I’ve had my usual shufty over the player rankings after the weekend’s games. Click the headings in your right-hand menu to get my view on how players line up for the next five games for each position, then have a read of the rest of this post to get some idea of the latest movers and shakers.
The keeper situation is a tough one over the next five. James appears to have the best fixtures overall and he climbs to second place, but I’m still sticking to Van der Sar for the top spot, simply because United are pulling away in terms of clean sheets and you have to back their defence against anyone. James is certainly a great option though.
Howard drops with Everton conceding over the last two and with Liverpool and Chelsea over the next five. Hart climbs slightly with decent fixtures to come, while Kirkland drops with an injury doubt and loss of form. Green is a new entry with good fixtures and Sunderland’s Gordon replaces Friedel as a long-shot, with better fixtures over the five. Cech is still out of the reckoning through injury, but he’ll replace Cudicini at some point in the next fortnight, so he’s a likely high entry in the rankings very soon.
In defence the top four hold firm with Distin remaining above Lescott with better fixtures. As always, Hreidarsson offers a good, cheap alternative whilst Pamarot is still sidelined. Scharner drops after the performance at Blackburn and the injuries and suspensions Wigan have suffered. Shorey climbs above him with a good run of games – Bikey presents a more “spectacular” alternative here although you may have missed the boat with that one. Dunne is a re-entry with better form and okay fixtures. Geremi, Nosworthy, West Ham’s Ferdinand and Fulham’s Hangerland provide long-shot options with decent fixtures.
The top of the midfield rankings stays pretty solid, although the threat of rest and rotation hangs over all the top players here. Bullard climbs with good fixtures, as does Bentley with form. Jenas drops with uncertainty over his place and Huddlestone is a new entry as a result of that uncertainty. Both have decent fixtures over the next five. Hunt is a climber with good fixtures, so Barry suffers a slight drop. Reid and Richardson are long shots with decent games to come.
Up front, Berbatov holds on to top spot with good fixtures and decent form. Torres drops to third with the threat of rest and rotation on the rise for him, plus a slight injury doubt. Yakubu edges above him as a result. Defoe climbs to fourth with good fixtures and form. Santa Cruz goes above Adebayor in fifth with stronger form. Young drops slightly as Villa stutter. Ashton is a high new entry with form and fixtures both looking good.
Drogba climbs with form, although he remains a risk with Anelka and the Champions League a factor. Rooney replaces Tevez but rotation remains a concern with him. Viduka and Owen are new entries with good form and fixtures. Kitson and Forssell climb slightly with decent games to come. Benjani continues to drop as City struggle for goals.
That’s it for now then. Let us know your thoughts on that little lot…