Papiss Cisse becomes the second January signing to edge his way into our team of the season and, like Gyfli Sigurdsson, such recognition is fully justified.
The Senegalese striker arrived in Newcastle at the turn of the year for a fee of £10 million from Bundisliga outfit SC Freiburg. Handed the heralded number nine shirt by the Magpies, Cisse had the reputation to match such expectations but nobody really anticipated the impact he’d make.
Priced at just 7.0 on his arrival in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Cisse delivered on his debut and went on rolling out the goals, inspiring the Magpies to an end of season run that almost sealed them Champions League football.
In Fantasy terms, Cisse provided outstanding value and helped break up the template forward lines as suitors arrived from all angles, looking to capitlise on the mid-price goal-a-game striker.
The Statistics
In the 2010/11 season, Cisse claimed the EFFIFU award for being the most efficient striker in the league: efficient is perhaps downplaying just how effective Cisse was once he arrived in England.
The debut goal against Villa in Gameweek 24 was followed by a total of 14 league appearances that brought a staggering 13 goals. And what goals.
Cisse’s scooped chip over the head of Michel Vorm in the win at Swansea provided a demonstration of his supreme finishing abilities. What was to follow in the 2-0 win at Chelsea was simply sublime. A looping, curving volley, hooked over the head of Petr Cech was a goal that no player had the right to score – perhaps only Cisse had the confidence to attempt such a strike and the ability to convert it.
The FPL’s shift to the EA PPI to govern the bonus points clearly worked in Cisse’s favour. Goalscorers appear to have the edge in the new system and, with his prolific returns, Cisse benefited from an extraordinary run of five consecutive maximum bonus returns, with 20 bonus points gathered from his 14 appearances.
The Prospects
There’s little question that Cisse will make our pre-season watchlists, although several factors are likely to govern his potential in his second season.
Clearly we can’t expect Cisse to be available in the same price bracket. He made a mockery of his modest valuation last season, and, having offered such rich returns, we should expect his price to rise to around 9.5. Given that Darren Bent started at 10.0 last term, that might even be optimistic.
That price increase will clearly influence his appeal, but Fantasy managers will also have to carefully monitor Newcastle’s form and, more importantly the role of Demba Ba. While Cisse’s compatriot openly accepted his role on the left flank of Newcastle’s 4-3-3, Alan Pardew shifted to a conventional 4-4-2 for the season climax, perhaps as a result of Ba’s growing frustration.
Ba’s shift to the flank led to him scoring just a single goal following his return from the African Cup of Nations: it seems unlikely that he’ll be happy being deployed in such a role next term. Should Pardew change his formation accordingly, we have to consider that this could impact on Cisse’s return, with Ba perhaps more prominent in the goalscoring stakes.
Enthusiasm should be curbed, then. Cisse’s price will likely be a deciding factor but there is clearly merit in scouting Newcastle’s pre-season set-up before reserving a place for his undoubted talents.
11 years, 11 months agoMachine!