Ronaldo goes quiet again and City tear up the script to win at Old Trafford. I spent weeks moaning that things were getting predictable, now things are going haywire I’m kind of missing the comfort blanket of another Ronaldo brace. Read on for my notes from the weekend in which I advise you all to ship in Liverpool players. See, I told you things were getting scary.
Aston Villa 4 Newcastle 1
Pretty straightforward for Villa lineup wise. O’Neil brought back Young from suspension – he came in for the injured Agbonlahor. That saw Maloney move from the left-wing to play up alongside Carew in the frontline.
Keegan made two changes to the side that got it’s first goal and points under him against Boro last weekend. Beye, back from the African Nations, came into the side and slotted into the right-back position. That shifted Carr to left-back to cover for the absence of Nzogbia who was suspended. That was a little surprising considering Enrique was fit and available. The Spaniard was on the bench however. The second change saw Milner return on the right of midfield with Emre dropped to the bench where he was joined by Viduka and Faye who was also back from Ghana.
A superb win for Villa, inspired by O’Neill’s introduction of Harewood from the bench once again and helped along by Newcastle’s tendency to hunt down the self-destruct button. Carew’s hat-trick here has raised his profile once again and he’s now edging alongside the likes of Young, Barry, Agbonlahor and Laursen as a possible mid-price option.
Villa’s fixtures remain fairly reasonable. It’s a trip to Reading next which O’Neil will fancy. That’s followed by a visit to the Emirates. After that however things get easier with a home game with Boro, a trip to Portsmouth and then a home game with Sunderland. There’s ups and downs there, which don’t appear to lift Villa players to must buy status.
Newcastle meanwhile are even less predictable. Confidence is looking at a premium and although Owen appears to be sharp, defensively they remain shambolic. In midfield, Keegan appears to have too many options without a clear vision of what his likely strongest lineup will be. To be fair, the next Premiership fixture against United, will be the first time that Keegan has been able to choose from a full squad. United wouldn’t be his choice of opponents for that occasion. The Keegan effect remains bottled with the cap screwed on tight then. Avoid Newcastle players until it’s been prised open. Then again, it might take something like the visit of United to do so.
Injuries and Suspensions
Carew picked up his fourth booking of the season here and is just one away from a suspension. Reo-Coker meanwhile picked up his ninth and is now on the verge of a 2-match ban.
Given picked up an injury and was subbed after 53-minutes.
Bolton 0 Portsmouth 1
Megson made just one change to his lineup after the 2-0 win over Reading. Diouf returned from Ghana to be on the bench for that game – he started for Helguson here.
Portsmouth were once again without Distin so Hreidarsson kept his place in defence. Johnson was also absent to be with his new born child so Lauren came in at right-back. Bouba Diop returned to the starting lineup after his exploits in Ghana – he replaced Davis who dropped to the bench. Hughes kept his place.
It’s difficult to see how Bolton lost this one. They had a a string of clear-cut chances, not least Matt Taylor who could have justified his place in my picks had he not somehow clipped over from 5-yards out. Cahill, also in my picks, had one cleared off the line but looked like keeping a clean sheet until Diarra, from an offside position, struck the winner.
I’ve still got faith in Taylor. He was in the penalty box so often for Bolton today and is almost being played as conventional forward. Davies and Diouf tend to drift out wide naturally so Taylor is actually tucking into the centre on many occasions. If Megson continues to play him so far forward then goals and assists seem inevitable – by rights, having missed a penalty last weekend, he should already have a couple of goals to his name. I’ve also got faith in the Bolton defence at the Reebok. Portsmouth created very little and it looked a clean sheet all the way – Cahill and Andy O’Brien still offer great value at home then – although it’s worth noting that Liverpool, City and Arsenal are the next three sides to visit the Reebok.
Portsmouth didn’t offer much here but they’ll be more than happy with the outcome. Diarra continues to catch the eye, earning an assist and FPL bonus last week and a goal and three more FPL bonus points this weekend. He is looking a very decent mid-price purchase with FPL bonus points likely while he continues to stand out in this Portsmouth side. Defoe was quiet here but is another decent target, albeit a popular one.
This was a first clean sheet in four for Portsmouth – if they can get Distin back fit and Diop settled once more in front of the back four, then the defence is worth a look again. Portsmouth have three of the next four fixtures at home and two of those sides are Birmingham and Sunderland – sides with two of the worst away records in the Premiership. Indeed, from now until the end of the season they have no top four opposition remaining once the Everton game on March 2 is out of the way.
The back four look worth investing in then, the question is where. Pamarot would present the best value but his injury today will need monitoring. It’s certainly worth waiting to see how Harry’s selection goes against Preston in the FA Cup next weekend.
Injuries and Suspensions
Pamarot was subbed with an injury after 27-minutes.
Derby 0 Tottenham 3
Jewell was boosted by Moore and Todd who both came through fitness tests. Moore lined up in the eleven alongside Stubbs, while Todd started on the bench. Elsewhere Villa was recalled up front after his equaliser at Birmingham, with Earnshaw dropping to the bench. Pearson shook off a knock to take his place in midfield with Robert dropping out of the sixteen. Barnes came in for Ghaly who was ineligible to play against Spurs – still the owners of his contract.
Ramos was without Woodgate through suspension so Huddlestone dropped back alongside Dawson. Boateng came into the midfield to replace him. Bent had fully recovered from his knee injury to start up front with Berbatov rested to the bench.
Derby have now officially resigned themselves to Championship football and continue to offer little to fantasy managers. Barnes has been a major disappointment but, as I’ve said before, could peak in form at the end of the season when he’s playing to attract suitors. Right now though there’s nobody amongst Jewell’s men worthy of attention.
I’ve already talked at length about the issues caused by Bent’s return to the Spurs side in this game so I won’t dwell on that here in my notes. It’s a busy period for Ramos and his side with a two legged UEFA Cup tie at Slavia Prague coming next. If they can negotiate around that tie, it could spell trouble for fantasy managers who are looking to invest in the Spurs lineup. Ramos is likely to give top priority to the UEFA Cup campaign and has already hinted that he will look to use his squad over busy periods.
Certainly, his players are finding more fantasy suitors. This was their third clean sheet in the last five which has lead to a lot of interest in Cerny. The back four, on Woodgate’s arrival, is also gettng plenty of attention. A missing fixture for the February 23 games will put pay to any surge in that interest but Spurs follow that with a double fixture in the week beginning March 15 or gameweek 30 in the FPL game. Here they travel to City on the Sunday before taking on Chelsea at the Lane on the Wednesday. That’s proceeded by games against Birmingham away and West Ham at home. That West Ham game then is the first of four home games in five Premiership games.
Jenas, Berbatov and Keane will quite rightly get interest during that period, although as I elude to in my article, there is a genuine threat of rotation, particularly at City, in preparation for the Chelsea game. That threat will continue if Spurs progress in the UEFA Cup.
Injuries and Suspensions
Moore suffered further problems with his hamstring and had to be replaced by Todd on 11-minutes. Savage was subbed with a foot injury with 16-minutes remaining. Scans reveale that there’s no break – just bruising. Lecock is one booking from a suspension after picking up his fourth of the season here.
Dawson suffered a hamstring injury and was replaced by Kaboul after 14-minutes. He has suffered a tear and is thought to be out for 2-3 weeks. Boateng picked up a knock in the first-half and was replaced by O’Hara at half-time.
Everton 1 Reading 0
Moyes was of course without Yakubu after the much-publicised disciplinary carried out for his late arrival home from the African Cup of Nations. Fellow Nigerian, Yobo, did report on time on his return from Ghana however and started here. That saw Lescott move to left-back once again with Jagielka keeping his place in defence. Baines dropped out of the sixteen. Elsewhere it was as expected with Cahill overcoming jetlag to start in his usual role just off the frontman – Johnson. Hibbert and Valente were on the bench, Pienaar is still sidelined but looking to return in the midweek UEFA Cup tie.
Coppell started with Sonko in defence as expected with Ingimarssson suspended. He recalled Oster, dropping Lita from the sixteen and going with a Doyle and Kitson partnership in a 4-4-2. Kebe was fit enough to be on the bench and made his debut late on.
An unconvincing peformance from Everton who are currently struggling to score goals – Jagielka’s here was their first in four games. This was a third consecutive clean sheet though so at the other end, things are more than healthy. The lack of goals will see Cahill’s stock fall, while Arteta continues to struggle to get near his pre-season promise based on last term. Johnson looks sharp but can’t find the end product – although he was very unlucky to have a “goal” ruled out at Blackburn last time out of course. Defensive options are still best then with Jagielka offering value, Lescott the big points scorer. Jagielka’s three FPL bonus points here however, indication that he is emerging from Lescott’s shadow and beginning to get the credit he deserves for his recent performances.
Everton take on SK Brann over two legs next, before the trip to Man City in two weeks time. They then have a fairly decent run of fixtures, facing Portsmouth at Goodison before visiting Sunderland and Fulham. Moyes’ lineup in the coming weeks will be interesting. Presumably Yakubu will work his way back into his affections, whilst Pienaar’s expected return in the next week or so, will hand Moyes a great deal of options in midfield. If Pienaar returns on the left of midfield and holds down the role, he appears to be a very decent buy, particularly in the FPL game where his price is currently a paltry 4.5.
Reading’s miserable run continues. They’re not necessarily playing badly but can’t get results. Alarmingly they’ve now gone five straight games without a goal. Defensively they were always rocky. Nothing doing at the Madejski then, although fixtures do improve in March so it might be worth revisiting their prospects in a few weeks.
Middlesbrough 1 Fulham 0
Southgate resisted the temptation of starting with new signing Alves but gave the crowd what they wanted by introducing him from the bench just before the hour mark. Lee started for the injured Cattermole in a 4-4-2 here. Elsewhere, Boro were unchanged. Mido was on the bench along with Boateng but never saw any action.
Hodgson handed Stalteri his first start after his move from Spurs. He came in at right-back with Baird shifting to the centre to replace Hughes. Kamara came in up front with Dempsey dropped to the bench.Nevland also started up front once more with McBride fit but kept on the bench until 64-minutes.
Boro’s next set of fixtures look tough. A trip to Anfield follows the FA Cup tie at Sheffield United next weekend. They then host Reading before trips to Aston Villa and Arsenal. Indeed after Liverpool they take on three of the top four over the next six games. Defensively Wheater still makes sense in a squad-based game and could be wheeled out at home. Clashes with Reading and Derby in the next six should bring some returns and with Wheater, goals are always a possibility. In attacking terms much depends on how quickly Alves settles. According to Southgate he is still at least 2-3 weeks from full match fitness so there should be caution when considering him, or the effect he will have on someone like Downing. Aliadiere’s form is worthy of note but he’ll need to prolong that over the next fixtures to attract serious interest. There is of course, doubt over his starting role given that Alves and Mido were both on the bench for this one.
Fulham will be bitterly disappointed that they couldn’t build on the Villa result. They do have three of the next four at the Cottage however which should promote further interest in Bullard. The home game with former club West Ham looks particularly attractive. United come to the Cottage next and that’s followed by a trip to Blackburn. Hodgson’s men then face Everton before a potentially crucial trip to Newcastle. Elsewhere, it’s still not clear what Hodgson will do with his forward line with so many options. McBride could be worth consideration should he establish himself, as expected, as the first choice striker. Dempsey, benched here, now seems out of the equation up front so his appeal as a midfield option is now vastly reduced.
Sunderland 2 Wigan 0
Keane was forced into changes with his injury list growing by the week. Miller is now sidelined for the best part of a month so Etuhu returned from Ghana and went straight into the lineup. Richardson was also out after aggravating his hamstring injury at Liverpool last weekend so O’Donovan came in up front with Jones. Murphy moved back into a midfield role. New signings Prica and Reid started on the bench.
Bruce kept an unchanged side with Boyce once again preferred to Bramble in defence and King getting the nod up front. Bent was left on the bench but eventually replaced Heskey just after the hour.
Sunderland have now won four consecutive home games, conceding just on goal in the process. This was their third home clean sheet in row. Clearly, like Bolton, they have low-to-mid price players that are worth investment in squad based fantasy games like the FPL – rotated in for home games. Away from home however, they have the worst current form of all Premiership clubs having lost the last five.
Of their defensive options, Collins looks to be the safest bet at left-back. He appears to have no competition for his place in the side. In attacking terms, Richardson’s absence leaves just Jones as a candidate. Surprisingly he was out of the points here having picked up eight FPL bonus points, a goal and four assists in the last three home victories. Away from home meanwhile, his output reflects Sunderland’s form. He’s earned just two assists in the last five away trips.
Keane’s men are now away for the next two games at Portsmouth and Derby but then face three home games in four, hosting Everton, Chelsea and West Ham.
Wigan remain horribly inconsistent and bereft of any serious fantasy talent. Taylor continues to be a potential target but his fitness is in doubt even if his role in the side is not. Melchiot’s injury concerns could also mean he could have to serve a stint at right-back in the coming weeks. Even so, he could be worth considering given the fixtures. Wigan face three of the next four at home, starting with Derby next time around. After that they travel to City before hosting Arsenal and Bolton.
Injuries and Suspensions
Wigan skipper Melchiot was replaced at half-time – it could have been a tactical move but with the defender struggling for fitness before the game, it appears he was unable to complete the game and was replaced. Taylor also got a knock and was subbed just before the hour-mark.
West Ham 1 Birmingham 1
Curbishley rested Noble from the sixteen, bringing in Bowyer to central midfield alongside Mullins. Elsewhere the Hammers were unchanged with Faubert and Camara on the bench.
McCleish made a couple of changes, one of them forced. Kapo was suspended so McSheffrey came back in on the left of midfield. Forssell got the nod up front with O’Connor dropping out of the sixteen. Zarate and Jerome were on the bench, as was Nafti on his return from the African Cup of Nations.
Ljungberg continued his rich vein of form with his first goal for the club. It’s now three assists, a goal and eight FPL bonus points in the last five Premiership games for the Swede. Despite the competition for places then, he appears to be holding down a regular start and is certainly worth consideration. The approaching double fixture in FPL gameweek 28 makes him all the more tempting, although it remains to be seen if Curbishley will rest and rotate players for two fixtures in that week with the likes of Faubert and Solano pushing for starts.
That extra fixture gives West Ham three away games in the next four. It’s Fulham next, followed by Chelsea at home and then Liverpool away in the same gameweek. West Ham then travel to Spurs before hosting Blackburn. Ljungberg aside, there’s not too much business to be had for fantasy managers at Upton Park. Noble should get a recall following Bowyer’s red here – he’s a cheap midfield option. At the back clean sheets remain at a premium while the strikers are struggling for goals. Despite the double gameweek then, there’s few obvious options at West Ham.
Birmingham continue to offer Larsson and Kapo as options for cheap-mid price midfielders. Both now seem settled in the starting lineup and could offer decent returns with Birmingham now facing three of the next four at St Andrews. Arsenal, Spurs and Newcastle visit Bruce’s men next with a trip to Portsmouth in between. Not a bad run of games which could see interest in Kapo and Larsson peak.
Elsewhere, McFadden could also come into the equation. It’s interesting that he took the spot-kick in this game even though McSheffrey was on the pitch. He also walked away with a pair of FPL bonus points. Defensively Birmingham have been effective at home – just four conceded in the last five – however, Newcastle aside, the opposition in those home fixtures appears to suggest that clean sheets may be out of reach.
Injuries and Suspensions
Bowyer wll serve a 3-match ban for seeing red for “Serious Foul Play”. He’ll miss the games against Fulham, Chelsea and Liverpool, making a possible return against Spurs on March 8. His absence is likely to see Noble recalled and get a straight run of games.
McSheffrey and Muamba moved on to the suspension tightrope by picking up their fourth bookings here. McSheffrey also picked up a knock and was replaced on 86-minutes.
Man United 1 Man City 2
Despite hinting that he’d throw 17-year-old Danny Welbeck into the fray against City, Ferguson opted to push Ronaldo up with Tevez in the absence of Rooney to suspension. Nani came in on the left to replace him. O’Shea came in for the suspended Evra as expected although Anderson start over Carrick and Hargreaves who were both on the bench, was a little surprising.
City has suspensions of their own and without Elano and Corluka to bans. Onuoha came in at right-back with Ireland taking Elano’s midfield berth. Benjani made his debut up front with Sturridge dropping out of the sixteen. Caicedo made his City debut, replacing Benjani from the bench on 75-minutes.
A second week without a big Ronaldo haul then – suddenly the decision on an FPL captain is no longer cut and dry, particularly if Adebayor flourishes once more this evening. United’s programme of fixtures is getting busy with the FA Cup tie with Arsenal next weekend followed by the first leg of the Champions League last 16 with Lyon. Ferguson will want to rest players around that Lyon tie but the the drop points here and last week don’t allow him breathing space which is good news for fantasy managers. Premiership trips to Newcastle and Fulham follow the Lyon first leg game before the second leg which is followed by a home game with Bolton and a trip to Derby. That’s three of the next four away then but the opposition should allow for a recovery for United and Ronaldo. Tevez and Rooney could have alternated rests, while Carrick, Hargreaves, Anderson and Scholes could have rotation. Beyond that, Ferguson won’t be able to take risks given the likely margin between United and Arsenal after tonight’s game.
A superb result for City then and with three of the next four at Eastlands, suddenly their players are on the verge of a fantasy resurgence after a recent dip. Benjani settled quickly and his arrival could well boost Petrov’s returns which are already strong. Everton and Wigan visit City next, that’s followed by a trip to Reading and a home game with Spurs. Defensively it’s no clean sheet in the last four but they were excellent defensively in this game and unlucky to concede. Those fixtures (particularly the next two) warrant another look at Ball if you’re on a budget and Dunne if you not.
Chelsea 0 Liverpool 0
Lampard’s return to the starting lineup was the big news here. He came into the midfield with Malouda dropping to the bench. No changes elsewhere with Obi back from Ghana and on the bench alongside Pizarro.
Rafa kept faith with Skrtel with Hyypia out of the sixteen. Riise returned to the lineup for the injured Aurellio. Lucas came in on the right with Pennant and Benayoun on the bench. Babel recovered from an ankle knock to take his place on the left. Crouch was partnered by Kuyt with Torres out for 10 days with a hamstring injury.
Chelsea miss a fixture in the next round of games of course, but then have two fixtures in the week of March 15 or gameweek 30, if you’re playing the FPL game. It’s FA Cup against Huddersfield and the Champions League at Olympiakos before Grants men make the trip to Wembley to face Spurs in the Carling Cup. West Ham provide the next Premiership opponents at Upton Park after that. Then they face Olympiakos in the second leg before taking on Derby at Stamford Bridge. Fixture pileup and plenty of options for Grant now that Lampard and the African contigent are back, appears to spell rest and rotation. Not a time to consider Chelsea players then.
Defensively they remain a force however. This game was their fifth clean sheet in the last six Premiership fixtures and they are now tied at the top of the clean sheet table with United on fifteen overall. By the time they return to Premiership action, John Terry enters into consideration – Grant stated this week that he was about three weeks from a return. His availability will add some doubt as to the first choice pairing given that Alex has performed so competently in the absence of the skipper. With rest and rotation likely to be a factor against Derby at home following the Champions League second leg, it will take trips to Sunderland and Spurs to decipher Grant’s thinking when it comes to his first choice lineup. That also applies to his attack with Drogba now entering the equation.
It’s a transition phase for Chelsea and once it’s settled down there could well be some heavy and crucial fantasy points in their lineup to end the season with.
A second consecutive clean sheet for Liverpool then, signs that they’ve gained stability at one end but are still struggling to make an impact at the other. Torres is a big loss to them and Rafa will hope that he returns for the first leg of the Champions League last sixteen with Inter in just over a week. Following that, Livepool host Boro, their first of four home games in the next five Premiership fixtures. Liverpool follow the Boro game with a trip to Bolton before hosting West Ham three days later in a double fixture gameweek. They then host Newcastle three days later and Reading a week after that.
That’s an incredible run of very kind home games which suggests a very decent return. Reina, Gerrard and Carragher would certainly appear to be the most likely to play that run of games and appear to be excellent signings for the month ahead once they get past the Inter game injury free. Carragher is also sitting on four bookings so will need to avoid another yellow against Barnsley in the FA Cup and Boro on February 23 to avoid a one match ban. If he can get past those two games, he should remain suspension free for the season.
Other targets, including Torres, would certainly worth considering but would be open to rest and rotation, particularly with Rafa almost preparing us for a period of rotation with his statements earlier this week.
Injuries and Suspensions
Alex picked up his fifth booking here and by my reckoning, due to the 7-day rule, will now be banned for the Carling Cup Final with Spurs.