The Digest – Gameweek 6

We take our final glance at Gameweek 6 and, in doing so, have little option but to hail the resurgence of a certain Belgian gun for hire. Elsewhere, we note how Steve Clarke’s last-minute summer shopping spree continues to boost the Baggies, while examining how the relentless consistency of Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley is causing consternation amongst those yet to join their club.

The Player

Up until Monday night, Luis Suarez was unquestionably the player causing the biggest stir amongst Fantasy managers. It’s typical of a turbulent season, however, that, 24-hours later, another striker would come to the fore and have us re-assessing the view of our “most-wanted”. Romelu Lukaku’s brace and assist in Everton’s 3-2 win over Newcastle undoubtedly lifts him into that bracket, challenging for a place in our three-man forward lines along with Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Olivier Giroud and Wayne Rooney.

Ironically, Lukaku started the season as a hot property. Having starred in Chelsea’s summer friendlies, he looked primed to earn starts and return profit over their Gameweek 1 double fixture but, as it transpired, Lukaku’s pre-season efforts were in vain. With Fernando Torres, rested after his Confederations Cup exploits, he was duly restored above Lukaku in the Chelsea pecking order, along with Demba Ba.

Lukaku’s stock took an immediate nosedive, his initial Fantasy Premier League (FPL) value dipped from 8.0 to 7.4 by Gameweek 4 but as Jose Mourinho ushered in Samuel Eto’o, Lukaku’s fortunes were to be revived by a loan move to Goodison.

Predictably, the Belgian has taken just two appearances to underline his potential – instantly replicating the kind of form that saw him register 17 goals and 7 assists whilst on loan at West Brom last season.

Already the turnaround is almost complete. Lukaku’s FPL value could well be restored to the 8.0 valuation by the time Gameweek 8 is with us after the international break. Despite the fierce competition for places in our forward lines, Fantasy managers have not been hesitant following Monday night’s performance: Lukaku is currently earning new owners at a faster rate than Luis Suarez.

With a trip to Manchester City at the weekend, however, many will allow themselves more time to assess Lukaku’s potential to displace one of the established heavyweights in our attacks. City, whilst fragile on their travels, put up a formidable barrier at the Etihad which will test Roberto Martinez’ free-flowing side, with Vincent Kompany no doubt charged with nullifying his compatriot.

Lukaku will get to test his “fixture proof” credentials, then, with Fantasy managers braced for evasive action should he again demonstrate his credentials as a Premier League force. With a home clash with Hull City lying in wait for Gameweek 8, the Lukaku bandwagon is unlikely to hit the buffers, regardless of his returns in Manchester.

The Team

West Brom’s miserable start to the season had seen them almost consigned to sit amongst the Premier League strugglers. Some canny summer business from Steve Clarke has, however, added much-needed zest to the Baggies performances, resulting in back-to-back wins, capped by the unlikeliest of victories at Old Trafford.

Despite the upturn in fortunes, Fantasy managers won’t have been pushed to consider investment just yet. Instead we’ll be patiently making notes, lining up some likely candidates to consider once the fixture schedule improves.

While we already acknowledged the performance of new signing, Morgan Amalfitano, the impressive Frenchman’s goal and assist returns were close to be overshadowed by a display from a name we’re far more familiar with. Stephane Sessegnon’s showing in the 2-1 over United demonstrated the kind of talent that, at times, attracted plenty of Fantasy interest whilst clad in the stripes of Sunderland. With a goal on his full debut against his former club in Gameweek 5, Sessegnon has already won over the West Brom faithful, whilst putting us Fantasy managers back on alert to his potential as a 6.8 FPL midfielder.

Gameweek 12 starts a run of four home matches in six for the Baggies and, by then, we will have a better indication as to whether Clarke’s midfield acquisitions deserve further attention.

The Talking Point

While Lukaku stole the headlines, Ross Barkley’s goal and all-round performance in the win over the Magpies also had great significance. With Aaron Ramsey’s double figure returns at the Liberty in the same Gameweek, there appears to be little or no sign of the young midfield starlets stalling – backing up last Thursday’s Versus article for members that suggested that the in-form duo’s form was no fluke.

Having been initially priced at 4.5 and 5.5 respectively, Barkley and Ramsey have seen significant value increases as their form has flourished. Their consistency has all but silenced doubts that they may both struggle to maintain their strong returns and now, those who are yet to commit, are facing a tough decision.

Together, the pair have increased by 1.7 in the FPL, a figure that will undoubtedly nag away at those now considering jumping on board. Given that they remain in the low-to-mid price brackets however, perhaps we should not allow such a factor to influence our thinking.

Typically, players who accelerate in price at speed can often cause their owners a problem when they hit a dry spell or, worse still, suffer an injury. Early adopters are often hesitant to sell on a player which would result in a big loss of funds, for fear of not being able to afford to acquire them weeks later.

Given their price tags, however, either Ramsey or Barkley could possibly be left on the bench for a number of weeks before their absence would be a concern. That was not the case for the likes of Michu last season, who, later in the season, became a liability for his owners as his form faltered.

Despite competition for places in both the Everton and Arsenal squads, realistically, neither seems likely to drop to the bench for more than a brief rest. The pair appear to have become essential to their respective managers and only a sudden decline in form will likely see their Fantasy stock falter.

That’s clearly a possibility, although, as mentioned, whilst still priced around the 5.0 and 6.0 bracket, Fantasy managers would have to consider whether even a prolonged dry spell would have a serious impact on their squads.

While those currently lagging behind in mini-leagues need to search out differentials, perhaps both Barkley and Ramsey are the exceptions to the rule. They may well be heavily owned “template” players but their price still enables us to invest elsewhere and find differentials amongst the midfield and defensive heavy hitters.

Rather than invest blindly, we perhaps need to assess how they will be used in our squads. At 5.3, Barkley can be kept in reserve as a bench player at times but, at 6.4 and rising, Ramsey surely has to be included in a 3-4-3. Those without the Welshman will be weighing up whether a move for Barkley and perhaps another bench rotator would be more effective at this stage, praying that Arsene Wenger is correct and that Ramsey’s goalscoring form proves to be cyclical.