Our Friday lunchtime regular arrives once again, as we analyse the PlayON Player Price List ahead of tomorrow’s 10.45am deadline. Below we offer a couple of picks per position: one essential weekend target and a left-field alternative for your consideration.
PlayON this week announced that they will be running a £100 Freeroll Game each week exclusively for followers of their @playon Twitter account – to get free entry into the game just follow @playon here.
PlayON also has £1,750 in other Guaranteed Pots on offer this week – £1,000 in their Weekly game and £250 in each of their Daily games – you can enter any of the Guaranteed Pots here.
Goalkeeper – Asmir Begovic
The Stoke stopper has not enjoyed the strongest start to the season, with just two clean sheets to his name thus far. A home encounter with Burnley this weekend offers Begovic (6.7m) a chance to serve up the points before the fixture list turns against Mark Hughes’ side and, given that the visitors have scored in just one of their five road trips so far, the Potters will be confident of a Britannia shut-out. Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois is another keeper who has struggled for returns over the opening 11 Gameweeks. Coming in at £8.2m, he’s the cheapest defensive starter amongst Jose Mourinho’s regulars and faces a West Brom side that have mustered just three goals away from the Hawthorns this term.
Defender – Martin Demichelis
Man City’s defence hasn’t been too impressive of late, with a 2-2 draw at QPR in Gameweek 11 indicative of the form which has harvested just a couple of clean sheets in the last 10 rounds of fixtures. In spite of Vincent Kompany’s likely absence, the Argentine could still be one to consider at home to Swansea, though; Garry Monk’s side that have scored just once in their last three away fixtures. Crucially, the recent additions to the PlayON Scoring Matrix should benefit Demichelis, with clearances, interceptions and tackles providing points opportunities. A Newcastle defender won’t be an essential pick many times this season but the form of Daryl Janmaat cannot be overlooked. The Dutchman created both goals against West Brom last time around and, at a price of just 7.0m in PlayON, could be excellent value as the Magpies look for a fourth clean sheet in five against an R’s side that has scored just twice away from Loftus Road.
Midfielder – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Like City’s Demichelis, the updated PlayON Scoring Matrix should benefit the Arsenal flier, with his ability to intercept and tackle an important trait in what’s bound to be a frantic match against Man United. A headed goal in the midweek international against Scotland, allied with eight chances created in his last two league performances, demonstrates Oxlade-Chamberlain’s improving displays in the final third. Available for 8.8m, he’s also much kinder on your budget than other options such as Santi Cazorla (11.1m) and Aaron Ramsey (11.8m) and looks likely to earn the role on the right again, with Theo Walcott unlikely to feature. League leaders Chelsea look likely to prosper at home to a West Brom side that has conceded twice in four of the last five Gameweeks. While Cesc Fabregas (13.4) and Eden Hazard (13.7) are the obvious picks, their lofty valuations see us turn our attentions to Oscar for the first time this season – the Brazilian comes in at 11.5m, and, with three goals and an assist in his last six, has form on his side.
Forward – Ayoze Perez
Despite scoring in each of the last three Gameweeks, the Newcastle frontman remains at a very budget-friendly 7.2m ahead of a home encounter with QPR. Perez’ goal-getting displays look set to keep Papiss Cisse warming the Magpies bench and bearing in mind the visitors have yet to register a shut-out on their travels, he’ll fancy his chances of delivering once again. Elsewhere up front, there are two stand-out candidates for the essential pick this week. Sergio Aguero (15m) and Diego Costa (14.9m) have fixtures that cry out for their inclusion but it’s difficult to accommodate both at those prices. As the Chelsea midfielders currently afford us stronger options than Man City, we’ve gone for Aguero over Costa as the champions welcome Swansea to the Etihad.
9 years, 5 months agoQPR boss Harry Redknapp believes Mike Ashley has been a "fantastic" chairman for Newcastle and claims Alan Pardew would have been sacked by now under a foreign owner.
"The chairman has been fantastic," said Redknapp, whose side play Newcastle on Saturday. The Magpies have gone from bottom on 22 September to eighth in the table.
"He gets a lot of stick, Mike Ashley, but he's always at the games in the crowd."
He added: "It doesn't really matter if you've got a contract - there will be a clause in it and 99 times out of 100, if they sack you that will probably pay you a year's money.
"The difference is probably because he's a British owner. Lots of the foreign owners would look at bringing a foreign manager in because maybe he's been a better player than Alan Pardew was and they played in Italy or Spain."
What a load of absolute rubbish that is.