Another double fixture gameweek is upon us with United, City, Fulham and Portsmouth all offering some lovely double point potential. Let’s take a look at our many investment options…
Man United
The obvious choice for your double gameweek funds. With a trip to West Ham and a home game with Fulham, it looks like United are in a good position to bring in points at both ends. If you’ve played this right you should already have your full quota of United players from the January double gameweek. If not, returns from those two games should tell you to get to work on maximising your United allocation now.
Investment in United should be aimed at the dependables that are likely to play in both fixtures – Van der sar, Vidic, Ronaldo and Berbatov are your key considerations. You can put Ferdinand and Evra into that bracket, although fitness is a concern with both players, with O’Shea and Evans likely to be available to offer Ferguson the option to rest/rotate one or both. Rooney should also be fit for the weekend but is likely to be rotated with Tevez over the two fixtures. Carrick is another worthy of some consideration if other options are too rich for you. The rest – Brown, Neville, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher and Park – are all set to feature on one but probably not both fixtures.
The only possible issue with investment now is the looming missing fixture in gameweek 27. You’ll need a decent bench to swap three United players out for that gameweek, so it’s odds on you’ll need to get rid of a least one at that point. Luckily, if you have Berbatov, you could swap him out in gameweek 27 for either Robinho (whm) or Van Persie (FUL) – who are almost identical in price and who both look profitable that week.
Man City
Next to United, investment in City looks the next best option. They face a potentially profitable home game with hapless Boro at the weekend, followed by a trip to an equally beleaguered Portsmouth.
Hughes’ side put in an abject performance at Stoke last time out but look likely to go into the Boro game with more new signings and a the determination to put the Britannia memories behind them. In attacking terms the usual suspects look good – although Robinho, Bellamy and Ireland would be the wisest choice. Wright-Phillips could face retribution for his kick-out at Delap at the weekend, so hold fire on him for 48 hours. Defensively City have just a single clean sheet in their last 9 games, although the games against Boro and Portsmouth do offer some potential. Given and perhaps Bridge or Zabaleta are options here. He is likely to remain in midfield whilst Dunne is suspended.
Be if you’re planning heavy investment here; any City signings could quickly pass their sell by date – their fixtures stiffen considerably following this gameweek (liv whm AVL che SUN ars).
Fulham
Hodgson’s boys take on two away games – both of which look tough. This weekend finds them visit the JJB to take on Wigan, followed by a trip to Old Trafford next Wednesday. Given Fulham’s current away form and the form of the opposition involved, we’re looking at two defeats here, with little chance of defensive or attacking points. Add to the this the uncertainty introduced by the signings of Barnes, Dacourt and possibly McBride and it becomes clear that only the defence or Andy Johnson look an option.
The only plus point for investment in Fulham this week is that you will have players in place for their second double fixture week coming up in gameweek 28. Here they face a pair of more favourable fixtures with both Hull and Blackburn coming to the Cottage. Against this opposition you’d back points for Fulham at both ends of the field and so the likes of Schwarzer, Hangeland, Murphy and Johnson come into the equation. By then we should also know where Barnes fits in and his impact on the starting roles of Davies and Dempsey in midfield. In short then, invest now if you’re happy with just an extra point or two from Murphy or Johnson but waiting until prior to gameweek 28 looks the best option.
Portsmouth
Adams’ side have two home fixtures but aren’t in the kind of form to make too much from them. The Liverpool game this weekend looks an odds on clean sheet and narrow win for Rafa’s title contenders, while City will come to Fratton Park on Wednesday week with a host of new signings and possibly confidence after a home win over Boro this coming weekend.
Attacking players look the best option if you’re sold on giving Portsmouth a run-out, with Crouch looking the best option. Bear in mind that Pennant will not be eligible to face his owners Liverpool this weekend, so you’ll only get one game out of him. New signing Giovani dos Santos may get some attention but he will surely need time to bed in should his move from Spurs be finalised later today.
The Pompey defence is hardly worth a glance, although Traore could offer cover in both attack and defence but with Belhadj returning from suspension, he’s not guaranteed starts by any means. In short then, other than Crouch or a couple of extra points from Mullins (who should start both games) – there’s little on offer here.