (Wheels), Harry Maguire (Athletico), Ryan Bennett (FW LG XI), Paul Dummett (FW LG XI), Kieran Trippier (Aardvarks), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Claymore), Steve Cook (Cheese), Marcus Rashford (Wateringhole).
Only four from last year (Walker, Sterling, Vardy and Kane) keep their place in the starting line-up.
12 of last year's 23 have dropped off of this year's list altogether.
GK: Jordan Pickford (Aardvarks)
DEF: Kyle Walker (Artisans), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Trusted), Jamaal Lascelles (Aardvarks), James Tarkowski (Muppets)
MID: Raheem Sterling (Muppets), Nathan Redmond (Athletico), Andros Townsend (NSNO), James Ward-Prowse (Athletico)
ATT: Jamie Vardy (Wheels), Harry Kane (Markian)
Subs: Ben Foster (Markian) ; Michael Keane (Wateringhole); Dele Alli (FW LG XI); Troy Deeney (Cheese)
As it's the first Nations Leagues Finals this summer and England are there let's have a 23-man squad...
Callum Wilson (Wheels), Harry Maguire (Athletico), Ryan Bennett (FW LG XI), Paul Dummett (FW LG XI), Kieran Trippier (Aardvarks), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Claymore), Steve Cook (Cheese), Marcus Rashford (Wateringhole).
Only four from last year (Walker, Sterling, Vardy and Kane) keep their place in the starting line-up.
12 of last year's 23 have dropped off of this year's list altogether.
Wednesday, 22 May 2019
2018/19 Awards - Players of the Season
(Awards are made on basis of contributions, 'counters', in all WSFFL competitions. Where there is a tie, contributions in league matches take precedence.)
Player of the Season and Defender of the Season:
Virgil van Dijk (Athletico Phoenix) four goals, 19 cleans
£21m looks a bargain for this cultured defender who led Athletico to a top three finish this season. A measure of his season is that he's only the third defender to win this award in the 12 years I've been doing this.
Golden Gloves:
Ederson (Real Muppets) 19 cleans
Last year I said that Ederson could be 'a contender for this prize for years to come.' Looks like I was right! He upped his cleans total from last year too so nothing new to add.
Midfielder of the Season, Young Player of the Season and 500k Player of the Season:
Raheem Sterling (Real Muppets) 18 goals
Another of Ryan's players to win the award two years running. Last year I said: "He doesn't look like he's finished improving either." Right again me! Sterling was brilliant, on and off the field. He'll be at the sharp end next year too.
Attacker of the Season and Golden Boot:
Sergio Aguero (Claymore Athletic FC) 22 goals
Third time in five years that the evergreen Argentinian has been top scorer. He's now Claymore's all-time scoring leader too. He's not finished yet either.
Signing of the Season:
Alisson (Mega Buck Bandits) 18 cleans
If there's going to be any pressure on Ederson for Golden Gloves in the near future then Alisson is most likely to provide it. If it hadn't been the draft year then he might well have broken the goalkeeper transfer fee record. He's worth it.
Player of the Season and Defender of the Season:
Virgil van Dijk (Athletico Phoenix) four goals, 19 cleans
£21m looks a bargain for this cultured defender who led Athletico to a top three finish this season. A measure of his season is that he's only the third defender to win this award in the 12 years I've been doing this.
Golden Gloves:
Ederson (Real Muppets) 19 cleans
Last year I said that Ederson could be 'a contender for this prize for years to come.' Looks like I was right! He upped his cleans total from last year too so nothing new to add.
Midfielder of the Season, Young Player of the Season and 500k Player of the Season:
Raheem Sterling (Real Muppets) 18 goals
Another of Ryan's players to win the award two years running. Last year I said: "He doesn't look like he's finished improving either." Right again me! Sterling was brilliant, on and off the field. He'll be at the sharp end next year too.
Attacker of the Season and Golden Boot:
Sergio Aguero (Claymore Athletic FC) 22 goals
Third time in five years that the evergreen Argentinian has been top scorer. He's now Claymore's all-time scoring leader too. He's not finished yet either.
Signing of the Season:
Alisson (Mega Buck Bandits) 18 cleans
If there's going to be any pressure on Ederson for Golden Gloves in the near future then Alisson is most likely to provide it. If it hadn't been the draft year then he might well have broken the goalkeeper transfer fee record. He's worth it.
Monday, 20 May 2019
2018/19 Co-Ord Round-up Part One - Transfer Dealings
With the year starting with a one-off player draft and loan fees being introduced for the first time it's hard to compare this year with previous but let's do it anyway.
Expenditure
Unsurprisingly because of the above fake money spend was down. By around a considerable £250m from last season in fact. Eleven teams spent between £21m and £45m, three were over the top figure, two under the lower.
Income
Income was down too - at just less than FF£550m it's the lowest for three years. It was a bit lop-sided when individual teams are taken into account. Four teams brought in less than £16m each while four teams recouped more than £50m.
Overall
With regards to profit and loss for teams this season it was nine making a loss and seven a profit. All the losses bar one were less than £20m, all the profits bar one were less than £20m. That all led to an overall transfer loss on the season of £36m or thereabouts.
If there's one interesting conclusion to draw from all this it's the recent trend of balancing the books.
For the first ten seasons I have records of this stuff nine of them had overall losses of £140m or more. The last three seasons combined have seen us rack up combined losses of 'only' £81.5m. Are we getting prudent in our old age?
Last year's analysis
Expenditure
Unsurprisingly because of the above fake money spend was down. By around a considerable £250m from last season in fact. Eleven teams spent between £21m and £45m, three were over the top figure, two under the lower.
Income
Income was down too - at just less than FF£550m it's the lowest for three years. It was a bit lop-sided when individual teams are taken into account. Four teams brought in less than £16m each while four teams recouped more than £50m.
Overall
With regards to profit and loss for teams this season it was nine making a loss and seven a profit. All the losses bar one were less than £20m, all the profits bar one were less than £20m. That all led to an overall transfer loss on the season of £36m or thereabouts.
If there's one interesting conclusion to draw from all this it's the recent trend of balancing the books.
For the first ten seasons I have records of this stuff nine of them had overall losses of £140m or more. The last three seasons combined have seen us rack up combined losses of 'only' £81.5m. Are we getting prudent in our old age?
Last year's analysis
Sunday, 12 May 2019
Week 30 Results
Athletico hang on to third, San Dimas grab eighth.
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 1 v 5 Mega Buck Bandits
Markian United 0 v 4 The Fabulous Artisans
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 2 v 1 Cheese Makers
Real Muppets 2 v 4 San Dimas High School
The Cow-Faced Juniors 1 v 4 Aardvark Abacus
Trusted By Millions 0 v 1 Claymore Athletic FC
Wheel Madrid 1 v 1 Athletico Phoenix
YTFIB 2 v 0 The Wateringhole Society
-->
Well that’s that then.
I don’t know whether Fred had given his team licence to celebrate early but he suffered his heaviest defeat of the season, at home to Mega Bucks. I thought Dave’s team might have been a dark horse this season and though I was very wrong about that at least this result made me feel a bit better. Mark Noble got a goal in each half, P-E Aubameyang scored a second-half brace and Josh King added another. The Gardeners can now celebrate properly, the Bandits can perhaps think of better times ahead.
The Aardvarks finished four points behind the champions after beating last year’s league winners the CFJs. Mighy Batshuayi was loaned out by the Aardvarks at the start of the season but finally got back into favour and had scored twice by just after the half hour mark. Aymeric Laporte powered in a header before the break to reduce the deficit but a Cenk Tosun goal and Jamaal Lascelles clean made it 4-1. Ady has a top two position for the first time in nine years, Chris and Co. have recorded their worst WSFFL season.
Athletico won the race for third place, just. Brian’s team were held 1-1 by Wheel Madrid, a brilliant Nathan Redmond strike just before the interval put Athletico ahead, Joel Matip’s clean was the equaliser. It wasn’t quite enough to keep Paul W in the top half though. That result, combined with my 4-2 win at the Muppets saw me sneak into eighth. Sadio Mane has had a fantastic season and opened the scoring for Ryan after 17 minutes with a cool sidefoot. Three goals in five second half minutes swung the game in my favour. Fabian Schar, Riyad Mahrez and a glancing header from Ashley Barnes made it 3-1. Mane reduced the deficit but Schar restored my advantage with a clean.
Another team that might have been celebrating too early were the Wateringhole. Kiran’s team were guaranteed to finish in the top half for the first time despite the result and went down meekly to YTFIB. A stunning Ilkay Gundogan free-kick with 18 minutes left put Julian ahead and Ricardo Pereira got the clean to confirm the win that stops Julian breaking all those terrible records I wrote about last week. Kiran was also top member of the Warr family this season (I hope there’s a trophy), pipping Ben by a point. The Artisans ended their season with a 4-0 win over struggling Markian. A great Jonjo Shelvey goal, his first of the season, opened the scoring on nine minutes then the floodgates opened in the second half. Gerard Deulofeu finished calmly after intercepting a back-pass, Patrick van Aanholt finished off a lovely team move and Christian Eriksen struck an inch-perfect free-kick with 15 minutes left.
Nil Satis have finished in their highest position for 12 years after beating Cheese Makers 2-1. Manuel Lanzini scored his first of the season (how Matthew has missed him) following up a rebound to put the Fromagers ahead at half-time. Theo Walcott equalised on 69 minutes and then Andros Townsend got the winner with a sweet first-time hit after a sweeping Nil Satis counter-attack. Matthew finishes 12th for the third season in a row. Claymore and Trusted haven’t had the best of league seasons and they finished with a low-scoring game which went to Clive 1-0. The only goal coming when Sergio Aguero rolled his defender and shot in at the near post on 28 minutes. It’s Beef’s worst finish, it’s Clive’s first year in the bottom half for nine seasons.
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 1 v 5 Mega Buck Bandits
Markian United 0 v 4 The Fabulous Artisans
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 2 v 1 Cheese Makers
Real Muppets 2 v 4 San Dimas High School
The Cow-Faced Juniors 1 v 4 Aardvark Abacus
Trusted By Millions 0 v 1 Claymore Athletic FC
Wheel Madrid 1 v 1 Athletico Phoenix
YTFIB 2 v 0 The Wateringhole Society
-->
Well that’s that then.
I don’t know whether Fred had given his team licence to celebrate early but he suffered his heaviest defeat of the season, at home to Mega Bucks. I thought Dave’s team might have been a dark horse this season and though I was very wrong about that at least this result made me feel a bit better. Mark Noble got a goal in each half, P-E Aubameyang scored a second-half brace and Josh King added another. The Gardeners can now celebrate properly, the Bandits can perhaps think of better times ahead.
The Aardvarks finished four points behind the champions after beating last year’s league winners the CFJs. Mighy Batshuayi was loaned out by the Aardvarks at the start of the season but finally got back into favour and had scored twice by just after the half hour mark. Aymeric Laporte powered in a header before the break to reduce the deficit but a Cenk Tosun goal and Jamaal Lascelles clean made it 4-1. Ady has a top two position for the first time in nine years, Chris and Co. have recorded their worst WSFFL season.
Athletico won the race for third place, just. Brian’s team were held 1-1 by Wheel Madrid, a brilliant Nathan Redmond strike just before the interval put Athletico ahead, Joel Matip’s clean was the equaliser. It wasn’t quite enough to keep Paul W in the top half though. That result, combined with my 4-2 win at the Muppets saw me sneak into eighth. Sadio Mane has had a fantastic season and opened the scoring for Ryan after 17 minutes with a cool sidefoot. Three goals in five second half minutes swung the game in my favour. Fabian Schar, Riyad Mahrez and a glancing header from Ashley Barnes made it 3-1. Mane reduced the deficit but Schar restored my advantage with a clean.
Another team that might have been celebrating too early were the Wateringhole. Kiran’s team were guaranteed to finish in the top half for the first time despite the result and went down meekly to YTFIB. A stunning Ilkay Gundogan free-kick with 18 minutes left put Julian ahead and Ricardo Pereira got the clean to confirm the win that stops Julian breaking all those terrible records I wrote about last week. Kiran was also top member of the Warr family this season (I hope there’s a trophy), pipping Ben by a point. The Artisans ended their season with a 4-0 win over struggling Markian. A great Jonjo Shelvey goal, his first of the season, opened the scoring on nine minutes then the floodgates opened in the second half. Gerard Deulofeu finished calmly after intercepting a back-pass, Patrick van Aanholt finished off a lovely team move and Christian Eriksen struck an inch-perfect free-kick with 15 minutes left.
Nil Satis have finished in their highest position for 12 years after beating Cheese Makers 2-1. Manuel Lanzini scored his first of the season (how Matthew has missed him) following up a rebound to put the Fromagers ahead at half-time. Theo Walcott equalised on 69 minutes and then Andros Townsend got the winner with a sweet first-time hit after a sweeping Nil Satis counter-attack. Matthew finishes 12th for the third season in a row. Claymore and Trusted haven’t had the best of league seasons and they finished with a low-scoring game which went to Clive 1-0. The only goal coming when Sergio Aguero rolled his defender and shot in at the near post on 28 minutes. It’s Beef’s worst finish, it’s Clive’s first year in the bottom half for nine seasons.
Monday, 6 May 2019
Week 29 Results
Three teams still in the running for third place, plenty battling to get into the top half.
Athletico Phoenix 2 v 3 The Cow-Faced Juniors
Cheese Makers 3 v 0 YTFIB
Claymore Athletic FC 1 v 4 Aardvark Abacus
Markian United 0 v 2 Real Muppets
Mega Buck Bandits 1 v 3 The Wateringhole Society
San Dimas High School 1 v 4 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
The Fabulous Artisans 1 v 3 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Trusted By Millions 0 v 4 Wheel Madrid
-->
As first and second are sorted let’s start lower down for a change. Not that much lower down, the race for third.
Athletico missed a chance to just about tie it up when they lost at home to the CFJs. Brian’s team were two up with a quarter of an hour left, Virgil van Dijk had smacked in a header from a corner early on and Gonzalo Higuain produced a cute finish to double the led. The Cows came back to win with three cleans from Kepa, Fabian Balbuena and Aymeric Laporte - a top half place is still possible. The Muppets and the Wateringhole joined Athletico on 47 points. Ryan’s team beat Markian, cleans from Ederson and Toby Alderweireld doing the job and leaving Markian six matches without scoring. The Society left it late to turn round a deficit against Mega Bucks. P-E Aubameyang scored a penalty for Dave inside 10 minutes and it took Kiran to the end of the game to break his resistance. Nathan Ake headed in in injury time then added a clean, along with Michael Keane, to get the win.
Defeat for the Artisans finished their charge for third after Nil Satis won 3-1 at Goddard Park. Seamus Coleman was on hand to head Paul in front after 20 minutes following Ben’s keeper palming a shot into his path. Andros Townsend fired in off a post with 20 minutes left to make it two and though Divock Origi’s header pulled one back late on for the Artisans Coleman restored the advantage with a clean. Wheel Madrid are in the last top half place after a 4-0 thrashing of Trusted. Ben Mee’s own goal* set Trusted off on the wrong foot, David Luiz headed in six minutes after the break (lot of headers this week), Ryan Fredericks got his first WSFFL goal to make it three and Luiz finished it off with a clean.
Cheese Makers have been a bit over-generous with their welcome at home this season but the Fromagers sent their fans home happy for the summer with a 3-0 win over YTFIB. Matthew’s team left it late and it was a three clean sheet win courtesy of Jonny Castro, Issa Diop and Steve Cook. To the top two then - Fred put away San Dimas 4-1, after my team had done the whole Guard of Honour thing too! Mo Salah and Salomon Rondon had the champs two up before Leander Dendoncker replied for me with 15 minutes left but Ryan Bennett and Kurt Zouma had cleans for the Gardeners. Now that the Aardvarks can’t win the title they resumed winning ways by seeing off Claymore 4-1. Martin Kelly steered onto his own net on the half hour to put Ady ahead and even the home fans were applauding Vincent Kompany’s rocket finish that put the Abacus two up. Bobby Reid curled in to get Clive back in it briefly but Kompany and Jordan Pickford had cleans to give Ady the win.
Athletico Phoenix 2 v 3 The Cow-Faced Juniors
Cheese Makers 3 v 0 YTFIB
Claymore Athletic FC 1 v 4 Aardvark Abacus
Markian United 0 v 2 Real Muppets
Mega Buck Bandits 1 v 3 The Wateringhole Society
San Dimas High School 1 v 4 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
The Fabulous Artisans 1 v 3 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Trusted By Millions 0 v 4 Wheel Madrid
-->
As first and second are sorted let’s start lower down for a change. Not that much lower down, the race for third.
Athletico missed a chance to just about tie it up when they lost at home to the CFJs. Brian’s team were two up with a quarter of an hour left, Virgil van Dijk had smacked in a header from a corner early on and Gonzalo Higuain produced a cute finish to double the led. The Cows came back to win with three cleans from Kepa, Fabian Balbuena and Aymeric Laporte - a top half place is still possible. The Muppets and the Wateringhole joined Athletico on 47 points. Ryan’s team beat Markian, cleans from Ederson and Toby Alderweireld doing the job and leaving Markian six matches without scoring. The Society left it late to turn round a deficit against Mega Bucks. P-E Aubameyang scored a penalty for Dave inside 10 minutes and it took Kiran to the end of the game to break his resistance. Nathan Ake headed in in injury time then added a clean, along with Michael Keane, to get the win.
Defeat for the Artisans finished their charge for third after Nil Satis won 3-1 at Goddard Park. Seamus Coleman was on hand to head Paul in front after 20 minutes following Ben’s keeper palming a shot into his path. Andros Townsend fired in off a post with 20 minutes left to make it two and though Divock Origi’s header pulled one back late on for the Artisans Coleman restored the advantage with a clean. Wheel Madrid are in the last top half place after a 4-0 thrashing of Trusted. Ben Mee’s own goal* set Trusted off on the wrong foot, David Luiz headed in six minutes after the break (lot of headers this week), Ryan Fredericks got his first WSFFL goal to make it three and Luiz finished it off with a clean.
Cheese Makers have been a bit over-generous with their welcome at home this season but the Fromagers sent their fans home happy for the summer with a 3-0 win over YTFIB. Matthew’s team left it late and it was a three clean sheet win courtesy of Jonny Castro, Issa Diop and Steve Cook. To the top two then - Fred put away San Dimas 4-1, after my team had done the whole Guard of Honour thing too! Mo Salah and Salomon Rondon had the champs two up before Leander Dendoncker replied for me with 15 minutes left but Ryan Bennett and Kurt Zouma had cleans for the Gardeners. Now that the Aardvarks can’t win the title they resumed winning ways by seeing off Claymore 4-1. Martin Kelly steered onto his own net on the half hour to put Ady ahead and even the home fans were applauding Vincent Kompany’s rocket finish that put the Abacus two up. Bobby Reid curled in to get Clive back in it briefly but Kompany and Jordan Pickford had cleans to give Ady the win.
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