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The Purity Of English Football Challenge


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Originally posted by Tomaldinho:

Is the Defoe bug a major issue? I've never bothered changing it, does it make a difference to anything important?

I think it only affects Portsmouth and Spurs, I think Spurs receive the money over a period of time instead of lump sum. (I think!) icon_smile.gif How you doing Tom?

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Woah no wonder Spurs have been splashing the cash around then, £1 million per appearance! 23 appearances so far this season. I'm worried about what Spurs will do with that next season.

This challenge is going far too well for my liking, blatently something horrendous is just around the corner.

Out of the League Cup to Birmingham in the 4th round which annoyed my fans. But in return I've given them 1st position after 21 games, one point clear of Man Utd and 4 points ahead of Arsenal who have a game in hand.

Considering the weakness of my squad and the fact my backup players are so poor, it has been a remarkable season. Harewood and Maloney are the star men, 12 goals each so far. However too many players have been ever present so far and I see an injury crisis just around the corner which will screw my whole season.

However, I'm enjoying it whilst it lasts! Hopefully Champions League football will give me a major transfer boost for next year.

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Originally posted by Tomaldinho:

Woah no wonder Spurs have been splashing the cash around then, £1 million per appearance! 23 appearances so far this season. I'm worried about what Spurs will do with that next season.

This challenge is going far too well for my liking, blatently something horrendous is just around the corner.

Out of the League Cup to Birmingham in the 4th round which annoyed my fans. But in return I've given them 1st position after 21 games, one point clear of Man Utd and 4 points ahead of Arsenal who have a game in hand.

Considering the weakness of my squad and the fact my backup players are so poor, it has been a remarkable season. Harewood and Maloney are the star men, 12 goals each so far. However too many players have been ever present so far and I see an injury crisis just around the corner which will screw my whole season.

However, I'm enjoying it whilst it lasts! Hopefully Champions League football will give me a major transfer boost for next year.

I can see why you're not trying to get over excited but you must be near January so I'd panic buy icon_biggrin.gif how many points are 5th from you? I'd take Champions League football for the 2nd season! You would get shed loads from it, the quality of players wanting to join you would be endless aswell!

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Originally posted by bihdhdhdhbd:

Ok here is my squad before my very first match.

=http://img395.imageshack.us/my.php?image=capture26052008204230sy5.jpg]capture26052008204230sy5.th.jpg[/url]

This is going to be hard challenge but should be fun icon_smile.gif

capture26052008204203jp1.th.jpg

the chart show i got a thing for that fern girl icon_smile.gif

Good luck, she is pretty fit icon_wink.gificon14.gif

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Ok first game of the season away to Man U and owen given barton and Duff are all got sick notes from there mom oh dear gods.

ok get to half time doing well only losing 2 - 0 then rooney who lets be honest plays a lot better in fm08 then IRL scores 4 more goals and i go home to chants of your not good enough from my own fans.

Things can only get better....

oh and man city turned down 30mill for m richards icon_smile.gif

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Don't worry about Man Utd, they are a monster. Managed to get 3-0 up against them at home and ended up drawing 4-4.

In the return fixture at Old Trafford I think they ran me over 6-1 icon_frown.gif

I'm close to the end of Season One so I'll post a report then, but I'm moving house tomorrow so have some stuff to do!

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Season One Review

Premier League: 4th

FA Cup: Winners

League Cup: 4th round

Top Scorer: Marlon Harewood

Highest Average Rating: Ashley Young

Final Squad (Scott Carson just went back to Liverpool and Davies has gone back to West Brom and come back hence his zero appearances)

Transfers - Villa have the smallest squad in the Premier League anyway so apart from Lescott and Taylor, the rest were just squad fillers.

Story of the season

It was all going too well in the first part of the season and until January the Villa looked set for a first place finish. However, Ashley Young had Arsenal and Liverpool sniffing after him and became unhappy, leading to a poor February and March where we dropped way off the pace. With Chelsea, Arsenal (away), Liverpool (away) and Man City (away) in the final 5 games things didn't look good and a 6th place finish looked likely.

That would have been the case until Routledge came on for a rare cameo and scored a 95th minute winner against Man City to take victory and snatch back 4th place from the grasp of Liverpool who had already won 4-0.

FA Cup was jokes. Marlon Harewood had been injured so wuth a change of formation and strategy Alan Mahon came in to play the final behind the lone Agbonlahor, and came out with a hat-trick against Man Utd.

A good season in general, I can post up other screens if anybody is interested. Looking forward to seeing if anybody else is still on this challenge but regardless I'm enjoying it so Season Two and Champions League football await!

Problems will be replacing Scott Carson, and then getting in quality squad players because the schedule will be far worse than this year. Anyway, looking forward to Villa's first taste of the Champions League.

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Originally posted by Tomaldinho:

Season One Review

Premier League: 4th

FA Cup: Winners

League Cup: 4th round

Top Scorer: Marlon Harewood

Highest Average Rating: Ashley Young

Final Squad (Scott Carson just went back to Liverpool and Davies has gone back to West Brom and come back hence his zero appearances)

Transfers - Villa have the smallest squad in the Premier League anyway so apart from Lescott and Taylor, the rest were just squad fillers.

Story of the season

It was all going too well in the first part of the season and until January the Villa looked set for a first place finish. However, Ashley Young had Arsenal and Liverpool sniffing after him and became unhappy, leading to a poor February and March where we dropped way off the pace. With Chelsea, Arsenal (away), Liverpool (away) and Man City (away) in the final 5 games things didn't look good and a 6th place finish looked likely.

That would have been the case until Routledge came on for a rare cameo and scored a 95th minute winner against Man City to take victory and snatch back 4th place from the grasp of Liverpool who had already won 4-0.

FA Cup was jokes. Marlon Harewood had been injured so wuth a change of formation and strategy Alan Mahon came in to play the final behind the lone Agbonlahor, and came out with a hat-trick against Man Utd.

A good season in general, I can post up other screens if anybody is interested. Looking forward to seeing if anybody else is still on this challenge but regardless I'm enjoying it so Season Two and Champions League football await!

Problems will be replacing Scott Carson, and then getting in quality squad players because the schedule will be far worse than this year. Anyway, looking forward to Villa's first taste of the Champions League.

Well played! I can see what you mean about the transfers, that's a great knock considering what you had! Still can't believe Marlon was your top scorer icon_biggrin.gif I imagine Season Two is going to be a hell of a lot easier because of the players you can sign and the money you have available, all the best icon14.gif

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Originally posted by turn it upto 11:

just spotted this, never tried any challenges before, cannot even find dafuges(search wont work, 50 year old pc at work)

tom-get joe hart, i think its pretty common knowledge that after a few seasons he is englands number 1. good luck in the CL icon14.gif

Scroll down the page for dafuge's challenge, he has about 65 pages!

Unless you'd like to join this challenge then you're in the right place! icon14.gif

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Transfer Window 1: Summer 2008

First Team

My team, with it's pretty hefty Welsh influence.

The best players are David Jones, Gary Speed, Andy Todd and Stephen Warnock. (I'm doomed, I know). Best performer so far has been Stephen Bywater, who has been really impressive, landing three man of the match awards in four games, as well as player of the month. Giles Barnes has spent most of his time injured, is now being nursed back to health, and will surely cement a spot in the first squad soon.

Transfers - Notable transfers are Gary Speed, Simon Davies and Stephen Warnock. The rest are investments for the future. (Except Michael Standing, who seems to be a mistake.)

After a rough start against two of our affiliates, Notts Co and Chesterfield (both 1:1 draws) we got our tactic sorted, winning our remaining three friendlies against Mansfield (2:0), Bristol (2:0) and Burton Albion (3:0). Our season opener against Chelsea was a resounding defeat (0:4), but we bounced back to defeat Everton (1:0) despite a send-off for McEverly right after half time. A very close and undeserved defeat against Wigan (1:2) and a scoreless borefest with West Ham sees us in 11th at this early time in the season. Brighton were easily taken care of in the League Cup (3:1).

So, not too terrible a start so far, my 3-4-3 formation seems to be working quite well icon_smile.gif. (Woo Total Football!)

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Originally posted by Mark Snellink:

Transfer Window 1: Summer 2008

First Team

My team, with it's pretty hefty Welsh influence.

The best players are David Jones, Gary Speed, Andy Todd and Stephen Warnock. (I'm doomed, I know). Best performer so far has been Stephen Bywater, who has been really impressive, landing three man of the match awards in four games, as well as player of the month. Giles Barnes has spent most of his time injured, is now being nursed back to health, and will surely cement a spot in the first squad soon.

Transfers - Notable transfers are Gary Speed, Simon Davies and Stephen Warnock. The rest are investments for the future. (Except Michael Standing, who seems to be a mistake.)

After a rough start against two of our affiliates, Notts Co and Chesterfield (both 1:1 draws) we got our tactic sorted, winning our remaining three friendlies against Mansfield (2:0), Bristol (2:0) and Burton Albion (3:0). Our season opener against Chelsea was a resounding defeat (0:4), but we bounced back to defeat Everton (1:0) despite a send-off for McEverly right after half time. A very close and undeserved defeat against Wigan (1:2) and a scoreless borefest with West Ham sees us in 11th at this early time in the season. Brighton were easily taken care of in the League Cup (3:1).

So, not too terrible a start so far, my 3-4-3 formation seems to be working quite well icon_smile.gif. (Woo Total Football!)

NICE, a top half finish would put you into legendary status amongst the Rams!

Anybody seen the BBC site that has the amount of English players in each team? I saw that and thought of this challenge!

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Started a game with Spurs, for some reason it's using the database from the original game so I've still got Defoe (handy!) but not Hutton or Woodgate (not so handy.)

With King and Dawson both injured for a while at the start of the season, centre-half was one of my big initial problems. Newcastle want £40m for Steven Taylor, I even considered Judas Campbell! In the end I signed Hutton and Ryan Taylor as right-backs, and am playing Hutton in centre-half for the moment. Troy Archibald-Henville has featured a couple of times, and I brought in 37 year old David Weir from Rangers as an emergency stopgap. (We lost 4-0 at Chelsea on his debut!)

I've also brought in Drew Surman from Southampton, Adam Johnson from Boro, Kevin Thomson from Rangers and Darren Boyd from somewhere else in Scotland.

Kept the legend that is Berby as my one foreigner!

Three games in so far, draw away at Boro, home win v Villa and that horrible 4-0 trouncing at the Bridge - but we always lose there anyway! Rather get it out of the way now TBH!

Will keep you updated...

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Good effort so far Mark, top half finish would be extraordinary, but even keeping them in 17th or above could prove difficult. A great start though, seems even total football in Derby can be successful!

DefoesRightBoot, Ryan Taylor has been awesome for me in my Villa game so hopefully he will do the same for you. Try Lescott at centre-back, he's stupidly cheap (I think I got him for around £10mill).

About to get stuck into Season Two so I'll post updates soon hopefully.

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Originally posted by DefoesRightBoot:

Started a game with Spurs, for some reason it's using the database from the original game so I've still got Defoe (handy!) but not Hutton or Woodgate (not so handy.)

With King and Dawson both injured for a while at the start of the season, centre-half was one of my big initial problems. Newcastle want £40m for Steven Taylor, I even considered Judas Campbell! In the end I signed Hutton and Ryan Taylor as right-backs, and am playing Hutton in centre-half for the moment. Troy Archibald-Henville has featured a couple of times, and I brought in 37 year old David Weir from Rangers as an emergency stopgap. (We lost 4-0 at Chelsea on his debut!)

I've also brought in Drew Surman from Southampton, Adam Johnson from Boro, Kevin Thomson from Rangers and Darren Boyd from somewhere else in Scotland.

Kept the legend that is Berby as my one foreigner!

Three games in so far, draw away at Boro, home win v Villa and that horrible 4-0 trouncing at the Bridge - but we always lose there anyway! Rather get it out of the way now TBH!

Will keep you updated...

Fair play, I always like to get the big games out the way. If I had it my way my first eight games would be the top 4 twice. Then start my season.

Originally posted by DefoesRightBoot:

Nah Everton wouldn't take less than about £15 million for Lescott, and with King, Dawson and Gardner already there I decided he wasn't quite worth it. Got some cash left over so might look at him again in January.

£10mil + 50% and your laughing.

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Originally posted by SuperCupra:

This sounds like fun gonna load up FM now....

Being a Spurs fan im gonna be them but using the patched version instead so i can have a better defence. Managers profile in a sec..

Fair play mate, they have a good chance as the core is there, added to the amount of money AND Wafer Cup football! All the best icon14.gif

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Originally posted by thezogsageordie:

My prediction: 7th

Carling Cup: QF

FA Cup: QF

Newcastle's End Of Season 1 Update 2007/08

After a rocky start we managed to get the tactics right in the 5th game and from then on it was goals galore

a la Keegan. Finished 6th with 62 points, Arsenal won the league averaging 2.5 PPG and only losing to yours truly!

I did, however, feel sorry for United; 91 points for 38 games and still comes second!

I Hate It When This Happens To Me But Love It When I Get It My Way (Look At Time)

Table

Before They Shot

After

Players

Transfers

Beer Cup Semi-Final (Worst thing was that the first leg I had Smith as left-back for part of it so I could've got further in hindsight but you don't know I suppose!)

Stoppage Time?

Derbyshire 3rd - Fella got 18 league goals and quite a few in the Cups aswell!

Notice How The League Cup Is Greyed Out - Written Off Before The Second Leg!

Great season IMO I think if I can get a few quality players in I can make the top 4.

My prediction: 7th

Carling Cup: QF

FA Cup: QF

Passed

Passed

Failed.

My prediction: 4th

Carling Cup: SF

FA Cup: QF

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The thing is in the second season when all the other teams fighting to be the best of the rest (Newcastle, Villa, Everton, Spurs, Man City etc) are buying in really good foreign players for under 10million, buying anyone of a similar quality who is English costs double every time which makes competing really difficult.

I've found the second year much harder, maybe due to overly trusting my team from Season One (you'll find out why in my season report later **suspense**).

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Aston Villa Season Two Review

Season Two went horribly during the first half of the season. Having contemplated all summer whether to replace Scott Carson with Joe Hart or Craig Gordon, I decided that reserve keeper Stuart Taylor was good enough for a first team role.

Going into January we were languishing in the bottom half, luckily relegation was out of the question as the three promoted teams were all equally shocking. However, the board weren't too pleased that I was in and around the bottom half of the table.

In December, Taylor and Zat Knight both missed a few games through injury, and suddenly the team played much better. It then dawned on me that both were **** and needed to be replaced!

Manchester City wanted £18 million for Joe Hart so I settled for Craig Gordon. A MOM performance in his first game justified the £10million spend.

The second half of the season was awesome and despite going out of all the cups, a surge up the league resulted in another 4th spot.

Transfers 2008/09 - The Bentley deal was actually £12million after 20 appearances. Barnes and Wilson were great signings. Gordon too but I've explained his impact above.

Who Played and Their Nationalities

Stats

Premier League - Finished 4th

Champions League - 3rd in group

UEFA Cup - Semi final

FA Cup - 5th Round

League Cup - Semi Final

Community Shield - Lost

Top goalscorer - Gabriel Agbonlahor (27)

Most assists - Ashley Young (47)

MoM - Gabriel Agbonlahor (9)

Yellow Cards - Joleon Lescott/Nigel Reo-Coker (13)

Red Cards - Zat Knight (1)

Average Rating (7.59)

Next Season

As fourth seeds in the Champions League I was in with some big teams and got killed. Hopefully this summer I'll be able to get some better players and build on the performances.

In the Premier League Liverpool are nowhere and spent the majority of the season in the bottom half. Despite this, the other 3 big clubs have become so strong and completely dominate the league. Winning it will take longer than I anticipated!

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Originally posted by Tomaldinho:

Aston Villa Season Two Review

Season Two went horribly during the first half of the season. Having contemplated all summer whether to replace Scott Carson with Joe Hart or Craig Gordon, I decided that reserve keeper Stuart Taylor was good enough for a first team role.

Going into January we were languishing in the bottom half, luckily relegation was out of the question as the three promoted teams were all equally shocking. However, the board weren't too pleased that I was in and around the bottom half of the table.

In December, Taylor and Zat Knight both missed a few games through injury, and suddenly the team played much better. It then dawned on me that both were **** and needed to be replaced!

Manchester City wanted £18 million for Joe Hart so I settled for Craig Gordon. A MOM performance in his first game justified the £10million spend.

The second half of the season was awesome and despite going out of all the cups, a surge up the league resulted in another 4th spot.

Transfers 2008/09 - The Bentley deal was actually £12million after 20 appearances. Barnes and Wilson were great signings. Gordon too but I've explained his impact above.

Who Played and Their Nationalities

Stats

Premier League - Finished 4th

Champions League - 3rd in group

UEFA Cup - Semi final

FA Cup - 5th Round

League Cup - Semi Final

Community Shield - Lost

Top goalscorer - Gabriel Agbonlahor (27)

Most assists - Ashley Young (47)

MoM - Gabriel Agbonlahor (9)

Yellow Cards - Joleon Lescott/Nigel Reo-Coker (13)

Red Cards - Zat Knight (1)

Average Rating (7.59)

Next Season

As fourth seeds in the Champions League I was in with some big teams and got killed. Hopefully this summer I'll be able to get some better players and build on the performances.

In the Premier League Liverpool are nowhere and spent the majority of the season in the bottom half. Despite this, the other 3 big clubs have become so strong and completely dominate the league. Winning it will take longer than I anticipated!

Quality stuff, my 2nd season is going brilliant at the moment, don't want to jinx (sp?) things but I'm confident of a Champs League spot! I always find it easier but it may be because I have more money and foreign players, as you rightly stated, on previous saves!

Ashley Young (47 ass) is just immense! Didn't Watford get relegated with him? What was your Champions League group?

I was contemplating buying NR-C but Villa wouldn't past with him, the guys a machine!

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Originally posted by ocy:

didn't manage any quality signing.

nonetheless, this is my squad for the new season.

my squad for the season

icon14.gif

Fair enough, did you get St Ledger because of watching Big Ron Manager last year?

Who have you got on the left? Just curious as Spurs have had a whole there for about 5 years!

Originally posted by ocy:

hi,

after running through the list of EPL teams, I think spurs has the greatest potential. so here it goes.

Profile

Will post new update at the end of the season. icon14.gif

Squad

Spurs, as I have said, have got a lot of quality British players already there, selling Berbatov is going to be painful though icon_wink.gif

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lineup

basically I am playing with 3 centrebacks and 1 sweeper.

The reason why I got S St. Ledger is because I couldn't get any decent sweeper!! icon_eek.gif

Facing difficulties selling my foreign players.

Can't believe nobody wants BERBATOV!!

Played 4 games, W3 D1. 3rd in the table. Still early days yet. icon_wink.gif

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Originally posted by ocy:

lineup

basically I am playing with 3 centrebacks and 1 sweeper.

The reason why I got S St. Ledger is because I couldn't get any decent sweeper!! icon_eek.gif

Facing difficulties selling my foreign players.

Can't believe nobody wants BERBATOV!!

Played 4 games, W3 D1. 3rd in the table. Still early days yet. icon_wink.gif

LOL nice, I don't know any good british sw tbh!

Fair play, you played anyone hard yet :p ?

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Im starting the challenge but my F's (F1, F2, F3 etc) dont work so i cant screenshoot.

Just press the Print Screen button and then open paint and press ctrl + Alt + V. Save as JPEG and then upload to www.imageshack.us.

This look like a decent challenge might give it a go with Man City. LEt em get this clear though we are allowed one foreign player?

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Originally posted by AcidBurn:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Im starting the challenge but my F's (F1, F2, F3 etc) dont work so i cant screenshoot.

Just press the Print Screen button and then open paint and press ctrl + Alt + V. Save as JPEG and then upload to www.imageshack.us.

This look like a decent challenge might give it a go with Man City. LEt em get this clear though we are allowed one foreign player? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Cool, yeah well what it was because I was searching through players I signed Yobo then realised he was Nigerian so I said 1 foreigner then realised his 2nd nationality is English which makes him eligible to play for me, I'm not signing anyone that isn't British in their 1st or 2nd nationality but everyone else can (I made the rule as I cba to start a new save so I evened the playing field icon_biggrin.gif ) Good luck icon14.gif

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I'm having a bit of second season syndrome (sp?) I think, after about 14 games my record is 6-6-2, therefore I'm on 24 points; a good amount I think, on the basis that I have always considered 2 PPG a good enough amount to reach the top 4 at least (obviously depending on everyone else but on the whole, a good enough total)

With my 24 points I am 7th! 4th is Liverpool with 29 I think and Man Utd have dropped 3 points making them on 39 and Arsenal have dropped 4, putting them on 38, which is unbelievable and they aren't showing any signs of slowing down!

My team as a whole is brilliant (I think) but what I do need in January (6 weeks time) is a 'Miguel Veloso' type player and also a striker that doesn't mind being 3rd choice to Derbs and Mikey, possibly Peter Crouch although I dunno if he would join or is any good, possibly James Vaughan aswell.

I should get the 2nd season update by tomorrow night as I'm trying to join a gym icon_biggrin.gif

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Gotta be pure British players all the way lads, none of this second nationality nonsense icon_razz.gif

Zogs, try Mark Noble from West Ham is your on a tight budget. He has had a good start for my team (only a few games played though) but time will tell if he was worth it. However for the price he was definately worthwhile. Hargreaves may be a possibility if you have a bundle of spare cash?

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Originally posted by Tomaldinho:

Gotta be pure British players all the way lads, none of this second nationality nonsense icon_razz.gif

I'm trying to make this happen myself but I don't want to have an unfair advantage over everybody else in the mean time!

Originally posted by Tomaldinho:

Zogs, try Mark Noble from West Ham is your on a tight budget. He has had a good start for my team (only a few games played though) but time will tell if he was worth it. However for the price he was definately worthwhile. Hargreaves may be a possibility if you have a bundle of spare cash?

IRL the guy is quality, I didn't think about him! I'll try tonight to get him or OH - would be a great buy, I've got enough money just don't know who wants to play for a Wafer Cup team (Barcelona are in it this year icon_frown.gif I reckon it'll be me or them that win it)

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Following on about what I was saying earlier about the gulf between the big four and the rest of the league:

Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea & Man Utd between them have dropped 46 points after playing 41.

Spurs have dropped 17

Villa - 22

Newcastle - 20

Pompey - 23

See what I mean now? The Big 4 are averaging dropping 10 points every 15 games, the chasing pack are averaging 20!

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