Our Watchlist rankings, offering player recommendations over the Christmas programme, are now updated and available in the sidebar. This week’s update, in line with yesterday’s “Frisking of the Fixtures”, finds United’s assets blinking brightly on our radar as they enjoy a favourable festive spell.
David De Gea is the only significant mover in our goalkeeper rankings. The United stopper was once again rested for the 1-0 victory at Villa last weekend, another warning that the Spaniard is far from secure, particularly around Champions League fixtures. Even so, with the group stages ending tonight, De Gea’s starting role could just be cemented over the Christmas period. There’s always risk but that also applies to every member of the United back four – with Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic perhaps the only exceptions. At least with De Gea, the auto-sub as a result of a 10-minute cameo from the bench won’t be a problem.
This is certainly the issue with Phil Jones. While the former Blackburn man climbs into our top five defenders, there’s little doubt that he still remains a rotation risk, despite starting more games than any other United player this term. Jones earned a midfield role at Villa, with Chris Smalling taking up the right-back spot. There’s every possibility that Jones will start all United’s games over the Christmas period, but with obvious options in defence and central midfield, it seems likely that he will be subject to some rest and rotation. Having said that, without a big outlay on the aforementioned Evra and Vidic, Fantasy managers have no better option within a United back four that looks destined for further defensive profits, having secure four clean sheets in five.
Newcastle’s Ryan Taylor suffers a slight dip in his Watchlist ranking, hanging on to a top five placing while we consider the impact of Newcastle’s injuries for their trip to Norwich this weekend. Taylor has more than enough attacking potential in his locker to cover for the lack of clean sheets while both Steven Taylor, and possibly Fabricio Collicini, sit out.
Blackburn’s Chris Samba is the notable new entry in our rankings. Restored to the Rovers defence, the club skipper could not prevent his side leaking two more goals at home to Swansea last weekend. There’s little doubt that Samba is a consideration for his value at the attacking end of the field – although with Ewood Park clashes against West Brom and Bolton to come, Samba could sneak an unlikely clean sheet if he can form an effective barrier with Scott Dann.
Gareth Bale does the unthinkable and knocks David Silva off the top of the midfielder rankings – clear indication of how far the Welshman has come this season as a Fantasy prospect. Bale is now a prime asset, clearly capable of delivering consistent returns, at least while Tottenham remain in the kind of attacking form that has brought them 10 wins in 11 matches.
Bale’s ascent is aided by the injury to Rafael Van der Vaart that has seen his starting role at risk for the weekend trip to Stoke and, indeed, placed increased rotation risk on the Dutchman over the busy Christmas period. While Bale will not be absolutely immune to rotation with Steven Pienaar and even Luka Modric an option on Tottenham’s left, it seems unthinkable that he will be rotated right now. The same cannot be said for Van der Vaart while Harry Redknapp struggles to keep the in-form Jermain Defoe on the leash.
While Silva drops to second spot, United’s Nani also enjoys a climb back into our reckoning and top five midfield prospects. United’s fixtures look set to offer stronger potential for goals, while the injury to Javier Hernandez saw Nani pushed up in support of Wayne Rooney at Villa Park last weekend. Danny Welbeck will be expected to take up that role over the Christmas fixtures, but the loss of Hernandez will likely put place more responsibility on Nani to find goals and could also firm up his starting role in the face of opposition from Ashley Young, Valencia and Ji-Sung Park for the flank positions. Nani is the obvious replacement for those suffering from Van der Vaart cold feet.
The North London pairing of Robin Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor maintain the top rankings in our forward listings. They are joined in the top three by Blackburn’s Yakubu, who edges ahead of Newcastle’s Demba Ba on the basis of his cheaper price tag. Both Ba and Yakubu have kind Christmas fixtures that make them obvious candidates for our frontlines, in tandem with the more expensive Van Persie. The aforementioned Danny Welbeck is another consideration in the same price bracket, although we’re wary of his prospects right now until we’ve seen evidence of Alex Ferguson’s intent for his forward line.
City’s Sergio Aguero has clear potential to explode over Christmas but has continued to offer stuttering returns that struggle to justify his hefty price tag. Rotation over Christmas is an obvious threat in the City attack, adding to the appeal of the cheaper strikers elsewhere, who look more assured of starts if they can remain fit.
Shane Long and Steven Fletcher fall into that bracket – both vital to their side’s prospects over Christmas, we should expect their presence on the team-sheet; the duo are also displaying form that suggests they are worthy of consideration should Ba and Yakubu be overlooked in our lineups.
Wayne Rooney is perhaps the most interesting prospect over the Christmas fixtures. His Fantasy form has slumped alarmingly having been deployed in a deeper role in recent weeks. The injury to Hernandez will likely see his partnership with Welbeck restored however. Rooney enjoyed his best scoring form in tandem with Welbeck earlier in the season and, should Alex Ferguson charge his side with greater attacking intent, he could start returning profits once again. That would provide an effective differential for those willing to gamble on improved form. The big question is whether either Rooney or Aguero can discover form that can truly threaten to outscore Van Persie and displace the Arsenal main as the top price forward of choice. Right now, form and fixtures remain firmly in favour of Van Persie, who continues to claim the Fantasy Premier League captaincy from all but the bravest of Fantasy managers.
