The Knee Jerk – Breaks, Burnley and Bendtner

Here’s a new semi-regular, one that I’ve been toying with for a while now. With the comments on the last article piling up, this seemed the right time for it to make it’s debut.

The “Knee Jerk” will bring you almost instant thoughts on matches just past, no doubt clouded by emotion, frustration and bereft of clear thinking. I’m not really selling this…

On a morning dominated by the coverage of the awful injury sustained by Aaron Ramsey last night at the Britannia, us Fantasy Managers are left licking our own compartively inconsequential wounds after a most unpredictable Saturday that brought scant returns for most.

Chelsea’s 4-2 defeat epitomised matters. Two goals for Lampard did at least appease some, but given the dominance of Fabregas, Rooney and Drogba in the current climate plus Lampard’s price tag, the Chelsea midfielder has almost become a differential rather than a must-have.

Meanwhile Drogba frustrated his owners, many of which had handed him the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) captaincy, only for Tevez at the other was rubbing it in with an impressive display and a brace off the back of his spell of compassionate leave. The performance of Hilario in goal for Ancelotti’s side was also cause for concern. On yesterday’s showing, Chelsea need Cech back quickly and if we are to get any defensive returns from Chelsea’s forthcoming double fixture in gameweek 31, so do we.

There was more frustration from an unfamiliar source. Burnley’s new boss Brian Laws warmed us up for their double fixtures in gameweek 29 by throwing us a bizarre curveball with yesterday’s team selection. Having benched him in the last two matches, Laws brought Wade Elliot in from the cold and benched fantasy favourite Chris Eagles, despite the fact that the United man had previously impressed in his ninety minutes at Villa Park. Jack Cork was also dropped to the bench having sparkled in the defeat to Villa and Robbie Blake came in for only his third start in ten matches.

In short, Laws can’t be trusted, although the defeat to Portsmouth will hopefully hand Eagles an opportunity over the games against Arsenal and Stoke. Graham Alexander should also be over his calf injury and in the side. Apologies on his Picks selection, although I did mention it was a gamble. It seems like we will be gambling when it comes to Laws’ teamsheet.

Finally, those managers who held on to their Wigan assets from the recent double fixture in gameweek 26 (hello there), were also handed the pleasure of seeing both N’Zogbia and Scharner removed at half-time. That’s N’Zogbia who has been widely recognised as Wigan’s best player and main attacking threat and Scharner who had returned a goal and a clean sheet in that gameweek. The fact that Wigan actually have a fixture in gameweek 29 will probably be enough to see their players held but that kind of behaviour from Martinez, coupled with dreadful form, will likely seal the fact of any of his players in fantasy terms from that point on.

At least Birmingham turned up with another clean sheet though. It wasn’t all unpredictable then. Forgive me for failing to take any pleasure from that though. Everyone except me in my mini league seemed to go into the gameweek with two of their defenders. Praise the lord for Nicklas Bendtner is all I can say. I never really thought I’d be uttering those words on a Sunday morning.