The Digest – Gameweek 7

Our final glance at Gameweek 7 analyses the impact of United’s latest emerging talent. Southampton’s relentless displays at the back also come under discussion, while we examine how the continued rise of the budget midfielder is leaving us with cash to spare.

The Player

As United rolled up to the Stadium of Light on Saturday evening, there’s no doubt the pressure was firmly on David Moyes. Back-to-back defeats against City and West Brom meant there was little room for error but the new man in charge showed he was willing to make the boldest of decisions by handing young Adnan Januzaj his first start for the champions.

While Wayne Rooney drew a first blank in four and Robin Van Persie toiled yet again, the 18-year-old seized his opportunity in the most dramatic of fashions, firing both the visitors’ efforts to deny the Wearsiders a share of the points. After the game, Moyes admitted Januzaj has been under consideration for some time now as he looks to solve the problem left flank area – the United manager’s praise certainly hints that he’s more than willing to repeat this show of faith:

“He is a wonderful player, he is someone who we think a lot of. I have tried to get him in the team over the last few weeks but for various reasons it did not happen. We had the odd injury and it didn’t seem right to throw a young lad in, but I would have loved to have selected him weeks ago. He is a really good player, he can do most things and play in lots of different positions. He is a real talent. I gave Wayne Rooney and Ross Barkley their debuts at Everton and he is certainly in their category too.”

With Ashley Young coming under fierce criticism amid a series of under-par displays and accusations of diving, and Shinji Kagawa also failing to convince Moyes of his first-team worth, Januzaj’s instant impact bodes well for Fantasy managers on the lookout for the latest cut-price gem. As Moyes points out, he’s never been afraid to place his faith in youth before and the youngster’s installation could be another step in his attempt to make his own mark on the United XI following his arrival from Everton in the summer.

Currently priced at 4.7 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Januzaj has already been subject to heavy investment after his Wearside brace – over 92,000 managers have snapped up his services and led to a price hike of 0.1. With another 11 days until the Gameweek 8 deadline, Januzaj looks set to rise to 4.9 by the time United square up to Southampton at Old Trafford and with three home games in the following five supplemented by trips to Fulham and Cardiff, the schedule certainly bodes well for the youngster. In a season that has seen so many of the premium midfielders fail to justify their lofty prices, those who have decided to avoid the Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley bandwagons may be prepared to roll the dice on Januzaj as the masses scramble for his signature and elevate his price further.

The Team

Sunday’s home clash with Swansea harvested yet another win and clean sheet for Southampton. Up to fourth spot after a third straight victory, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are showing little sign of faltering – five clean sheets in seven, with just two goals against, is indicative of the defensive steel that has helped the Saints grind out results.

There’s no doubt they were somewhat fortuitous against Michael Laudrup’s side, though. An inspired display by Artur Boruc denied the visitors time and again, whilst the woodwork also came to the rescue on the rare occasion the Pole was beaten – nonetheless, with save points aplenty and a couple of bonus points also thrown in, the Saints stopper has now risen to the top of the FPL keeper standings in light of his weekend heroics.

While Dejan Lovren and Jose Fonte continue to climb in price, Nathaniel Clyne sits at just 4.4 in FPL – incredibly, Pochettino’s side have yet to concede a goal in any of the games the right-back has started and, having kept out Daniel Sturridge and Michu in recent weeks, the Saints will roll up to Old Trafford with little fear next time around.

Further up the field, it’s been Adam Lallana who has made the biggest impact. While pre-season favourite Jay Rodriguez has been consigned to the role of bit-part player, the 6.0 priced Saints skipper has struck a real source of consistency in recent weeks – with returns in each of his last three, he’s moved up to 34 FPL points, just two behind the likes of Ross Barkley and more than strike pair Rickie Lambert (25) and Pablo Osvaldo (19).

Indeed, Pochettino’s withdrawal of both his strikers against the Swans highlights his willingness to sacrifice a forward when the need arises. His decision to hook Osvaldo and move to five in midfield helped wrestle back possession in the hosts’ favour, while Lambert was also replaced by Jay Rodriguez. That proved to be a masterstroke as the former Burnley man grabbed the Saints second.

With Fulham, Stoke and Hull to follow the United clash, Pochettino’s side may well have established a firm footing in the top four before the fixtures turn a little trickier around Gameweek 12 – showdowns with Arsenal, Chelsea and City in the following four may look a real test of their resolve but going on their displays so far, there’d be no real surprise if the Saints managed to shut up shop again.

The Talking Point

The impact of Januzaj merely maintained the theme of a season that has, so far, defied Fantasy logic as the cut-price contenders continue to overshadow the vast majority of the established heavyweights.

Right across the classifications, the budget options are bossing it. Three of the top four keepers in FPL started at 5.0 or less, as did four of the highest scoring defenders so far. In midfield, whilst Yaya Toure and Oscar’s exploits have saved faced for the big-money buys, Aaron Ramsey, Robbie Brady and Ross Barkley are all firmly ensconced in the top five – with Januzaj looking a viable contender, the quartet’s form (once Brady is back from injury) could see two or three of these players sitting in many a template midfield.

It’s somewhat ironic that back in the summer, we questioned just how we could possibly fit Robin Van Persie into our squads at 14.0. While a number of cut-price midfielders have handed us the answer, it’s the Dutchman who has failed to read the script, with just a converted penalty to show for his endeavours since Gameweek 1. With three home games in four coming up, Van Persie has received just over 600 transfers in this week – an incredible turnaround in Fantasy faith as the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Olivier Giroud and Romelu Lukaku all make a mockery of their initial pricing.

The wise old saying that “form is temporary, class is permanent” has been proven correct time and again but Fantasy managers who subscribe to that theory have been harshly treated, with their patience shown scant reward. Those who have refused to chase points and jump bandwagons have been bitten time and again, with Ramsey, in particular, showing that our swallowing pride can sometimes be for the greater good. At some point, you feel, though, the premium priced players will begin to produce – in the meantime, it’s a win-win for who’ve snapped up the budget buys as they help their team value and overall ranks climb.