Say What – Gameweek 1

There’s been plenty of worthy soundbites for Fantasy managers to feast upon since the opening round of fixtures got underway. Our weekly look at the pertinent quotes arrives once again, then, as Louis van Gaal and Tim Sherwood discuss their summer signings, Claudio Ranieri and Dick Advocaat talk tactics, whilst Garry Monk and Alan Pardew look to change their team’s approaches:

Van Gaal uncertain on Depay central role

Having notched 22 times from the left of PSV’s front three last year, United’s new signing Memphis Depay has been handed a new role under Louis van Gaal. The Red Devils’ manager has stationed his compatriot behind Wayne Rooney in a central berth and admitted he’ll afford Depay more time in the middle before reassessing his best position in the starting XI:

“It is a new position for him and he has to adapt to the new position because he is a goalscoring type. But we have to wait and see if he can fulfil the demands of this position but that’s also because Ashley Young is playing very good on the left side. Therefore that is the circumstances now but it can change during the season. He can play in this position. Memphis has speed. He didn’t show that too much (against Tottenham) but he has to learn that also that when he has to go and when he doesn’t have to go. He is too eager I think. I have said that in advance you have heard that. New players, especially young players, want to show their qualities and the next match shall be only because of that be better for him.”

Sherwood explains Gestede bench role

Aston Villa frontman Rudy Gestede made the perfect start to life in the top tier, coming off the bench just before the hour mark against Bournemouth to nod in an emphatic winner. Assessing Gestede’s fitness, Tim Sherwood conceded that the summer signing wasn’t considered for a start due to a lack of minutes over pre-season, before talking up Gestede’s impact in training:

“I don’t think our centre-backs are too happy defending against him every day in training. He attacks the ball for his life and throws everything at it. He flies in, he hurts people if they get in his way, but he seems to get up himself. He terrorises defenders — he doesn’t give them a minute — but he is more than just a battering ram. He is very accurate with his heading and his hold-up play is very good. He gives us another dimension…I am delighted for him today because he has got no right to be playing. He has only played 45 minutes of football in preseason. I asked him if he could do a job and he wanted to start — he was disappointed not to — but we need to protect these players as much as we can.”

Sherwood targets squad cohesion with extra training

With money to burn after the departures of Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke, Sherwood has been one of the busiest Premier League managers over the summer. The Villa boss handed debuts to six new signings in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth and revealed that, in order for his players to quickly become accustomed to one another, he’s putting them through double training sessions at Bodymoor Heath:

“There were a lot of players on that pitch today who had never played in the Premier League before, in both their side and in ours. It was a bit of an even-stevens game but I think we deserved it. In the second half we stepped it up and showed a lot more imagination and a lot more belief in each other. It’s going to take a lot gelling for those players. It’ll take a lot of time. We’re at the training ground at 9 o’clock in the morning and we leave at 3 o’clock. I make no apologies for getting the boys in at that time. They need to be able to gel as quickly as possible.”

Ranieri plans to tinker with Foxes formation

Despite opting for a three-man defence in all but one of the Foxes’ pre-season matches, Claudio Ranieri rolled out a 4-4-2 for their opener against Sunderland.. Much like Nigel Pearson last term, Ranieri said that he’s intending to switch between a three- and four-man rearguard depending on the opposition:

“Maybe we surprised them at the beginning. We pressed a lot from the front and the two strikers and the wingers were very, very fast to play between them. It was very good. Leicester are used to playing a four or three at the back. Throughout last season they did this and today I continued. At the beginning (in pre-season) we were three and then suddenly four. The players know what to do, but I’m sure in some matches we will play three at the back.”

Monk looking to go on the offensive

Swansea City enjoyed a wealth of scoring opportunities at Stamford Bridge, carving through the Champions’ back line with surprising ease. No side created more big chances (five) or shots on target (nine) than the Welsh outfit in Gameweek 1, with Jefferson Montero and Andre Ayew routinely outfoxing Chelsea’s full-backs. Swans boss Garry Monk insisted that his team will approach every subsequent encounter with the same intent to put the opposition on the back foot:

“We planned to take Chelsea on. That has been the message to the players all pre-season. We have the attacking threats within our squad to be able to play and express ourselves. That was the intention today and that is what I have been promoting all pre-season, that we come and attack teams. I put those plans on the pitch and I thought we were magnificent today, everyone contributed. To come to a very difficult place, to an excellent side and to play the way we played, and to have the chances we created was great.”

Martinez lauds Barkley’s displays

Ross Barkley’s haul of six goals and four assists in the 2013/14 season alerted Fantasy managers to his burgeoning potential, before a disappointing 2014/15 campaign (two goals and three assists) marked a downturn in his progression. In the wake of the Englishman’s stunning effort against Watford, Toffees head coach Roberto Martinez praised Barkley’s game management at the crucial moments, lending weight to the notion he’ll be afforded more starts this term:

“I think you’re looking at a Ross Barkley who has changed immensely. He understood the moment of the game and what the team needed – he played with maturity. It’s important when you want a young man to stay on the pitch, that’s because he has matured immensely. His strike was world class, as good as it gets. It brings back memories of his first goal for Everton two seasons ago at Norwich. At that point we had a very brave, enthusiastic, young, raw Ross Barkley and I think [against Watford], with the same quality, you saw him be mature and responsible which is a fantastic sign for the season. His role in the team was magnificent for a young man.”

Advocaat mulls over tactical change

Aside from conceding three goals in the first 25 minutes of their season-opener against Leicester, Sunderland posed little threat of their own during that stretch, with lone marksman Jermain Defoe recording one (blocked) attempt. This prompted Dick Advocaat to introduce Steven Fletcher at the 29-minute mark, switching from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 set-up, with both Defoe and Fletcher subsequently grabbing a goal apiece. After the match, the Dutch manager admitted that he may need to re-think his approach – although he favours a lone striker set-up, the Black Cats boss doesn’t think Defoe is capable of leading the line on his own:

“The second half was a little bit better with Defoe not on his own up there. With Fletcher, it’s a different story, so maybe we have to change that. Defoe on his own is not possible. I know that and I tried, but it’s not possible. If we do something, we have to play with a real striker there, otherwise 4-3-3 is not good enough.”

Pochettino looking to involve Dembele more

Mouse Dembele flattered to deceive in a central midfield berth last term and subsequently earned the least minutes (1146) of his Spurs career. In an attempt to harness his talents to a greater extent, Mauricio Pochettino elected to field the Belgian on the right flank against Manchester United. Given that Dembele fashioned zero shots or key passes in the more advanced role – while Erik Lamela teed up Christian Eriksen for a good chance in his second-half cameo – it remains to be seen whether the Argentinian head coach will persevere with this experiment against Stoke City:

“I think we need to try to provide him (with a platform) to show his real quality here. It’s true the last season was difficult for him, but (not) only was it difficult for him at Tottenham – with his national team too. It’s for that reason we need to try to provide him the best position on the pitch or try to find the best position for him, to show the quality that he has. We don’t have doubts but if he doesn’t play, [others believe we have] doubts. I think it is all about football. We need to try stuff to help every player and Mousa is another player we need to help to try to give him the chance of giving his best when he has the facility to play.”

McClaren explains Obertan start

Despite delivering a fine cross for Graziano Pelle’s opener against Newcastle United, Saints right-back Cedric Soares was removed at half time by assistant manager Erwin Koeman for fear of the Portuguese defender picking up a second yellow. Magpies boss Steve McClaren said that his deployment of Gabriel Obertan on the left wing was a clear strategy to stymie Soares’ own attacking instincts. The Frenchman’s running of the channels ultimately gave rise to the assist for Georginio Wijnaldum’s debut strike, which McClaren is keen for Obertan to replicate with greater regularity:

“It was tactical really in aspect to Cedric Soares, who is a hell of an attacking full-back and we wanted somebody to stay wide and curb that. I think he (Obertan) did it that well. Southampton took Soares off at half-time and changed him. We have been trying to get him to do that a bit more. He has got great pace and strength. Sometimes you have to run beyond people. He did that towards the end of the first half, and the second goal (he provided the assist for Wijnaldum) was fantastic.”

Pulis concedes tactical error

Notwithstanding the calibre of Manchester City’s star-studded midfield, Baggies boss Tony Pulis opted to field Saido Berahino and Rickie Lambert in a 4-4-2 set-up in their season-opener, rejecting the opportunity to beef up the midfield. Following their 3-0 defeat, Pulis admitted that he’s more likely to field a lone striker system against such dominant opponents:

“I take responsibility for the way we set up and the fact we had Saido and Rickie. They had done really well and that pulled us away from what we should do and I said afterwards I would take responsibility. David Silva was controlling the game and looking really dangerous and Saido had a chance. If he’d scored that it would have been a different game. I have to look at it and say if I did it again I would probably do it differently. The pivotal moment was when I decided to play the two up front instead of an extra man in midfield.”