Sleeper – Charles N’Zogbia

Our new series of pre-season regulars takes a look at certain Fantasy assets who failed to replicate their previous form in the campaign gone by. Having kicked off with Brede Hangeland last time round, it’s the turn of Aston Villa’s Charles N’Zogbia, after the Frenchman turned in a bitterly disappointing season at the midlands outfit following his transfer from Wigan last summer.

N’Zogbia had arrived with huge expectations on his shoulders and, despite a 7.5 price tag, was one of the most popular midfield assets in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) heading into the start of last season. It was little wonder we had so much faith; the winger joined up at Villa having produced 146 and 167 point hauls in his previous two campaigns under Roberto Martinez, with goals, assists and a propensity for picking up bonus almost unrivalled by those in a similar price bracket.

The arrival of Alex McLeish changed all that, though. Gone was the guaranteed game time N’Zogbia enjoyed at the DW; with his new manager critical of both the player’s attitude and work-rate, he was afforded only 12 lots of 90 minutes over the entire season, with 24 starts and six appearances from the bench. McLeish’s defensive-minded tactics hardly helped win over the home fans after his cross-town move from Birmingham and his side finished the season with a mere 37 goals – the second worst attacking record in the league.

Despite the need to find the net in their battle to beat the drop, McLeish remained steadfast in his negative approach – Villa scored more than a single goal on just one occasion from Gameweek 24 onwards. N’Zogbia’s Fantasy potential and cost plummeted and, by the season end, the 6.6 priced midfielder had racked up just two goals, five assists and eight bonus points as Villa scraped their way to safety by no more than a couple of points.

The Prospects

The dismissal of McLeish and subsequent installation of Paul Lambert in the Villa Park hotseat affords us a chance to wipe the slate clean and write off last season as a temporary blip for N’Zogbia. Lambert’s attacking ethos in his first campaign in the Premier League as Norwich boss saw the Canaries rack up 52 goals – bearing in mind only the top six scored more, an upturn in attacking output could well be on the cards for the midlands outfit.

Certainly, the opening set of fixtures is likely to bring Villa into our thoughts. Lambert has been handed a particularly kind schedule in the first six Gameweeks of the upcoming campaign which affords him the perfect opportunity to pick up the points. Home clashes with Everton, Swansea and West Brom, in addition to trips to West Ham, Newcastle and Southampton rank Villa as third top in our new fixture ticker.

Norwich’s defensive frailties under Lambert saw them concede 66 goals last time out, suggesting investment in their backline may be a little less enticing but, further forward, seasoned Fantasy campaigners such as N’Zogbia are likely to flourish under the new regime. With the new man in charge promising to being the “feelgood factor” back to the club, N’Zogbia looks set to be handed a license to thrill as Lambert looks to quickly draw a line under last season.

A drop in price looks more than likely across Fantasy games after the disappointment of 2011/12, with N’Zogbia shifting to 6.5 or 7.0 in the FPL game. Perhaps all he needs is an arm round his shoulder and a manager with belief in his abilities – if Lambert can tap into the winger’s previous potential, Fantasy managers could once again have a reliable mid-price candidate for our five-man midfields in the season ahead.