So much for the theory that stability is the foundation of success. While many were up in arms over the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, with the Portuguese manager granted a mere eight months of the 2011/12 season before his services were deemed surplus to requirement, the chopping and changing seems to have worked at Stamford Bridge.
Roberto Di Matteo has made an immediate impact since settling in as interim manager earlier last month. Guiding the Blues to the FA Cup Final and upsetting the odds with a Nou Camp draw last Tuesday, the Italian is now afforded the chance of two lots of silverware, boosting his chances of landing the job on a permanent basis. With a couple of home ties against QPR and Newcastle this Gameweek, many Fantasy managers are eying up Chelsea’s Fantasy assets but, with rest and rotation set to kick in, picking the right choice is proving to be a tricky task.
Step forward Fernando Torres. A look at Di Matteo’s recent selection policy suggests it’s Didier Drogba who is likely to be tasked with leading the line in the cup competitions and, with three starts in the last four Gameweeks, the Spaniard looks more inclined to be handed game time in the league. Priced at 9.8 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Torres has returned a respectable 5.25 points per game over the last four matches, with a goal, three assists and a bonus point accrued.
Although QPR have upset the form book with wins over the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool in recent weeks, all these results have come at Loftus Road – Mark Hughes’ outfit have lost their last six on the road, in comparison. While Newcastle’s defence have been returning the points with a recent regularity, it’s worth noting that most of their clean sheets have come at the Sports Direct Arena – they’ve kept out their opponents only twice in the last seven road trips.
Let’s be honest – El Nino has hardly set the league alight since moving to the Bridge but, as his equaliser at Barcelona highlighted, he’s still more than capable of finding the net and seems to have increased in confidence under Di Matteo’s guidance. It’s a risk, clearly – there’s every chance he could fail to fire and you could be left kicking yourself for snapping up his services – but, with an ownership of just 2.9% and games against Liverpool and Blackburn to see out the season, it’s one that could reap reward for those Fantasy managers scouring the market for a mini-league gamble.
