The Knee Jerk – It’s About Time

With just five games played out, Saturday satisfaction always looked unlikely. It’s fitting however, that with the big guns yet to be primed, we saw a handful of mid-price players come to the fore and deliver long overdue returns. Fitting and just little bit painful.

Jamie O’Hara started proceedings, blasting a dramatic equaliser to earn Wolves an unlikely point. Full of industry, creativity and threat, O’Hara has been an influential figure, without delivering returns for those brave enough to take a punt. Subject of our recent Members’ Monitor article and, just a couple of gameweek’s later, O’Hara has at last broke his duck. It was coming.

The start of something special? With City up next and three away games in four, it seems unlikely. Even so, O’Hara could yet figure on our radars should McCarthy get Wolves earning victories again.

A few hours later, Sunderland’s Stephane Sessegnon – another mid-price midfielder who has failed to live up to his pre-season billing, earned Steve Bruce three points with a victory at the Reebok.

Ironically, Sessegnon’s first goal of the season coincided with his shift back to the flank, as Bruce paired Connor Wickham and Nicklas Bendtner in his forward line. The Dane later converted a second for the Black Cats; Sessegnon providing the assist and fetching a belated 10-point return for the few thousand Fantasy managers who had kept the faith. Expect bonus points to follow on Monday morning and, with three home games in four to come, suddenly “Sess” is back in the game and blinking bright.

While Sunderland prevailed at Bolton, Yohan Cabaye also fired his first goal of the season to hand North East rivals Newcastle the points. The Frenchman is another Fantasy prospect that’s been touted as overdue returns. Having delivered just a couple of assists thus far, Cabaye gleefully converted to keep the Magpies buoyant and Wigan resigned to the relegation spots.

Unlike Sessegnon, Cabaye’s stock seems unlikely to rise from today’s success. Alan Pardew is now set to steer his happy ship through choppy waters, three away trips in four with Stoke, City and United presenting three of the toughest destinations around. Cabaye’s next significant return could be a good few weeks away.

Is anyone out there feeling smug? Is there really any Fantasy manager with O’Hara, Sessegnon and Cababye tucked away in their lineup? There can’t be many and yet, there will be plenty who have owned at least one of them previously, now pondering what might have been.

Having been threatening to return all season, the trio chose today to get off the mark – a day which seems set to see such modest scoring for many. That only fuels the frustration and makes their late delivery all the more difficult to accept.