This double Gameweek conundrum has had us in its grip. Its wicked little game, complicated by an evil blank for three teams in Gameweek 28 has “twisted our melons” and left us firing questions into the ether in vain hope that clarity would show itself. Everything is still blurry.
We’ve done our best over the past few days to bring you a breakdown of the options available, laced with our opinion on the best routes to take. Our “Scouting the Doubles” articles will close tonight with West Brom completing the set of eight. Those, together with Andy’s Captain Poll article and Big Dunc’s “Spot the Differentials” (coming tomorrow), not to mention this week’s ScoutCast, complete possibly the most thorough analysis of teams and players we’ve cobbled together prior to a Gameweek deadline.
You now add the Scout Picks to the mix, although, in the light of this week’s coverage, I’m not about to cover the same ground with more player-by-player analysis, re-affirming the facts, stats and speculation. I won’t leave you hanging high and dry either though.
Selecting a Scout Pick lineup in a double Gameweek scenario is never easy. The obvious candidates stand out like Nikola Zigic at a Jimmy Krankie convention – you can’t ignore them and they’re always likely to use their size once the cling flim comes off the buffet.
Only one non-double Gameweek player finds his way into the lineup . Liverpool’s quest for their fifth clean sheet has them host the woefully inconsistent Wigan at Anfield and that’s a good enough prospect for me to snatch one of their defence. Even this was far from cut and dry. With Martin Kelly a slight injury doubt, I was forced to opt for Glen Johnson – a more expensive, but equally expansive option who can offer defensive and attacking returns.
Elsewhere, the familiar lack of clean sheet potential made it difficult to look beyond even the flimsiest double Gameweek prospects.
Michael Dawson and Gonzalo Jara get the nod because the prospect of 4 appearance points outweigh the option of hoping for a clean sheet from the United defence without Rio Ferdinand against rivals City, or perhaps backing Chris Samba at home to Newcastle.
Jara looks every inch like fools gold, but today’s appointment of Roy Hodgson pushed me to take a gamble on the Baggies rearguard for at least their second home clash with rivals Wolves. You never know, Jara may even return that assist that his OPTA stats appear to threaten.
In midfield the selection was made more difficult by the blank in Gameweek 28 – do I consider the problems this causes or simply select those who offer the best returns?
The strategy is always to select the top scorers for the Gameweek, so Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon, Birmingham’s Craig Gardner and of course, Cesc Fabregas all earn their place. Charlie Adam, edges out West Brom’s Chris Brunt to the bench despite the yellow card sword of Damocles hanging over him.
Kevin Nolan is nowhere to be seen – I’ve left him at home staring at his Andy Carroll scrapbook. Ashley Young? Yeah, tempted, but I’ll leave him rewinding his bit against Denmark on Sky plus. Villa and Young should return at Blackpool though.
Talking of which, Darren Bent almost made it in up front. In the end the obvious silken skills of Robin Van Persie and the pacey menace of Peter Odemwingie, has them on the bus and in the team.
The aforementioned Nikola Zigic gets the bench spot – provided he takes off those stupid school shorts and cap.
