With the season now well and truly over, we thought we’d cast an eye back over the stand-out stars of the 2009-10 campaign. I contacted each contributor to gather up opinions, and, after counting up the votes, have refined our list of star performers for last season.
We start our selection of our end of season XI by focusing on the shot-stoppers. In a season where goals flowed and attack often dominated defence, it’s indicative that our end of term selection gathers four keepers from the budget and mid-price brackets. Indeed, with the Fantasy funds often ploughed into heavy-hitting forward lines and the consistent midfield contributions of Cesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard, the search for cheap clean sheets became vital. Luckily there were several candidates more than capable of delivering…
The Number One…
Joe Hart
The capture of Hart on loan proved a McLeish masterstroke that was perhaps the deciding factor in Birmingham’s season of survival. Hart’s heroics in front a resolute early season defence saw Birmingham spring out of the blocks as a major source of budget fantasy talent. Then, at the turn of the year, as Birmingham began to actually venture into the opposing half, Hart shone even brighter and often stood stubbornly as a one man defence against an incoming shot barrage.
In Fantasy terms Hart was finished the season down the overall points rankings with a modest 10 clean sheets from his 36 starts (8 of which came before Christmas). Those returns were supplemented by an impressive 140 saves in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game. Only Bolton’s Jussi Jaaskelainen and Burnley’s Brian Jensen bettered that, while Hart’s tally of 9 FPL bonus points was matched only by Tottenham’s Heurelho Gomes.
With a starting price of just 4.0 in the FPL, Hart provided the perfect foil for Thomas Sorensen as a budget keeper combination and thousands took up and benefited from that particular option.
Looking ahead…
Now back in the Man City squad, Hart will be due a significant price rise for the 2010/11 season. Sadly it’s doubtful whether he will be handed the platform to justify that new price tag. Hart will of course face a battle to establish himself as number one at Eastlands. He may well need a move to push his England credentials and provide the kind of returns we saw this term. One way or another, his days as a budget acquisition are over and he is in danger of being lost in the Fantasy wilderness as a result.
Honourable Mentions…
Thomas Sorensen
So often Joe Hart’s sidekick in the FPL squad this term, Stoke’s streak of Danish between the sticks more than justified his 36% ownership in that game. Sorensen delivered 11 clean sheets in 31 starts, supplemented by 111 saves and five bonus points in the FPL. His three penalty saves, matched only by the octopus arms of Tottenham’s Gomes, were also key factors in Sorensen’s sprint to an impressive season tally. He ranked fourth overall in the end of season tables, above pricey propositions such as Petr Cech and Edwin Van der Sar, as well as last season’s keeper revelation – Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer.
But Sorensen season was to end abruptly – his World Cup currently rests in the balance following a shoulder injury during the 7-0 mauling by Chelsea at the Bridge with four games remaining. Currently he is winning his race to be fit for Denmark’s campaign but when the summer tournament distractions end, he faces another battle. With new signing Asmir Begovic a more than capable deputy, Sorensen’s future at the Britannia looks far from certain. The Dane’s remarks earlier in the season, suggested that he was prepared to look elsewhere for a new contract. Such statements may live long in the memory of Stoke boss Tony Pulis, even if Sorensen’s performances last term have wiped them from them the minds of the Britannia faithful.
Looking ahead…
Sorensen will desperately look to take part and impress in South Africa in order to return and maintain his role as Stoke’s number one. A modest price rise next season looks likely, which means that if he can keep Begovic frustrated on the bench, then Sorensen should warrant investment again next season. Unlike last season however, there will be cheaper prospects and certainly more secure ones.
Brad Friedel
The big American enjoyed a prosperous fantasy season playing in front of Villa’s newly formed central defensive pairing of Richard Dunne and James Collins. That pair was to provide a solid shield that saw a superb run of defensive returns between December and February. Friedel provided a substantial barrier as a last line and notched 8 clean sheets in 10 starts during that run. A strong return of 15 clean sheets overall was second only to Chelsea’s Cech and Liverpool’s Pepe Reina. That tally was boosted by an impressive 133 saves in the FPL ranking his second overall in that game behind Reina.
Unlike Hart and Sorensen, Friedel demanded a significant Fantasy fee. His 5.5 tag in the FPL placed him firmly in the mid-price bracket and with Collins and Dunne providing value with added bonus point potential, Friedel was as popular as his performances deserved.
Looking ahead…
Another season as Villa’s number one looks certain and, while the likes of Dunne and Collins in front of him will suffer price hikes across the games, Friedel may well escape a big inflation. Barring the availability of strong budget options or a price drop for the big names, heavy investment in Friedel looks on the cards from the season kick-off.
Heurelho Gomes
Once the hapless victim of “dodgy keeper” terrace chants, Gomes’ name can now be heard in songs of praise form the Tottenham faithful who this season have seen the Brazilian confirm himself as one of the top stoppers in the League. His twelve clean sheets appear to be a modest total but eight of those came in a run of 11 games between December and February which saw Gomes emerge as shrewd mid-price purchase. That run coincided with the emergence of Michael Dawson who established himself in the centre of the Spurs rearguard with some commanding performances in the absence of Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King.
Even when clean sheets escaped Gomes, the Spurs keeper saw his points tally boosted by regular save points, a total of nine FPL bonus points (the highest for a keeper), plus two penalty saves from Darren Bent in the defeat at Sunderland in gameweek 33 giving him three spot-kick stops in total. He comfortably beat last season’s FPL tally, despite playing 300 fewer minutes on the pitch – a clear indication of his progress.
Looking ahead…
Like Friedel, Gomes is set to offer Fantasy Managers continued security for the forthcoming season as a mid-price option. Indeed, Gomes will likely challenge Friedel in a similar price bracket with both Villa and Spurs offering potential as improved defences that could push the likes of United and Chelsea when it comes to the clean sheet count.