Scouting The Doubles – Portsmouth

With no less than ten double gameweek prospects to consider we need to get cracking on our analysis of the teams involved. Let’s start with perhaps the team least likely to prick up your fantasy ears. Plucky Portsmouth put up another battle at Anfield last night but traveled back to the South Coast contemplating a familiar feeling of defeat. With so many other options open, can we really give Avram Grant’s side a second glance?

The Opponents

Pompey are one of the few sides to face two home fixtures with both Hull then Chelsea welcomed to Fratton Park. You don’t need me to tell you that those opponents present contrasting opportunities for Premier League points and fantasy returns. Avram Grant will clearly look for three points against Hull but they will come against a side under the miraculous spell that new management brings. While that game will be far from easy, it’s likely to be a walk in the park compared to the Chelsea fixture in midweek.

Current Form

Things have been pretty woeful results wise. Just a single win in the last nine league games with seven goals scored and 19 conceded tells part of the story, although it must be said that Portsmouth have shown determination and fight throughout the season. It’s their lack of quality has been the telling factor. The home record is the worst in the Premier League over the last five games – no wins, two draws and three defeats with five scored and ten conceded. Form and statistics indicate that Portsmouth will struggle to get more than a point out of their two gameweek 31 fixtures then. A couple of goals could well come their way but it’s equally likely that they will ship three or four at least over the two games. Defensively, it’s been eleven league matches without a clean sheet.

Rotation Risk

Grant has tried out all manor of permutations, particularly in attacking areas but is generally hampered by a lack of resources that can really call themselves Premier League quality. We could see rotation up front involving Dindane and Webber over the two games and Owusu-Abeyie seems to be in and out of Grant’s plans, but then but this is unlikely to affect the only real fantasy targets – O’Hara and Piquonne discussed below. The pair must surely be starters in both games and therefore Grant’s selection policy shouldn’t be a major concern.

Potential Targets

Jamie O’Hara
The loanee from Spurs will remain a Premier League player while his current teammates ply their trade in the Championship. His busy prompting and tireless covering from midfield often goes unnoticed but the quality of his delivery and threat from distance ensures that O’Hara has stood out as Portsmouth’s key player. Whilst one goals and four assists looks a paltry return, his 20 bonus points in the Fantasy Premier League game is outstanding output and testamant to his form this term. At just 4.6 you will be hard pushed to find a more secure and consistent performer as a budget midfielder and that more than justifies his inclusion in your thinking for Portsmouth’s double.
Predicted Return: 1 assist, 2 Bonus points

Frédéric Piquionne
Another of Portsmouth’s loan signings, the Frenchman borrowed by Lyon has been a stuttering success story. A rangy, imposing striker, Piquionne has proved effective enough to help himself to five league goals and three assists. Two goals and an assist for the Belhadj consolation at Anfield last night demonstrates his value as Pompey’s main threat at the sharp-end of the field. For a price of just 4.8 in the FPL, only Birmingham’s Cameron Jerome can really rival Piquionne as a regular starter with a goal threat. Whether he can produce against Hull and Chelsea is of course, another matter. If Portsmouth do score, it’s a strong bet that Piquionne will be involved.
Predicted Return: 1 goal