Say What – Gameweek 35

This afternoon, we take our usual weekly scour for press conference snippets served up over the last few days. Jose Mourinho casts doubts over Diego Costa’s playing time, Louis van Gaal takes spot-kick duties off Robin van Persie, Jamie Vardy admits he’s still playing with a foot problem, whilst Alan Pardew explains his reasons for ringing the changes away to Chelsea yesterday afternoon.

Mourinho admits Costa may not play again this term

At his Friday afternoon press conference, Jose Mourinho conceded he is keen to court caution with Diego Costa’s hamstring problem after the forward was forced off in each of his last couple of appearances. The striker – still owned by over 28% of FPL managers – has failed to feature since Gameweek 31 now but with the title now in the bag, Mourinho’s words prior to the Palace match look ominous for those still holding onto the Spain international:

“It’s not been a setback but it just isn’t worth the risk. In this process, in the last month, if we lose a game and we don’t want to lose a second match, he will be back immediately. But, because the results in the last month were always victories and a draw against the team in second [Arsenal], we don’t need to rush him. We are trying to give him maximum stability for him to be stronger and stronger. No need for any risk. If we win Sunday, I would say he doesn’t play next week against Liverpool. If we don’t win on Sunday and we need points against Liverpool, I’d say he would play against them. It’s about judging it result after result. If we don’t need him, probably he doesn’t play.”

Vardy to play through pain barrier

After racking up three goals and as many assists ahead of the home encounter against Newcastle, Jamie Vardy failed to get amongst the points as strike partner Leonardo Ulloa bagged a brace instead. After the match, the Foxes forward conceded he’s still having to receive treatment on an ongoing foot injury as he attempts to fire his side to safety:

“I had to have another injection (on Saturday) but it is not going to heal fully until I get completely off it. It won’t get any worse. It is just a simple fact of taking the pain away. Once summer comes it will be fine. It is not doing any more damage to it. It is just the pain element but the injections are taking that away. There are pins and needles everywhere and it is sore underneath, but to get the three points and put in a performance like that is worth it. I will keep doing it because we all have the mentality that we will run through brick walls for each other, and that is how it should be.”

Rodgers explains Lambert selection

After seeing his side fail to score in either of their double Gameweek matches, Brendan Rodgers was forced into changing his set-up when Mario Balotelli was ruled out of the home clash against QPR. Rolling out a 4-3-3 at Anfield, the Reds boss handed Rickie Lambert a first league start since Gameweek 15 and watched on as the former Saints striker earned his third assist for the season. Whilst many had expected Philippe Coutinho or Raheem Sterling to be fielded as the most advanced central option, Rodgers revealed that Lambert’s more robust presence was key to his thinking:

“I thought he was excellent. He had a good run and made an excellent pass to set up young Coutinho for the first goal. We needed that physicality at the top of the field to hold the ball up for us today and I thought he competed very well with the two centre-halves, who were very strong. I thought he did very, very well.”

Advocaat heaps praise on Graham

With Steven Fletcher ruled out once again due to an ankle problem, Dick Advocaat altered his tactics for the visit of Southampton. Having started with a 4-4-2 last weekend, the Black Cats boss switched to a 4-3-3 and handed Danny Graham the lone striker role as Connor Wickham and Jermain Defoe – the front two against Stoke in the previous Gameweek – were shifted onto the flanks. After the 2-1 win, Advocaat talked up Graham’s display as the Wearsiders prepare for double Gameweek 37:

“Like the other players, he works so hard and he was dangerous when he got the ball. He protected it well and the other players could do something with what he did. That’s why we created something. We had four or five possibilities against a team who is defensively very strong. I was hoping he was capable of those sort of performances and he did that.”

Pardew keen to hand fringe players a chance

After watching his side suffer back-to-back home defeats to West Brom and Hull, Alan Pardew threw a curveball for yesterday’s trip to Chelsea. The Palace boss fielded Yannick Bolasie as a “false nine” and shifted Jason Puncheon out of the centre and onto the flank, as he made four changes to his starting line-up for the Stamford Bridge encounter. After the match, Pardew explained his tactical tinkering is necessary at this time of year as he looks to make plans for the 2015/16 campaign:

“We tried to throw some problems on the pitch for Chelsea. They were very focussed but we created some good stuff. Puncheon had a good game. If we had got the first goal it might have been a very different game. I thought they were a bit nervous in the last 15 minutes and I’m a little disappointed we didn’t capitalize on that. I felt that the players I assembled today would be right for this game. Mariappa got a game today, [Joe] Ledley started in midfield. These are players that I needed to see. I thought they did well. Jedinak’s a legend at our place, I know exactly what he can do but I do need to find out about one or two others before the end of the season to make decisions on futures.”

Ki looking for more goals

Emerging from the bench against Stoke on Saturday, Ki Sung-Yeung bagged his eighth league goal of the season in a 2-0 win. The Korean has been benched for each of the last two due to a change in tactics but, in light of Wilfried Bony’s departure, is currently Swansea’s top scorer, having netted two more than Gylfi Sigurdsson. With his eye for goal strengthening a return to the first XI – and possible a change in tactics to accommodate him in the centre of the park again – the former Celtic man revealed he’s desperate to finish the season with a flourish:

“If I do (finish the season as top goalscorer), it would be the first time in my career to finish as top scorer of a team. It has maybe been the best season for myself. I always give 100 per cent, and I want to finish this season well. I always try to help the team to win. I didn’t play as much today, but it doesn’t matter if it’s one minute or 90 minutes, I always want to help.”

Martinez hails McCarthy versatility

Roberto Martinez talked up the versatility of James McCarthy as key to a recent change of tactics for Everton. Having mainly utilised a 4-2-3-1, with the Scot alongside Gareth Barry in the double-pivot, Martinez’ decision to switch to a 4-1-4-1, with McCarthy pushed further alongside Ross Barkley, was fundamental to a recent six-match unbeaten run. Prior to the weekend trip to Villa, Martinez discussed McCarthy’s ability to cope in a number of positions – only to subsequently see his side fall to defeat after moving back to 4-2-3-1:

“James McCarthy is insurance for me. He gives you fantastic balance and in the last six or seven weeks we have allowed him to have a different role. He is getting a little bit higher up the pitch. He’s been very effective. It’s something quite new and he is enjoying it. It’s a great strength to have a player like him that can be so flexible…Partnerships develop over playing time and James and Gareth don’t even need to look at each other now to know what the other one is going to do next. You can experiment with it and we have used that flexibility to good affect in the last six games. Obviously, Aaron Lennon coming in has given us a different dimension as well and overall the team is very confident and we have many options and ways of approaching games which is a big strength.”

Van Persie Relieved of Spot-Kick Duties

After seeing his side fail to find the net for the third successive Gameweek, Louis van Gaal laid the blame firmly at the door of his forwards. Since being forced to deploy Wayne Rooney in central midfield, the goals have dried up for the Old Trafford outfit, with Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie failing to take their chances – worryingly for the Red Devils, they had won each of the previous six with Rooney up front. Van Persie fired ten attempts without success in Saturday’s home loss against West Brom – including a missed penalty – and, after the match, his manager confirmed that his compatriot has subsequently toppled down the spot-kick pecking order:

“He is now at the end of the road. It is always [the same]. Wayne Rooney has missed also, so when you miss, you are at the bottom again…I miss a striker that scores and every striker who scores – if it’s Van Persie or Falcao or Rooney – I’m very happy and the team is very happy. It’s a concern now [a lack of goals] because it’s not a coincidence and, in spite of the way we have played against Chelsea, Everton and now against West Bromwich Albion, we have created a lot of chances and still we don’t score. So you can say, as manager, we were not unlucky in every match. It’s also that you have to finish these chances.”