The Midweek Meander

Let me take you by the hand and take you through the streets of a mid-table fantasy manager. It’s the midweek meander – my mini review of the weekend ahead, just in time to waste your lunchtime…

Best for Clean Sheets…

With Chelsea facing Liverpool and United at Everton – the two strongest defences are up against fairly decent threats. We’re likely to need to find supplementary options for our cleanies this weekend then.

Portsmouth at home to Fulham looks the strongest option. Pompey have stiffened up of late and face a Fulham side who have lost all three away games so far this season, scoring one solitary goal, a fact that pains me with Zamora misfiring in my FPL squad. Traore, in his left midfield role looks ripe for the picking here then – James and Johnson should also have good days at the Fratton Park office.

Blackburn have tightened up of late – conceding just three goals in the last five in all competitions, two of which came against United. They face a Boro side freshly battered by Chelsea, who have travel sick strikers. Three goals in four away games ain’t great, so Nelson, Samba and Warnock in his midfield role, appear to offer good options.

Best for Goals…

On the face of it, City at home to Stoke looks like a mauling. City are the Premiership’s top scorers and are at home to a side that has conceded the most goals so far. To compound matters, City are likely to be wound up by Hughes having suffered a tongue-lashing after the 2-2 draw against 10-man Newcastle. It all points towards three of four goals for City. Having said that, Stoke won’t roll over and could trouble the City defence who have conceded seven in three and are likely to be without the muscle of Richards to help with the likely bombardment from Delap’s oche on the Eastland’s touchlines.

Robinho, Wright-Phillips and Ireland will all be favourites to reap the profits. Elano should also start having sat out at Newcastle. Garrido is your value in defence, should you back a City clean sheet.

Arsenal’s trip to Upton Park surely has goals in it. It’s difficult to back the Gunners rearguard right now having conceded in their last four. West Ham have been strong going forward under Zola (despite the blank at Hull last time out) and have ten goals in home games (bettered only by City). A goal or two for the home side will surely only prompt Arsenal’s attacking players to come to the fore, which should result in two or three goals for Wenger’s men.

Van Persie should start having been rested in the midweek Champions League win so he and Adebayor look strong prospects. Nasri and Walcott should also contribute if selected but Wenger could hand the pair a rest – although in Walcott’s case, it looks unlikely given that he was benched against Everton.

Best for frustration…

I worry about the Villa vs Wigan encounter. Owners of Ashley Young, Carew, Agbonlahor and Laursen will be hoping to see a more attacking outlook from O’Neill this time around after a tight but impotent display against Portsmouth. Wigan are no mugs and come fresh from a feeling of injustice after the Anfield defeat. The lack of Valencia will hurt them however, and they’ve only scored three goals in four games at the JJB. I can easily see frustration all round for owners of Villa players and Zaki lovers, with a horrible 1-1 scoreline and limited returns in attack and defence. After last weekend however, there’s no way I’m risking leaving the Egyptian to mummify on the bench.

The Chelsea vs Liverpool could be a cracker, but games like this often aren’t. The formbook points to goals. Both sides are free scoring right now and while Chelsea will be strongly fancied, Liverpool have shown a great deal of resolve to come back from deficits. They have however, quite bizarrely, beaten ten men in the last three Premiership matches. The red cards were also all dished out for fouls on Alonso. Anyone want to lay odds on Mikel being the fourth?

All in all though, this could easily end in a 1-1 stalemate with few returns in attack or defence. You have to back Chelsea if you were coming down on one side of the fence, so stick with your defenders. I’ve captained Lampard over the last couple of gameweeks – I’ll need a rush of blood or some last minute insight to press that particular button again I reckon. Then again, there’s something not quite right with Ronaldo…