Better late than never, we bring you the regular Monday post-Gameweek round-up. We turn our attentions to West Brom’s reinvigorated striker, the gradual ascent of the blue half of Merseyside and discuss the merits of template Fantasy squads in the light of some devastating displays from some frontline alternatives…
The Player
Peter Odemwingie might just have shaken off a stubborn case of “difficult second season syndrome” with his hat-trick in the 5-1 demolition of Wolves; goals which hammered the final nail in Mick McCarthy’s Molineux coffin. The Nigerian’s strikes were his first for six appearances in a season blighted by injury and West Brom’s inability to settle on a formation and a front pairing that could exploit his undoubted ability.
While Roy Hodgson’s side remain one of the league’s most frustrating sources of Fantasy talent, there are signs of progress. The Baggies boss has turned to Marc-Antoine Fortune to lead his attack in recent weeks, shifting to a 4-3-3 formation that has brought success – particularly away from home. A 2-1 win at Stoke was followed by a point at Fulham and, while the defeat to Swansea maintained the dreadful form at the Hawthorns, Sunday’s win over Wolves could well provide a platform for better things.
Odemwingie came back onto our Watchlist radars just prior to Gameweek 21 but it’s taken this long for him to offer a real reminder of his potential. The Baggies’ schedule offers him few favours, with tough encounters against Chelsea, Newcastle and United to come in the next five Gameweeks, although, as we saw last season, Odemwingie has little respect for reputation. He scored goals against top class opposition – breaching the Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs defences on his way to a 15-goal haul, with 9 assists thrown in.
Inevitably, Odemwingie went into this season as a hot property and a 7.5 initial value did him little favours once the form wavered and injuries struck. Having dropped to 7.2 now, he demands further attention – mainly as a potential differential which could break up the template attacks created by the consistent form of Robin Van Persie and the value offered by Demba Ba. Those looking to break the mould and shake up their established front three could do worse that to revisit Odemwingie – a differential with proven pedigree, with form and confidence flowing.
The Team
Like Odemwingie, Everton have done little to curry favour with Fantasy managers this term. A desperate struggle for goals, coupled with a back four which has remained resolute without returning clean sheets, have given us little to go on. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Chelsea, however, may well signal the need to reconsider what’s on offer.
Two consecutive clean sheets at Goodison, against City and Chelsea, have, at last, produced quantifiable returns from a defence that has continued to look one of the most robust in the league. The recent boost has seen Leighton Baines sneak into the top five Fantasy Premier League rankings for defenders, even though the left-back has returned just a single goal and assist since Gameweek 12.
More attacking returns may yet come for Baines if David Moyes’ side can continue to show a sharper cutting edge in attack. The re-introduction of Landon Donovan and Steven Pienaar appear to have added a new level of creativity to the Toffees’ midfield, while Darron Gibson has already found his range from distance with the winner against City.
Donovan’s run of league games is now over – he’ll make his last appearance against Blackpool in the FA Cup this weekend and this will be a concern for Moyes. The American has provided three assists in seven league games in his second loan spell at the club – his form has been the catalyst for the recent revival.
Pienaar has the ability to takeover the mantle, however. He will remain at Goodison for the rest of the season, and maybe beyond. The South African has shown enough in his two games so far to suggest that he can ignite a flaccid attack – with Nikica Jelavic, absent with a stomach injury at the weekend – perhaps an eventual beneficiary of the South African’s busy left flank displays.
A blank in Gameweek 26 offers Fantasy managers time to take stock – following that, Everton have three home games in five, with Spurs, Arsenal and West Brom the visitors. Indeed, Everton’s run-in is favourable – suggesting that if Moyes can harness this recent upturn in form, he may yet steer the Merseysiders to an unlikely top eight finish.
The Talking Point
Long after Saturday’s Knee Jerk wore off, there’s no doubting that the handsome tallies delivered by Wayne Rooney and Emmanuel Adebayor carried some impact.
As mentioned earlier in the digest, with the January wildcard and the unshakable form of Van Persie, coupled with Ba’s irresistible value, we’ve seen the emergence of a template forward line. Add Sergio Aguro, on the promise that he’ll deliver in his forthcoming home fixtures, and you have your tri-force attack sorted.
What’s alarming, is that we’ve also seen a “cookie cutter” midfield emerge in recent weeks – the form of Clint Dempsey, Stephane Sessegnon and Gareth Bale have made them coveted assets – almost essential. Partner them with two of David Silva, Antonio Valencia and James McClean and you pretty much have the midfield settled too.
With fixtures favouring these players for several weeks to come, there’s no real urgency to move away from what works. Gameweek 25 did offer a jolt however, a real reminder of the quality that lies elsewhere.
Rooney’s form will be a major concern for those without United coverage – his link up with Valencia continues to bring profit and there will plenty wondering if Aguero can measure up over his two Etihad fixtures with Blackburn and Bolton.
Time will tell, but what is certain is that, right now, the fortunes of managers in the upper echelons of min-leagues appear to rest on the profits gained from a small collection of players. It’s a scenario that offers very little movement and reduces the chances of closing a deficit unless risks are taken. Thankfully for those needing to seek differentials, the likes of Adebayor and Rooney reminded us that there are potentially devastating alternatives on offer.
