Fantasy Football

Fantasy Premier League 2025/26

The Nothing Better Than Football League

Usually get around 40 players but decided to advertise it on Social Media (Twitter and Bluesky) this year.
Started with 112 players (4 dropped out) so 108 left at the end of season.
8 family and friends, 100 people I don't actually know

Winner was newcomer Izzul a Malaysian Chelsea fan, congrats to him. 🏆
But I do know the people in 2nd and 3rd.

Table below shows Top 12 because I dropped from 5th to 12th in the last month  😢

 

Good quality this year with 4 players in the Top 1%, 16 in the Top 5% and 28 players in the Top 10%.

Family and friends
2nd Dave R - Over Land And Sea - 2,374 - 24,804
3rd JB - Muppets - 2,334 - 81,984
6th Sean - Voodoo Jazz Hat - 2,295 - 202,976
10th Tim - X Force - 2,258 - 399,180
12th Lee - Chip Shop Boys - 2,249 - 460,027
42nd Gary - Action Heroes - 2,105 - 2,190,325
90th Paul S - Artificial Stupidity - 1,866 - 6,515,828
103rd Dave J - Quizland Dave - 1,682 - 9,350,135

The other competition the Telegraph Fantasy Football only attracted 5 players with 5 teams each possible.
Winner was Dave with a top thousand finish in 718th

Managerial Merry Go Round

Arne Slot the latest managerial sacking? I thought with a League title and Champions League qualification he might have got more time.
They have been poor this season by the high standards of his first season, but losing players like Diaz, Jota, Nunes, Arnold would make any team struggle. I don't know if he was the driving force behind the players brought in for an eye watering £460m last summer but apart from a few bright moments none of them have lived up to the price tags.
Star player Salah doesn't seem to have shown any form since signing his mega money deal last year. Maybe Isak should have been avoided after going on strike at Newcastle showing he has a dubious character.
With Jabby Alonso now signing for Chelsea I thought he would get more time.
Iraola seems to be favourite but got the impression he was leaving Bournemouth because he wanted to go back home to Spain, but money talks.
So many managers who have done great things at smaller clubs with limited budgets have failed when they've gone to big clubs, thinking of Frank, Amorim, Potter and many others.
Iraola had a terrible start at Bournemouth but they held their nerve and he turned them around, would he get the same treatment at Liverpool where one bad result usually turns the fans against their managers.

Relegation

Relegated, so who is saying goodbye?

No doubt the vultures will be after Bowen, Fernandes, Summerville and Diouf.
Maybe now Bowen's been overlooked for England, the Dyer family might persaude him to stay.
Castellanos has been pretty good so someone will probably pick him up.
Love Soucek but I guess he'll be off, same with Wilson and Areola.
Disasi and Traore on loan so will go back to their clubs.

Hoping we get rid of Kilman, Pablo, Magassa and Todibo who haven't done much so won't be missed.
On loan players Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Fullkrug and Cornet should also go.

Hopefully the up and coming players will get a chance next season, don't expect many of the regulars to still be there. Maybe a chance for Kante, Earthy, Orford, Ajala, Fearon, Marshall, Kodua, Mayers and Golambeckis to get some game time if they stay.
Not sure about manager Nuno Santo as he's not that inspiring, so don't know if we'll get a new guy although I can't think who?


For West Ham fans, Next seasons Championship trips

London - Charlton, Millwall, QPR, Watford
East - Lincoln, Norwich
South - Portsmouth, Southampton
West - Bristol City, Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham
Midlands - Birmingham, Derby, Stoke, West Brom, Wolves
North - Blackburn, Bolton, Burnley, Middlesborough, Preston, Sheff Utd

Premier Predictions (Week 38)

Final week of the season, all games kick off at 4pm on Sunday

Arsenal are champions, Man City 2nd, Man Utd 3rd, Liverpool or Villa 4th
Still a few things to sort but obviously it's praying for a miracle time at the bottom.
Tottenham need a point at home to Everton, West Ham need to beat Leeds to have a chance.
Would be absolutely gutted if Tottenham lost and we failed to beat Leeds 🙄

Congratulations to Aston Villa for winning the Europa League last night

Predictions table is also sorted, Paul is this years Champion.
Disappointing season as Biopunk and Gibbo seem to have disappeared leaving just 3 of us.
Missing Bio as he's been a supporter of this blog since the start (2010), don't know him away from here so no idea if he's OK or just got bored with it?

Brighton v Man Utd
Burnley v Wolves
Crystal Palace v Arsenal
Fulham v Newcastle
Liverpool v Brentford
Man City v Aston Villa
Nottm Forest v Bournemouth
Sunderland v Chelsea
Tottenham v Everton
West Ham v Leeds

Good Luck All  😀


Will probably do a World Cup version, even if it's just for my own entertaiment

Football Round Up

Arsenal win the League for the first time since 2003/2004.

Relegation down to the last game, Tottenham need a point vs Everton, West Ham have to beat Leeds and pray  🙏

European places very complicated. If Aston Villa win the Europa league but then lose to Man City on Sunday and Liverpool win it means 6th place gets a Champions League place (currently Bournemouth or possibly Brighton).
Other comps I'm not sure about, Bournemouth Brighton Brentford Chelsea and Sunderland still in with a chance, Crystal Palace get Europa league if they win next weeks Conference League.

Looks like Guardiola is leaving Man City at the end of season, Enzo Maresca tipped to take over which makes complete sense.
Former Man City coach, with 3 trophies in 2 years, rated by everyone except the Chelsea owners.

Chelsea have lined up Shabby Alonso as their next temporary manager, wish him luck but should get a bank boost and maybe be available for Liverpool sometime next season when Slot gets thrown under the bus by more players 🙄

Iraola and Glasner both leaving at end of season, Maybe Silva as well? plus might be some less expected?

Although if West Ham get relegated I'll be more interested in Lincoln, Millwall, Charlton and possibly Stockport

Championship play off game is still undecided, should have been Southampton vs Hull but the Saints have been expelled for spying so now it's going to be Middlesborough vs Hull. Although Southampton have appealed so might change?

My local club Southend win the FA Trophy on Sunday at Wembley, their first proper trophy ever.
Two days later and they sack manager Kevin Maher ????
It's always been said Southend hate success, everytime they've been doing well they've either sold off the best players or sacked managers. Maybe Guardiola was looking for a new challenge  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 37)

Didn't realise they had moved the Villa Liverpool game to Friday until today.
Makes sense as Villa play the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Bonus game this week with the FA Cup Final on Saturday (90 minute score to count).
So that's 1 game Friday, 1 Saturday, 6 on Sunday, 1 Monday, 2 on Tuesday.

At the top Arsenal should beat Burnley, meaning Man City would need to win at 16 game unbeaten Bournemouth to stay in with a chance. Even if they do Arsenal play Palace who have their Euro final 3 days later so will probably play a reserve side.
At the bottom West Ham go to Newcastle needing a win, not impossible? as we have 3 wins and 2 draws from the last 7 visits. Then hope Chelsea do us a favour on Tuesday. 🙏

Sunday a big day for me as the West Ham game is at 17:30, and Southend play Wealdstone at Wembley at 16:30 in the FA Trophy final. 4 Wembley visits in 13 years after never playing there before.
Giving this a miss as I seem to be a curse on them, 2 trips to the Millennium Cardiff and 2 to Wembley and they've lost all of them, won the finals I didn't go to. Plus I hate new Wembley  😩


Aston Villa v Liverpool
Chelsea v Man City (FA Cup Final)
Man Utd v Nottm Forest
Brentford v Crystal Palace
Everton v Sunderland
Leeds v Brighton
Wolves v Fulham
Newcastle v West Ham
Arsenal v Burnley
Bournemouth v Man City
Chelsea v Tottenham


Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 36)

Extra game this week with the long delayed City Palace game finally being played.
5 games Saturday, 4 on Sunday, 1 on Monday and 1 on Wednesday

Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton play Saturday chasing 6th place, or 5th if Villa play like last week.

Liverpool play serial losers Chelsea, maybe they need someone like Maresca who made them World champs but they weren't happy with that. Could be a good choice for any out of work manager who wants to earn £20m for 3 months work.

Really can't see West Ham doing Man City any favours, but I will keep hoping 😟
Man City have 2 home games to keep the title interesting.

Europe - Arsenal make the final against PSG, will need a miracle but as Chelsea did it you never know?

Liverpool v Chelsea
Brighton v Wolves
Fulham v Bournemouth
Sunderland v Man Utd
Man City v Brentford
*
Burnley v Aston Villa
Crystal Palace v Everton
Nottm Forest v Newcastle
West Ham v Arsenal
*
Tottenham v Leeds
Man City v Crystal Palace

Good Luck All  😀