Scout Report - Branislav Ivanovic
Chelsea have confirmed that they’ve agreed a fee for Branislav Ivanovic of Lokomotiv Moscow, shelling out a reported £9 million for the Serbian defender. He has yet to agree personal terms and pass a medical but that should be a formality for money-bags Chelsea and a fighting fit 23-year old.
Apparently the lad can play anywhere across the back four - versatility that may well provide a bonus for Avram Grant but is enough to give the rotation conscious fantasy manager the fear. I take a look at the new arrival at the Bridge and the changes he may bring…
The news of his Ivanovic’s arrival has been met by a general “meh” from the Chelsea fans. In the wake of the £15 million signing of Anelka, that is perhaps understandable. Make no mistake though, Ivanovic is a talent. United, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid were all said to be monitoring his progress and Chelsea have seemingly pulled off a coup by sealing his signature.
The fee may seem large for an as yet unproven talent at the very highest level, but Ivannovic was under contract at Moscow until 2011. With more than a few top clubs on his trail, Chelsea obviously felt it was time to flex Abramovich’s financial muscles to sign the defender who had made 54 appearances for Russian club, scoring five goals.
He started his career at his hometown club Sremska Mitrovica where he made 24 appearances from 2002-03. His potential caught the eye of OFK Belgrade in 2003 and he went on to play three successful seasons at the Serbian first division club, playing 73 times and notching 6 goals. Despite helping Belgrade to two UEFA Cup campaigns, Ivanovic was always set to move to bigger things.
He signed for Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006 and on signing, the then Moscow coach, Slavoljub Muslin, described Ivanovic as the “best young defender in Europe”.
That kind of hype was born out at last year’s Under-21 European Championships. Ivanovic captained his country and was named in the UEFA team of the tournament. He won his first senior cap in June 2006 in a friendly against Italy and has won eight more caps to follow that, losing just one international in that time.
You get a glimpse at Ivanovic in action via the lovely YouTube link below - it comes complete with a very lively ditty from the lovely Christina Aguilera. His pace and power is clear from the footage, as is the fact that he’s not one to shirk a challenge. He’s got some throw on him too by the looks of things.
At 6ft 3in, Ivanovic is a dominant and powerful figure in the air but comfortable with ball and with decent pace. He is widely regarded as a centre-back, playing alongside Vidic for Serbia, but can also be employed at full-back. Being predominantly right-footed, he’s often played on the right-hand side but is reportedly said to favour the left-back role. That has lead to speculative reports that his arrival would not only see the departure of Ben-Haim but also that Wayne Bridge could well be surplus to requirements with Liverpool poised to swoop. Right now that seems unlikely, with Bridge currently enjoying a sparodic run in the side with Grant clearly looking to rest and rotate him with Ashley Cole. Ben-Haim does seem to be out the door however, with Spurs said to be sniffing about.
Ben-Haim’s departure won’t concern fantasy managers, but like the arrival of Skrtel at Liverpool, Ivanovic’s signing presents the Chelsea boss with far too many options for my liking. With Terry likely to be sidelined until mid-to-late February, it appeared that Alex and Carvalho would be set for a decent run of games, unchallenged. Belletti and Cole were already under threat from Ferreira and Bridge. With this signing, effectively, the entire Chelsea defence is now open to rest and rotation. Only Terry, on his return, appears to be safe, with Belletti, in his current form perhaps just behind him.
It’s obviously early days with Ivanovic so there’s no need to panic transfer just yet. A work permit has already been granted so he could well be pitched into the action at Birmingham but it seems unlikely. Alex seems set to get the opportunity to continue a promising season and Carvalho should also be safe for the time being. But that will only be the case while they continue to perform and stay suspension and injury free.
Slowly but surely the defensive options for fantasy managers are narrowing - raising the profile of the stable United defence and options such as City’s Dunne, Villa’s Laursen and Everton’s Lescott. Suddenly this in defensive terms, this season is becoming about the pursuit of goals and Fantasy Premier League bonus points rather than the traditional clean sheets that Chelsea and Liverpool defenders, safe from rotation, used to provide.
Big Bad Dom
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dadoune
Chook
Panda Bear
TorresMagic
masafi
What an indept report Mr Mark.Great work again. How do you get time?? Do you have a team of little umpa lumpa’s working for you behind the scenes??
Your bang on about defensive options. Ev1 has the same back 4, give or take a portsmouth defender. Managers with nothing to lose are now taking a punt on defenders and this fellow could be worth a gamble. Not me though, I am 80 points ahead wit lads down t’pit.
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Great scouting, Mark. I’ve been considering purchasing a Chelsea defender so I’ll keep an eye out for this fella from now on, especially if they give him a low price.
I have to agree with the first comment too, every team I see seems to have the exact same back four of Laursen, Ferdinand, Distin, Lescott. I can’t see many people risking Ivanovic, Skrtel or anyone else.
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Mark,
Don’t ever give up what you do on this site. Simply brilliant.
Please can you advise on a conundrum I have though. In one of my games the maximum club quota is two from any one team so with Anelka’s signing for Chelsea, I am forced to release one of either Carvalho, Belletti or Anelka by this Thursday at the latest.
Who do you think I should get rid of? Please give me your advice.
Thanks,
Tom
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Hi Tom. Neither Belletti or Carvalho are 100% assured of a start but I’d probably flog Carvalho. I’m not sure what game you’re playing but I imagine he’d give you more funds than Belletti which should allow you to explore the usual suspects of Dunne, Laursen, Lescott etc.
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Im no mark, but it has to be one of the defenders. I think Anelkas point scoring will improve at Chelsea, plus personally i dont like two defenders from any one team.
For me though, thinking of freeing up some cash so need a cheap striker- im thinking K.Jones or M.Bent?
Bent is possibly the better option because wigans next run of games seem quite favorable?
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Mark / Tim,
Thanks for the advice. I am gonna go with my hunch and get rid of Carvalho. The game I am playing is the original fantasy league professional whereby you cannot duplicate players with anyone else in your league. It is therefore more about points of difference than cash. I also play the Telegraph league.
I think Carvalho is most injury prone and most likely to suffer rotation once Terry is fit.
Tim - I would go with Kenwyn Jones as quality usually prevails over a longer period of time. He is a better player than Bent. His supply is likely to improve as well with Richardson fit and Edwards on the way back.
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Correct me if I’m wrong but Anelka and Ivanovic both played in this seasons UEFA Cup and Chelsea can only add one of these players (who played in the UEFA Cup for another club) to their Champions League roster. Therefore, whoever is left off is likely to play more premiership matches than other Chelsea players who play in a similar position and are currently on the UCL roster. IMO, Ivanovic is most likely to be left off considering Anelka’s quotes about wanting to play in the Champions League. If that pans out, Chelsea defenders other than Ivanovic will likely be rotated out/rested in the matches before and after a Champions League match.
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Mark you probably hear this a million times over but ill say it again anyway…great site!
Quick questions for you, how comes Santa Cruz had 5 points yesterday morning then last night when i checked he was down to 2 (lost 3 points somewhere)? Also do you think its time to chop Santa out, not sure if he will continue his great form, if so who should i put it (have 9.3m to spend).
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Santa certainly nodded the ball on for Roberts to score, so why did they take the assist of him??? My rival has him, so for me that is 3 points gained overnight.
With 9.3 obvious choice is Tevez, says me who does not have him. I will wait till after weekend and decide if berbatov’s head will roll for tevez, who I sold for berbatov.
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He was initially given an assist for Roberts’ goal, I think, which was then taken away by a panel of heartless swines. Tevez, Berby, Keane, Anelka and Adebayor are the key strikers in that price bracket - I’d go for Tevez if you don’t have him.
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Anyone aware of any defenders that take penalties - they seem to be all midfielders or forwards?
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L. Diarra signed at Portsmouth….weird decision
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Very strange decision- he wasn’t willing to get his head down and graft at Arsenal.. and complains that he’s not automatically selected for the first team.
I would never consider him for fantasy football- his shooting is completely woeful
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I agree, Old G; he’ll walk into the first team (for now) but doesn’t look great value at 5.5m, what with Benjani’s current “banjo/cow’s arse” problems. Pompey have scored 3 in their last 6 Prem games and have lost 2 strikers and 2 mids to Africa. And after Derby, they play Utd and Chelsea.
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@yerdad
Just youtubed Roberts’s goal - I can’t see why there’s no assist for Santa, unless it’s for the defender getting a (debatable) foot in during the run.
Took them a while to give Cole’s assist for Belletti’s goal too.
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puffinboy - “what with Benjani’s current “banjo/cow’s arse†problems”…
Yeah, I thought I saw him limping towards the end of the game…
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Ah yeah, defender slid in and that redirected the shot, its all coming back to me now. My rival loses 3 points, so I have to congratulate the dubious decision panel on an excellent but dubious decision.
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Got me thinking again, defender sliding should’nt really make any difference should it? I think we need our leader to get to the bottom of this one. yer dad calling mark, come in mark
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Its pretty crap really if points were taken off because of that. In theory 2 of Ronaldo’s goals should have counted at the weekend then (they come off a defender before going in). I know they would have been on target but that is as pedantic isnt it.
Im thinking of taking Carragher out and bringing in a more point productive defender - any suggestions? Was thinking Lescott or Ferdinand. Carra only really gets clean sheets and they are few and far between at the minute!
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Regarding the Santa assist:
On review, the data provider decided that Roberts lost and then regained
possession after receiving the ball from Santa Cruz, hence no assist was
given.
Regarding midfielders:
I have Gerrard and Petrov and am starting to lose faith in both of them. The funds I would free up by getting rid of Gerrard would allow me to strenghthen my defence or get Tevez next to Anelka.
I could also get rid of Petriv for Cahill.
Most of my opponents do not have Gerrard anymore, so if he starts doing well again that would give me an advangate. Almost all of them have Petrov and only 1 has Cahill, so am tempted to do that swap.
However, my defence also needs a boost as I have McCartney and Brown to get rid of. Don’t wanna get rid of Brown if it turns out he is playing this weekend, but don’t want another 0 points fiasco.
What to do?
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I too have questioned whether to keep Gerrard, but I’ve got a good feeling about the game on Monday v A.Villa and Gerrard may produce the goods - his form could be coming back a little albeit against Luton.
I think this week he’s captaincy material; something tells me it wont be the Ronaldo show this week - perhaps he’ll be on the bench, perhaps an injury or maybe just a surprise Reading performance.
There’s a gain to be had, because on paper Ronaldo’s fixture looks tempting and this could be the opportunity to gain some points by choosing another captain as most teams will still select Ronaldo(c).
Anyone who has Berbatov should select him as captain too over Ronaldo.
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Gerrard hat a hatty yesterday (albeit against Luton), but he could be back on fire this weekend Alex. I have him as well and am holding on solely due to that, he really seems to be very up and down, hopefully he is on his way back up after finding the net 3 times!
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Neither Ivanovic or Skrtel are available in the FPL yet. Do we think they’ll wait till the end of the window before introducing them? I remember playing one fantasy game (The Times, perhaps?) when they could hardly be arsed to add any new players.
Oh, apparently Robert is available for Derby at a, er, mouthwatering 4.5m, so that puts paid to my theory.
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But see, players rarely have goal scoring bonanzas a few matches in a row. Which could mean he wasted his hat trick in the FA Cup and we’ll get bugger all on Monday.
Meanwhile, my most dangerous opponent has Bentley and Cahill instead of Gerrard and I fear that could very well give him the edge.
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What does everyone think about Sagna at Arsenal? I am in the ESPN Fantasy League here in the US, thinking about moving gk Carson, def Campbell, and def Riise for gk van der Sar, def Dunne, and def Sagna for the long haul. Only have 7 transfers left for the entire season, so very short run of games isn’t impt. I would do this after this weekend with Portsmouth hosting Derby (about time they get a clean sheet). Pleeeease let me knwow hat you all think…pullin my hair out over this one. Current team is:
James, Carson
Gallas, Riise, Shorey, Melberg, Cambell
Ronaldo, Gerrard, Cahill, Bentley, Rosicky,
Keane, Jones, Kitson
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Team:
Hart
Anderson Ball Ferdinand Brown Alex
Ronaldo Fab Gerrard Wallace Teale
Anelka Keane C.Cole
£2 million in the bank…what shall i do with it?
Upgrade Keane to torres?
Upgrade C.Cole?
Focus on defence?
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I would focus on the midfield (where the points are at) on a Teale upgrade, depending on funds.
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Annoyingly I seem to have just gone out of the fantasy cup competition on FPL even though i scored more than my rival.
I scored 86, but somehow only 78 of those seem to have been brought forward. (no i havent made any transfers.) Whilst he has ended with 82. Curses!
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Team:
James, Almunia
Distin, Ferdinand, Laursen, Wheater, Bramble
Petrov, Fabregas, Bentley, Ronaldo, Dempsey
Anelka, Tevez, Benjani
I have no money in the bank, but i feel my weakness is having two good keepers, and Benjani!
Could maybe bring in Hart and Ball, and buy another good forward, Santa Cruz, Adebayor? Or even make real changes and bring in Torres? Or try to get Belletti?
What do you guys think?
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I would get rid of James after this weekend (Derby) for Hart, free up some $ for a Benjani replacement…everything else looks good long term.
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I’m also thinking of bringing in Hart and Ball, I think Citeh have a good run coming up. Was cruising my league but then made the mistake of missing the festive action by being in New Zealand, so I’ve lost ground, and need some daring moves to catch up. I’m imagining most others will pack in some Pompey defenders this week, so I may do the opposite and hope Derby can bag a goal.
Rob Green has done sod all for me since I brought him in about 6 games ago, does anyone think I should keep the faith? Also Agbonlahor has flattered to decieve, relying heavilyon bonus points and assists.
Team:
Gordon, Green
Ferdinand, Gallas, Senderos, Dunne, O’Brien (Andy)
Ronaldo, Fabregas, Cahill, Larsson, Wallace
Tevez, Anelka, Agbonlahor
Weaknesses: Arsenal reliant backline, Fabregas’s rubbish form, Green doing nothing.
Targets: Hart, Ball, Alex, Young.
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City have a good run coming up?
I wouldn’t consider Arsenal, ManU and Everton a good run, even if two are at home…
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any comments on Sagna guys? what are your thoughts?
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You guys might want to check the fitness of Berbatov - missed last nights game with the flu so may not feature at the weekend. lets hope its just man flu and not the real thing!
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Lose him.
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How about this for a wideball: Cerny in goal…
He only costs 3.9 and they’ve got the mackems at home. Think of the savings.
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Wow- Cerny in goal- you know, I think that sounds pretty good to me for 3.9m.
With big Ledley King back in the defence, I think Tottenham will shore up a bit.. however, their fixtures aren’t great for the next month or so.
(Man U. Chelsea and away to Everton)
I really hope Berbatov isn’t out this weekend- that would be just my luck…
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First rule of FF - never sign a Newcastle defender/keeper.
Second rule of FF - never sign a Spurs defender/keeper.
Third rule of FF - make sure to have Thierry Henry at all times.
Well, two out of three ain’t bad.
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Cerny is a very good shout for 3.9 actually, if he keeps his place. Hadn’t thought of that at all up to now.
Spurs aren’t high up on the list of teams I look to for clean sheet points though. Was hoping that Ramos would bring in a few high-quality defenders but that hasn’t really happened yet. Still, might sneak Cerny in as my reserve keeper.
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Apparently King Henry played a blinder at the weekend. The last I’d heard he was out “indefinitely” because of his back.
I miss him, oh God, how I miss him…
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Oh, fourth rule of FF- always have Julian Dicks (10 Premier League goals in 95-96- think of the points for a defender and possible bonus points!)
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Robinson has been replaced by Cerny for sure?
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If Berbie is out- anyone thinking a straight swap for Keane for that game only? And would it be worth a 4 point hit?
Other possibilites for the weekend might be Anelka vs Brum and Adebayor vs Fulham or Tevez vs RDG…
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Keegan back at Newcastle, hilarious. Clean sheets a go-go.
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Keegans come home!!!
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I will expect Mark’s picks for the weekend to contain three Bolton attackers then.
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Ollie,
Will the Messiah enter the city on the back of a donkey?
Or is Ameobi still out on loan…
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I expect keegan will sign beardsley and get rid of viduka now, which will be a worry for managers and I can tell you this and i hope you are all listening , i would love it, love it if they win against bolton
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Sign some Newcastle attacking players and get rid of the defenders quick! (Not that you would have any anyway!!!)
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Who is the best CHEAP defender to buy - ie: Less than 4.2m???
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Anyone fancy a Portsmouth defender at home against Derby for captain, or did the Sunderland result scare everyone off? Personally, i’ve had bad experiences with captaining defenders that were “certainties” for clean sheets…
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Bramble is in good form atm and his forthcoming fixtures don’t look too shoddy at all. He costs £4.1m in FPL. Likewise Wigan’s Taylor, who’s cheaper at £3.9m, or Wheater, who’s scored a couple in the last few games.
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Cheers Seven Foot! Yeah I was thinking Bramble too.. cheers bud
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Does anyone really think Berbatov is gonna go? I felt like him a Tevez are the same type of player, but thats what they said about him and Rooney! Anyways, should I take Berb out? Cheers
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Im sure most of you saw match of the day tonite at half time? Keegan was absolutely lording it, kissing all the blondes, including the females, absolutely lapping it up he was. Perhaps he just got bored and fancied a laugh, what has he got to lose?, Perhaps he can knock Owen into shape?, but he needs to invest heavily in his defence.
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