Returning from man flu and a series of PC frustrations, my Scout Notes rise like a phoenix from a bed of tissues whiffing of Vic’s and Lemsip. My laptop is working again, my brain might kick-in at any moment too. Here’s something to be going on with while we wait patiently….
Birmingham 1 Aston Villa 2
There were no surprises in the Birmingham lineup with Palacious returning in midfield. Forssell’s appearance as sub at half-time, plus of course his superb headed goal, is likely to see him start next time out. That could mean Birmingham moving to a more conventional 4-4-2 with Kapo moving to a deeper role. Up until now he’s been playing just behind Jerome, the lone frontman. Forssell’s inclusion could see Kapo’s Fantasy contribution drop then, but he’s still the most likely source of points within the Birmingham lineup. Forssell himself meanwhile, would seem a decent proposition as a budget striker. His form is red-hot having hit two successive hat-tricks for the reserves on his return from injury.
Birmingham face Portsmouth at home next time out, followed by trips to Spurs and Newcastle. They go into Christmas with games against Reading at home, Bolton away and then face Boro on Boxing Day. A decent selection of games which seems them avoid the top four. Clean sheets may be at a premium but there should be goals for Kapo and Forssell to come in the weeks ahead.
Villa had Carew back in their starting lineup with Moore dropping to the bench. Petrov is now back in favour with Gardner having to make do with being a sub. Agbonlahor remains the top target in the lineup having scored his fifth of the season at the weekend.
He’ll be of particular interest for this Fantasy Premier League gameweek, given that Villa have two games. Both those games are away though at Boro and Blackburn. Rovers have conceded just four goals in their last five at home while Boro have been more generous by conceding seven. Villa’s away form meanwhile is not inspired. The win at Birmingham was their first of the season. That would seem to indicate that the promise of extra points for Agbonlahor and his fellow Villa players is a bit of red herring.
Man United 2 Blackburn 0
Life without Rooney went smoothly as Ronaldo stepped up his form to hit a brace to see off Blackburn. As I mentioned previously, his form tends to pick up during this period of the season and although the emergence of Lampard as a heavy points scorer is tempting, in my opinion, it’s wise to keep faith with Ronaldo through the next two months at least. The absence of Rooney could help his points scoring. Ferguson may be less inclined to rest Ronaldo and he himself, will feel more responsibility to get forward and find the net as he did in this game.
Lineup wise there were few surprises. Neville is still troubled by injury so Brown continued at right-back. This could change after the International break. Hargreaves and Anderson continued in midfield, keeping Carrick benched. Saha started his first game of the season and saw out over an hour before being replaced. He could be a temptation, depending on price, but given his history of injuries, I personally wouldn’t consider him at this stage. Tevez is of course, the main attacking option after Ronaldo. He continues to contribute goals and assists in addition to earning FPL bonus points. Whether he can up his goal output without Rooney remains to be seen. Defensively it’s a no brainer. Vidic, Evra and Ferdinand, in that order, will be amongst the top half dozen defenders come the end of the season.
United’s future fixtures scream points. A trip to Bolton is followed by home games against Fulham and Derby. That should be two, if not three clean sheets and a double figure return on goals. After this United visit Anfield and then host Everton which will doubtless be tighter affairs. They have a trip to Sunderland for Boxing day, followed by a visit to West Ham.
Blackburn lined up as expected with Mokoena returning in midfield, pushing Emerton back to right-back and leaving Ooijer benched. Dunn’s dismissal will mean he’ll miss the trip to Fulham next, which should see Tugay return and Gamst-Pedersen continue his run of games. It’s McCarthy, Bentley and Santa Cruz who remain the top targets however and given Blackburn’s run of games there’s never been a better time to consider them.
Like Villa they have a double FPL gameweek with Fulham away and then Villa at home. This is then followed by another pair of home games with Newcastle and West Ham. Wigan away comes next followed by Chelsea at home and a trip to City on Boxing day. The next month then looks like the perfect time to introduce McCarthy and or Bentley into your lineup. Those managers nursing the crocked Anelka, would certainly do worse than considering a straight swap for McCarthy at this point. He hit five goals in three games before facing Liverpool and United over the last two matches. Bear in mind however that McCarthy could well take place in the African Cup of Nations in January, should he return to the International fold. There is some doubt over that however.
Portsmouth 0 Man City 0
Diop’s suspension saw Redknapp shift to a 4-4-2, bringing in Kanu to partner the in-form Benjani and leaving Mendes benched. No surprises elsewhere – with Pamarot keeping the left-back spot despite Hreidarsson’s return to fitness. There will be changes on the way however. Utaka went off with an injury at half-time to be replaced by Taylor, while Diop’s return from suspension next time out could threaten Davis or see Harry revert to 4-5-1. It’s Birmingham away next, which suggests it will be the latter. He may have little option, Kanu also limped off with an injury after the hour mark here.
Defensively they remain an excellent proposition. David James and his back four have conceded just once in five games. That makes him, Distin, Campbell and the forward-thinking Johnson, excellent targets. That defence takes on Birmingham next as mentioned, followed by a home game with Everton, a trip to Villa and a home game with Spurs. Things get tough over Christmas however, with Liverpool and Arsenal coming next. Even so, certainly in the FPL game where saves score points, James et al remain excellent mid-price options. Elsewhere Benjani should be assured of a starting role if Harry continues to shift to a 4-4-2 at home. His pace certainly makes him the preferred option away from home. Whether he continue scoring goals remains to be seen.
With Johnson and Mpenza out, Sven opted to start with Vassell up front whilst handing a debut to Gelson Fernandes in midfield. Hart once again continued in goal and has seemingly sealed the number one spot going into Christmas. Elsewhere it was a settled as always with Richards returning to bolster the strong City defence. A home game with Reading and a visit to Wigan should see further opportunities for clean sheets. A trip to Spurs follows this followed by a run of three home games in four. City have conceded just one goal at Eastlands all season which indicates that it’s still well worth investing in their defence for the remainder of this year. Elano and Petrov meanwhile continue to offer value with the Reading and Wigan defences to come next.
Chelsea 1 Everton 1
Avram Grant brought Cudicini in for the injury Petr Cech and also suffered the loss of Carvalho after just half an hour with a back injury. Bridge started in place of Ashley Cole although the England man is fit to return for England against Austria and so is likely to return after the International break. Chelsea seem settled in the 4-5-1 formation with Wright-Phillips and Joe Cole preferred here but Grant is clearly rotating this pair with Malouda and Kalou. The central midfield of Essien, Lampard and Mikel looks more settled.
Cahill’s goal was Chelsea first they’ve conceded in eight games which has made the likes of Belletti a prime target. Cole will also come into that category, as does Alex now that Carvalho is out for around two months. John Terry is expected to return in early December. Elsewhere Drogba and Lampard remain the obvious targets in attacking terms.
Chelsea’s fixtures suggest there are some heavy points to be earned from their players. A trip to Derby comes next, followed by home games with West Ham and Sunderland. Chelsea then face a tougher Christmas period with trips to Arsenal and Blackburn, ending the year with home games against Villa and Newcastle.
Everton prolonged their unbeaten run with Cahill’s acrobatic equalizer. Arteta missed the game with groin strain so Moyes brought back Neville into the midfield, restoring Hibbert to right-back. Valente made a rare start at left-back with Baines injured. Again it was a 4-5-1 formation with Yakubu the lone striker. McFadden’s performance as a sub will have been noted however and with Johnson’s return also immenent, we could see a shuffle of ideas and players after the International break. Arteta and Cahill’s contributions seem set to continue. The latter is clearly now delivering the Fantasy points that his record over previous seasons has promised. Cahill has earned a goal and two assist in his three Premiership appearances thus far.
Everton’s fixtures look pretty decent in the short-term with home games with Sunderland and Fulham, split by a trip to Portsmouth. Thinks get slightly stickier after that with visits to West Ham and United. They end the year with home games with Bolton and Arsenal. Not too much potential for defensive points beyond the Fulham game in early December then but Cahill and Arteta will doubtless offer value beyond this.
Liverpool 2 Fulham 0
Rafa took the unprecedented step of naming an unchanged side for the game with Fulham. That meant that the likes of Finnan, Torres and Babel remained benched with Arbeloa, Aurellio, Voronin and Crouch getting starts as they did in the mauling of Beziktas. Further changes are afoot however given that Alonso and Agger are both nearing returns. Agger in particular will surely displace Hyypia by December.
Two consecutive clean sheets and games against Newcastle, Bolton and Reading, suggest that the likes of Carragher and Reina remain attractive options that are safe from rotation. Elsewhere Gerrard remains a steady if unspectacular source of points while Torres remains a risk with the likes of Crouch staking a claim for a starting role. Benayoun looks likely to be absent for at least three weeks with an injury picked up in this match. That should open the door for either Babel or Kewell to make starts into early December. As always though, little is certain in this Liverpool lineup.
Laurie Sanchez gave a full debut to Kuqi, pairing him with Healy and moving Dempsey back into midfield. Dempsey was later replaced by Kamara and now appears to be under threat for a starting role. Davis made a return in midfield while the back four looks settled now that Bocanegra has returned after suspension. With Blackburn and United to come next, there’s little to tempt you in the Fulham lineup now that Dempsey’s role is in question.
Derby 0 West Ham 5
Billy Davies risked Kenny Miller for this game despite the striker still suffering from hamstring problems. Aside from that there was little to say about the lineup that took the field against the Hammers. Barnes continues to show glimpses but it’s clear that there is little to take from the side in Fantasy terms and unless the January cheque book offers some notable signings, it’s likely to remain that way throughout the season.
West Ham have a lengthy injury list which has caused havoc with their teamsheet over the weeks. The keeper and his back four seem settled although that could be disrupted by the ankle injury to McCartney suffered in this game. Ferdinand is a threat to Gabbidon but the Welshman appears to be holding him at bay while Ferdinand struggles with injury and off the field incidents.
The midfield is in total flux with so many notable players absent. Bowyer and Etherington offered great returns in this match and the latter has been impressive over the season thus far when given a start. Bowyer will however miss the next game having picked up his fifth yellow here. The pair of them found themselves lined up with Spector in midfield with Noble and Mullins the latest to suffer injury setbacks. Solano appears to be settled on the right of midfield and has taken control of set-pieces. He registered his first goal here. Up front meanwhile, Carlton Cole is impressing but will face a an uphill struggle to keep Ashton and Bellamy and bay once they return to fitness.
The Hammers forthcoming games suggest that those looking to invest should be cautious in the short-term although there could be rewards over Christmas. Spurs at home come next in what could be a potential goal-fest but after that they travel to Chelsea and Blackburn which promise to be tighter affairs. Three home games in four then follow throughout December.
Sunderland 1 Newcastle 1
Roy Keane was able to call on McShane after suspension and Edwards who was back from injury. Ian Harte also came in at left-back at the expense of Collins although he appeared after 25 minutes with Nosworthy picking up a knock. Miller dropped to the bench to accommodate the return of Edwards. Jones and Edwards are the chief targets in the Sunderland side although Leadbitter is also a decent proposition as a budget midfield purchase. He took the captains armband and was on the end of a good few opportunities. Three assists in the last four games shows his potential and more goals won’t be far away judging by Saturday’s performance.
The Black Cats’ fixtures are a mixed bag with a trip to Everton coming next. Derby at home should offer some points potential but this is followed by a visit to Stamford Bridge. Games against Villa at home, Reading away and United at home take them through to Boxing Day.
Allardyce brought back Viduka as expected with Martins remaining on the bench. Smith moved into the midfield to replace the suspended Butt so Geremi was also left benched. Rozehnal lined up in defence in place of the “injured” Cacapa, Taylor remained at right-back keeping Beye on the bench. He later replaced Faye who picked up a knock. Joey Barton has escaped any FA action for his “tackle” on Etuhu. That doesn’t make him, or indeed any of the Newcastle midfield any more attractive. Milner looks to be the best prospect after finally beginning to live up to his pre-season promise. His place is by no means assured though given the number of player vying for midfield roles. Viduka is of course an option, but question marks remain over his fitness and it may well be too much to ask for him to be ever present through the busy Christmas period.
The uncertainty in Newcastle’s lineup is a shame because FPL Gameweek 15 is a double for them, meaning that they have three of the next four games at home. The opposition however, is tough. They face Liverpool next, then travel to Blackburn and in the same gameweek take on Arsenal at home. After that things get significantly easier, indeed December is a very good month to look to Newcastle for a player. They face Birmingham at home, Fulham away, Derby at home and Wigan away up until Boxing Day. You’d struggle to find a more comfortable set of games to be honest. If Viduka is fit or Milner established, December could be the month to call on them.
Tottenham 4 Wigan 0
The Ramos factor has kicked in with Spurs not only finding the net but also keeping a clean sheet – their first in eight Premiership games. The personell remained, in the main, the same. Kaboul and Dawson were restored in central defence with Chimbonda and Lee at full-back. Berbatov and Keane were the preferred pairing up front while Prince-Boateng was out of the eleven and Jenas restored – to some effect. His two goals and tireless running will have attracted many a Fantasy Manager and its likely that we could see the best of him now he is fit. Ramos is a known admirer of a strong-running, technical midfielder and Jenas could well be given free reign to bomb forward at every opportunity. Berbatov meanwhile seems to have had recovered some form. His immaculate performance here earned him two assists and he was unlucky not to on the scoresheet. He and Jenas could well be major targets, along with the ever-dependable Keane, in the coming weeks. King should return in early December which is likely to displace Kaboul. Bale meanwhile is said to be out until late December.
It’s a rollercoaster run of games for Ramos. West Ham at Upton Park are next followed by a pair of home games with Birmingham and City. That’s followed by trips to Portsmouth and Arsenal before they see out the year with home games with Fulham and Reading. There are fixtures there that scream attacking points but equally games when Tottenham’s new verve will be tested to the limit. The weekend suggested however that there has yet to be a better time to consider a Spurs player in your lineup.
The same can’t be said for Wigan. They’ve suffered horribly without Heskey and things went from bad to worse at White Hart Lane when to be fair, they were ravaged by injury and illness. Koumas and Boyce dropped out through illness, while Valencia failed a fitness test. That saw Wigan restore Ryan Taylor, Skoko and Cotterill to their lineup – all of which came into a five-man midfield. Sibierski appeared as a second-half sub as caretaker manager, Frank Barlow, moved to 4-4-2.
There really is little point looking at Wigan for players at least until a new manager is in place and Heskey makes a return. Both should arrive before the end of November with Heskey aiming to return after the International break. Wigan play Arsenal at the Emirates next though which, in reality, could well be another drubbing.
Bolton 0 Middlesbrough 0
Bolton are grinding out peformances and points under Megson and this game was always going to be a struggle without Anelka. They kept faith with Cid at left-back, bringing in Gardner at right-back. Meite and Andy O’Brien continued in central defence. Campo and Speed were restored to central midfield alongside Guthrie and McCann, while Nolan supported Davies up front. Megson will have Diouf back from suspension after the International break, while Anelka could make a return in early December with a hamstring injury that has already kept him out for a fortnight but could well see him miss at least another three fixtures.
Indeed fixture wise it’s a nightmare fortnight for Bolton. After the home game with United they visit Anfield. A home game with Wigan comes next before they have the thankless task of trying to get something out of City at Eastlands. It looks like the time to ship out Anelka if you haven’t already, with McCarthy and his double gameweek and an enviable run of fixtures, looking very tempting for a similar value.
Middlesbrough, like Wigan, are on a dreadful run. Injuries however are clearing. Mido should make a return after the break while Pogatetz (appearing as a sub for the injured Taylor here) and Huth should also be available in defence. Whether thats enough to lift their performances remains to be seen. Certainly there is little to be excited about in the Boro side from a Fantasy perspecctive. Downing’s early season flame has been doused and indeed, his future seems in doubt come January given the recent criticism aimed towards him from the terraces.
Reading 1 Arsenal 3
Reading were without both Bikey and Duberry through injury so Ingimarsson returned to partner Sonko in central defence. Convey made his first start of the season in midfield, allowing Doyle to partner Kitson up front. The front two remain the only real temptation in Coppell’s side, particularly while the defence remains porous. If that can tighten up then Shorey, who scored his second of the season here, will become an even more attractive target. As it is, the left-back has notched four assits to accompany his goals, so the promise of the odd clean sheet will doubtless see him edge towards being as popular with Fantasy managers as he was last season.
It’s been an unremarkable season for Reading thus far and Coppell will be thankful that the likes of Bolton, Wigan, Boro and Fulham have been struggling and allowed Reading to assume a fairly comfortable position in the table. Things will have to improve in the months ahead and the Christmas period could well be a time for Reading to climb to a top half position. It’s City away next, after that Reading face three of the next four at home. They face Boro first before hosting Liverpool, they then travel to Birmingham before Sunderland come to town. Liverpool aside, Coppell will be looking for a decent haul of points.
Arsenal power on with what now appears to be a settled lineup. The 4-5-1 with Hleb supporting Adebayor was evident again. Both he and big striker notched goals here with Flamini also finding the net. Eboue continues to occupy a midfield role and is now looking very tempting as a defensive buy despite the lack of clean sheets. Assists and the odd goal are surely not long coming. The return of Van Persie will of course shake things up a bit and in the short-term, the fifth booking picked up by Fabregas will see him miss the next match with Wigan. That is unlikely to cause any Fantasy manger to part with the Spaniard who continues to be a revelation – his assist in this match was his seventh of the season and you can add six goals to that points tally making him the leading points scorer in all positions.
Arsenal may have three of the next four away from the Emirates but that includes a double fixture in FPL gameweek 15 – no doubt making the likes of Adebayor and Hleb (surely everyone has Fabregas already) even more attractive as potential signings.