Archive for January, 2008
FA Cup Scout Notes
Gerrard goes home with a match ball. Castillo goes home in an ambulance. Newcastle fans still haven’t gone home. Here’s my notes from the midweek replays….
ContinuedVilla wait on Barry scan
Lets cut through all that unhealthy Keegan euphoria with a lovely slice of mildly interesting injury news. Gareth Barry has apparently picked up a potentially nasty hip injury in training and could well face a spell on the sidelines.
The England man suffered a blow to the hip on Villa’s training grounds and, after a lengthy spell, was eventually carted off on the back of a buggy so he could undergo further treatment. That doesn’t sound good for Barry who has played every minute of every game this season for O’Neill’s side.
He was due to have a scan to assess the damage today although there’s no confirmed news on the extent of the injury as yet. We’ll expect that tomorrow but it seems very likely that he’s out of the clash with Liverpool at the weekend which seems likely to open the way for Gardner to move into the midfield after filling in for Mellberg at right-back last time out. Mellberg is not back in training although O’Neill confirmed today that he is “getting better” so he seems likely to return at Anfield.
ContinuedThe Keegan Factor
Okay, we’ve all heard the news, we’ve seen the smiles all over the Geordie faces - the question now is just what effect will Keegan have - can he really get Nicky Butt to five goals by May?
Keegan was flown in by helicopter to attend tonight’s FA Cup replay and the impact was immediate. The crowd have been lifted and the players have already responded. Owen scored after eight minutes and the new Newcastle were on their way. The suggestion is that goals will be guaranteed at both ends, making the Newcastle defence even more abhorrent for us fantasy managers, whilst making us all develop a sudden infatuation for Mark Viduka.
ContinuedScout 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…
ContinuedNew Poll - Captain Ronaldo
I’d imagine the selection of a Captain in the Fantasy Premier League game is a pretty simple task right now. If you have Ronaldo, he’s your Captain. Maybe not though. If you’re lagging behind teams with the winking wizard then you’ll perhaps need to gamble on alternatives in an attempt to catch up. Alternatively, you could be really bold and not even have the fella in your side. Crazy talk.
There’s only way way to find out - I’ve added a new poll to canvas opinion on the situation, in the midst of the finest goalscoring run in fantasy football history. That “fact” is totally unconfirmed by the way, I just love hyperbole.
ContinuedMore agony for Agger
Daniel Agger’s season could be in doubt after the Liverpool defender suffered a recurrence of his metatarsal injury.
Agger was on the bench at Boro at the weekend and set for a return, maybe in midweek against Luton in the FA Cup. However, according to Rafa, Agger felt some discomfort on Sunday morning and he is now effectively back to square one with the injury that has kept him out since September.
ContinuedWeekend Scout Notes
Ronaldo goes bananas, United keep a clean sheet, Lescott and Laursen both score. There’s some things in fantasy football you can rely on then. Like the fact I’ll spend a good part of Sunday picking the weekend’s action apart…
ContinuedTerry targets a return in three weeks
John Terry is due to have a scan on the broken bones in his foot on Monday and spoke on Sunday about a return in “two to three weeks”.
Terry has been sidelined since December 16 after suffering three broken bones in a challenge with Eboue against Arsenal. There was talk that he was making slow progress and that he could possibly miss the rest of the season. Terry was quick to squash that kind of talk.
According to the defender in an interview with Chelsea TV [source], the bones in his foot have now knitted together and he can step up his rehabilitation. Results from the scan could confirm the view that Terry could be back in action in early February with the Liverpool game on February 10 is an obvious target for the Chelsea skipper, although a return for the visit to Spurs a fortnight later looks more realistic.
His return is likely to see Alex relegated to the bench and the partnership with Carvalho restored although it may not be as cut and dry, given the form of Alex so far this season.
ContinuedAnelka on the bench
Nicolas Anelka begins his Chelsea career on the bench as Grant keeps faith with Pizarro up front against Spurs.
Stlll at Chelsea, Ashley Cole is back in at left-back for Bridge. Bullard is back on the bench for Fulham, as is Faubert for West Ham. Sven has gone with both Elano and Castillo in his lineup at Everton. Valente gets the nod over Baines at left-back for Everton while Anichebe starts alongside McFadden, with Johnson out of the sixteen with an injury. Crouch is another who is out of the squad for Liverpool at Boro. On his way perhaps?
As always I’ll sum up the team selections in the weekend scout notes but there’s certainly some interesting decisions of note already.
ContinuedScout Report - Martin Skrtel
In a series of reports on the new arrivals to the Premiership, I take a look at the new signing who has just added to fantasy managers’ Rafa rotation nightmares. Martin Skrtel is the new centre-back at Anfield but just how much of headache will he give us all?
ContinuedAnelka is Chelsea’s for £15 million
It’s a done deal - Chelsea have sealed the signing of Nicolas Anelka for £15 million [source]. No news yet as to whether it’s been agreed in time for him to make a debut against Spurs tomorrow but it looks likely. That would make him a hot property for this weekend and certainly while Drogba is away at the African Cup of Nations.
ContinuedWeekend Team News
Van Persie and Senderos are Carling casualties
Arsenal picked up a number of injuries in last night’s Carling Cup draw with Spurs, including knocks to Djourou and Senderos, while Van Persie has been ruled out with suggestion that he may of suffered a recurrence of his thigh injury [source].
Wenger selected both Senderos and Djourou as a pair against Spurs and lost the latter at half-time. He has already been ruled out of the weekend clash with Birmingham by the Arsenal boss, with details of the injury to Senderos still sketchy.
“Djourou is out but Senderos has not been completely assessed by the medical staff yet,†commented Wenger.
“We will know more about him on Friday.”
He went on to indicate that either Gilberto or Sagna - who both appeared last night - could fill in at centre-back in the absence of Toure should Senderos not make it.
As for Van Persie, he too was withdrawn at half-time and it appears that his thigh is once again troubling him. Wenger has ruled him out of the weekend but insists that’s because the Dutchman is suffering from flu. I’m not so sure.
The absence of Van Persie almost guarantees that Eduardo will make another start alongside Adebayor against Birmingham.
ContinuedJohnson on brink of City return
Michael Johnson is close to a recovery from a abdominal injury [source], a return which seems likely to see Sven make a decision on the roles of Corluka and Onuoha.
Johnson is said to be a fortnight away from a return to first-team action according to Sven…
“Michael has started running outside again, so hopefully, he will be ready in a couple of weeks.”
That could hand the City boss with a selection headache which could be significant to a number of fantasy managers. In Johnson’s absence, Sven has taken to selecting Corluka in midfield with Onuoha taking the right-back spot over the last four outings. Johnson is likely to come straight back into the City midfield, casting doubt over just who will grab the right-back slot.
Onuoha is currently a very decent budget buy in fantasy games given his current run of matches but that could change with Johnson’s return.
Continued
