PESGFF Season 2012/13 Press Room

[Nifty1Pound50]

Fans expectant on transfer deadline day!



On the eve of yet another full fixture schedule, fans' appetites up-and-down the PESGaming Fantasy Football League will have been whetted by the prospect of transfer deadline day, with the final round of bidding due to start in only four hours.

It is understood that the top three clubs have all been given war-chests in excess of £60m to spend, with many experts predicting the title could be won - or lost - in the transfer market over the next few days.

The following faithful of Eboue's Army, in particular, have endured a January window thus far which has seen big name departures, most notably Marouane Fellaini to title rivals FC Sklep Guardiola, for an inter-club record fee of £35m.

Many fans were left bemused by this decision by George Bamfield, however he will point to Fellaini's inability to hit the target since his move, combined with his club's reduction of the deficit to the leaders by 15 points, as strategic shrewdness on his part.

The man at the helm of the league's in-form side, however, will know that a replacement - and perhaps a high-profile one - will need to be sought.

Elsewhere in the league, many clubs have already seemed to conclude their business dealings, with the chasing pair of Real Cairo and 11 Devils both splashing out over £40m each on new strikers. The Egyptian-based consortia will certainly be looking to French pair Yoan Gouffran and Loic Rémy to provide the firepower to propel them into a late title-challenge.

The talk on the terraces will continue to be split, however, with clubs throughout the league having big fixtures to concentrate on in what could be a defining next few months.

The likes of rock-bottom Appsletico Madrid CF seem in a perilous position, although new-boy Moussa Sissoko will quickly adopt cult status if he can help them in their plight and lift them off the bottom. And, at £38.1m, perhaps his manager will expect him to.

The middle of the pack sees Makabi Haifasure fans continuing to look over their shoulders, however the optimistic amongst them will certainly be setting their sights on a top-half finish.

S.S. Phatzio and Iron City United are also unlikely to strike further deals, with both clubs making it clear that they would have to sell to buy; Phatzio manager Michael Burke will look to consolidate half-a-season of good work with his existing crop, the aim surely being to be in the top four come May. Across the pond, Mike Wilson will be rallying his ICU charges to continue pushing for the top seven, although with the gap continuing to widen, perhaps avoiding the bottom three is more realistic.

No matter who your club, the next few days could be a defining period and have a major impact on the shake-up at the end of the season. With plenty to play for at both ends of the table and financial competition, too, the upcoming weekend is sure to be one of the most gripping in PESGaming Fantasy Football history.

@Bammers05 @Berry @Cesc Fabregas @KarimES @Phatmann @Hunter @Makavelian @Dragonfly @IronCity @ThierryHenry @Ali_BWFC @Appswah

[IronCity]

everyone take note that is U.S. currency

[Nifty1Pound50]

Only hours to go!



PESGaming Fantasy Football League clubs have just over 5 hours to conclude any last-minute deals and name their 25-man squads for the season's run-in. Are there late deals in the pipeline? Could we see yet more money change hands? Or will this prove an anti-climactic end to a previously-frantic and big-spending window?

The general consensus around much of the league is that very few deals are left to be done, with many sides expected to opt for a hold-what-we-have approach - indeed, half of the league's managers have already submitted paperwork detailing their 25-man roster for the second half of the league campaign.

With only a few hours to go, it seems a lifetime ago that the January 2013 window opened, with the first noteworthy move seeing bottom club shell out £7m to secure the services of Moussa Dembélé from Team Zissou.



Whilst managers clamoured to land their prized assets, spare a thought too for butt-of-the-joke Gervinho, whose Makabi Haifasure career lasted only 12 days. After Makabi brokered a deal for £3m with Eboue's Army for the Ivorian on 3rd January, no sooner were they announcing his departure to Appsletico Madrid CF for a similar fee. The nomadic front-man will hope to find a settled home at his latest club and let his football do the talking in a struggling side.



Tottenham's latest acquisition, Lewis Holtby, remains the transfer window's biggest outlay, with Newco Midtable Mediocrity Wanderers forking out a staggering £57.7m to land the German international. The Newco directors will no doubt be expecting a fairly swift return and perhaps the midfielder himself will need divine intervention to justify such a price tag.



With only hours remaining, who will your club sign? Will the big-money deals pay dividends or will a measured approach reap rewards? Only time will tell as the PESGaming Fantasy Football League transfer window shuts only hours from now.

@Bammers05 @Berry @Cesc Fabregas @KarimES @Phatmann @Hunter @Makavelian @Dragonfly @IronCity @ThierryHenry @Ali_BWFC @Appswah

[Nifty1Pound50]

FC Sklep Guardiola issue public statement regarding Connolly

PESGaming Fantasy Football league leaders FC Sklep Guardiola have issued a club statement to put fans' concerns at ease following the mysterious and unaccounted for absence of their manager, Matthew Connolly, in recent weeks.

A representative of the table-topping club said: "FC Sklep Guardiola would like to make it clear that the club has been continued to be run in spite of some official leave afforded to Matthew Connolly, in light of recent personal circumstances.

"Whilst the club appreciate the manager's absence has been a source of concern amongst many fans, Matthew was very forthright in his request for a number of weeks absent in order to attend to private matters, the specifics of which are of no concern to the public at this time.

"The club would like to further make it clear that Matthew's plans and blueprint were followed through to the letter, with the manager issuing instructions to his backroom staff to continue with an unchanged side for the duration of his absence.

"Of course, the club is delighted to welcome back Matthew to full duty in time for the upcoming set of fixtures and we hope he will bring with him the dynamic approach that has seen the club perform so remarkably well thus far in the campaign.

"At this time, we would ask the media to respect Matthew's wishes for privacy over the exact details of his prolonged and sudden absence, in exactly the same fashion that everybody involved at the club has done."

Although not perhaps as revealing as many had hoped, the confirmation of Connolly's return to forefront of the club will have reassured many fans that their title tilt is still well on track, despite the club's lead at the top of the league narrowing in recent weeks.

The club's move to publicly confront the manager's recent absence may be seen by cynics as a reaction amidst growing rumours of a penalty being put in place for the club's failure to adhere to the spirit of the competition. In some quarters, it was thought that the league commission were considering imposing sanctions that may see FC Sklep Guardiola penalised for their at-a-distance treatment of the competition.

Addressing these rumours directly, another club spokesman was blunt: "FC Sklep Guardiola would like to categorically deny the ludicrous accusation that an employee of ours - in this case the manager - has decided the PESGaming Fantasy Football League competition is not his priority. The league is our number one concern, especially considering our status as justified favourites, and to disrespect a competition in which we have strived so hard for success, is unthinkable. We are not Manchester United and this is not the FA Cup!"

.

[Nifty1Pound50]

Connolly in bullish mood: "It is ours to lose"

FC Sklep Guardiola manager was back to his usual confident self after his recent absence when he addressed media at a press conference on Saturday morning at Miesiączka Łąka stadium.

Speaking during a weekend bereft of fixtures, a sparsely assembled set of journalists were on hand to hear Connolly explain that the title was theirs "to lose."

"It is entirely within our hands, now. We've built a lead and maintained it for so long - a lot of you have already been saying it is a foregone conclusion.

"Whilst we're favourites - of course we are - we're guarding against complacency. There's no premature celebrations just yet.

"We'll need to keep working hard for eight more weeks, right to the end. If we can continue our form I do think we should see it through. From that perspective, you could say it is ours to lose."

FC Sklep Guardiola currently command a 41-point lead over nearest challengers Eboue's Army and are the only side to break the 1,000 point barrier thus far in the PESGaming Fantasy Football League this season, however their recent dominance comes off the back of a poor start in the competition back in August.

"People forget, but we were actually in the bottom half for the first four, five, six weeks. We went out of the cup early and there was a lot of doubt about our credentials.

"The squad has picked itself up fantastically and turned things around - all credit to them for that. They've been extremely professional and focused and I think the league position reflects that attitude."

With only eight rounds of fixtures left, Eboue's Army need to have an average gain of 5 points per week to stand any chance of overhauling the current leaders, with many pundits calling it a mere formality that Matthew Connolly will bring silverware to FC Sklep Guardiola this season.

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[IronCity]

PFL Player and Starting 11 of the Year

Voting
1) Robin Van Persie - 250pts
2) Luiz Suarez - 207 pts
3) Gareth Bale 178 pts
4) Juan Mata - 171 pts
5) Santi Cazorla - 163 pts

Handpicked by points at each position. The voting body decided on a 4-4-2 diamond formation to accommodate the hybrid Michu.

The PFL player of the year, Robin van Persie, was booed by the partisan Inter Rosso Leone crowd at the London award ceremony. A mob scene escalated into a rush of center stage where the dutchman was stripped of his overwhemingly large boots whilst chanting "Tommy" in protest that their center half, Thomas Vermalen, should have been recognized for the award. Extra security will be at hand for manager of the year award in a few weeks.

Partisan crowd maul Robin van Persie whilst chanting Tommy Vermaelen's name (photo by BBC)

[Bammers05]

at what happened to Van Persie. Also, good to see Mertesacker and Hart in the Team of the Year. Feel a bit bad for never playing Mertesacker anymore now.

Good work, Iron

[IronCity]

^hmmm, that might have to be taken into account in the Manager of the Year Award voting, #PerMertesacker

[Dragonfly]

It's a shame I can't rep you, IC. Excellent work.

[Ali_BWFC]

Originally Posted by Chalksport

Another Legendary Manager set to Retire?

After the shocking news this morning that left Manchester Utd fans crying on the tube on their way to work, rumours are rife today of another all time great who is considering retirement.
New is spreading fast on the blogosphere that NEWCO boss Ali Beedoubleyoueffsee is considering his future in the game, after a less than stellar campaign this time around.

After an illustrious career spanning almost two whole seasons, with a league runners-up and Twinky Cup to his name, would it be right for this legendary manager to bow out on a trophy-less season? Club Spokeswoman, Justine Bieber, was quick to deny any rumours:

"Absolute fucking bullshit. Fuck off you bunch of wankers." - Justine Bieber, in a Skii Sports News interview earlier today

Further updates to come as we receive them.

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