Our final glance at Gameweek 15 features Spurs’ in-form frontman, Swansea’s flourishing midfield assets and offers further analysis of United’s see-sawing attacking partnership…
The Player
Few had expected Jermain Defoe to become an integral member of Andre Villas-Boas’ first XI this term. The arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor on a permanent deal from City was meant to signal the end of Defoe’s career at the Lane –with the Togo international producing 17 goals and 12 assists in a sensational season-long loan spell in 2011/12, Defoe had started just 11 league games under Harry Redknapp. Villas-Boas’ penchant for 4-3-3 looked the perfect fit for Adebayor’s ability to hold up the ball and bring others into play up top but it hasn’t quite turned out that way; while Adebayor has managed a mere two starts, Defoe has featured in the first-team in all but one of his side’s 15 matches.
A starting price of 7.5 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game mirrored a lack of faith in Defoe’s likely game time but, having been handed a chance to impress, he continues to make a mockery of his initial valuation. A brace against Fulham on Saturday helped him to double figures for the second time in three Gameweeks and took his tally to 82 points for the season – only three less than Gareth Bale for the north London outfit and fifth top forward in the FPL game. Certainly, he seems to have the backing of his new manager – only last week Villas-Boas compared Defoe to one of the most lethal marksmen in world football, a clear indication of his importance to the Spurs cause:
“He is one of the best strikers I have worked with. I certainly put him alongside Falcao. His hunger for goal is extreme. That makes things easier for you to work with because you don’t have to teach a lot. I don’t have a lot of experience. The experience I have is with a couple of strikers, but I put him up there with the best. He smells every cross and when the opportunity is there to tap it in. Plus he has the ability to turn on the defenders and he still has the pace in him to cause chaos.”
With nine goals, four assists and eight bonus points to his name, Defoe has risen by 0.2 to 8.2 on the back of his weekend endeavours – still outstanding value, given his contribution so far. After next week’s trip to Everton, Spurs brace themselves for a strong run of upcoming fixtures (SWA, STK, avl, sun, REA, qpr) which is surely set to boost the appeal of their main protagonists over the festive period. While doubts remain over Bale’s availability after he sustained a hamstring strain at the Cottage, Defoe offers a more budget-friendly alternative that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore as the Gameweeks go by.
The Team
Flying out the blocks in the first two Gameweeks of the season, Swansea received huge amounts of Fantasy interest after scoring eight times and registering back-to-back clean sheets. September proved a stumbling block, with a single point accrued over four matches suggesting the honeymoon period was over for Michael Laudrup but since Gameweek 7, the Swans have more than proven their resilience, with just one defeat – 1-0 away to City – in their last nine.
Laudrup has steadied the ship and as the campaign has unfolded, has built upon the club’s debut Premier League season under Brendan Rodgers. With 23 goals from 15 games, Swansea are well on their way to eclipsing the 2011/12 haul of 44 and continue to offer Fantasy managers superb options across the midfield.
Michu’s brace against Arsenal took his tally to the season to 10 goals and, perhaps surprisingly, earned the Spaniard his first maximum bonus haul so far. Up to 95 points in FPL, he’s top for midfielders and only a point off Robin Van Persie in the overall standings, but he’s not the only Swans player to impress. Four goals and four assists from Wayne Routledge means the winger sits top of the midfielders in terms of value, while Pablo Hernandez has chipped in with an average of 4.2 points per game as the Welsh club go from strength to strength under the Dane’s stewardship. Both were missing with injuries at the Emirates and yet the Swans still had the quality to prevail.
The forward forays of full-backs Angel Rangel and Ben Davies have also been a feature of late. Both picked up FPL bonus from the weekend clash and Davies, at just 4.0, could yet prove a bargain acquisition given that he seems as likely to contribute to the attack as earn clean sheets.
Laudrup has been suitably impressed of late, too, revealing his side’s display against West Brom last week was “the best performance” he had seen from any of his sides for several seasons. Given their flourishing form, it’s difficult to argue.
The Talking Point
Wayne Rooney’s brace and subsequent 16-point FPL haul against Reading last Saturday saw the United man stake a real claim yet again as a viable alternative to Robin Van Persie amongst Sir Alex Ferguson’s forwards. Rooney’s deep-lying role has certainly dissuaded many Fantasy managers from investing – just 7% of FPL managers have snapped up the 11.7 priced former Everton man, compared to the Dutchman’s 37% ownership, despite the latter coming in at 13.7.
The duo have started eight league games together and there’s no doubt Van Persie has been the more consistent of the pair, with a goal or assist in seven of those matches making him a safer captaincy option, whereas Rooney has scored more than two points in just four of those fixtures. Yet with spot-kick duties also in his locker, Rooney has racked up 54 points over those games – just three less than Van Persie’s 57.
While Van Persie’s best haul alongside Rooney has been 12 points, the latter has now bettered this score twice – a 14 point return in Gameweek 8 was followed by last weekend’s windfall at the Madejski, highlighting his explosive potential. With United forced to go on the goal chase by a faltering defence – their current tally of 37 is already head and shoulders above next best City and Spurs on 28 apiece – Rooney looks set to be afforded plenty more opportunity to earn further returns as Ferguson relies on his side’s offensive threat to overcome their inability to keep out opponents.
Certainly, Rooney has the ability to frustrate and produce blanks more often – while he cannot match Van Persie in terms of reliability week-in week-out, that 2.0 price difference and overall potential suggest the situation may not be as cut and dried as expected. As we edge ever-closer to the second half of the campaign, Rooney is offering plenty indication he could well be a season-changing differential and proven alternative for Fantasy managers looking to shake up their three-man frontlines.
Rooney’s role against City on Sunday will be interesting, however, with Ferguson surely tempted to shift Rooney deeper to add his influence to midfield areas. While Van Persie owners know exactly what to expect from their player, Rooney offers a gamble which is somewhat at the mercy of Ferguson’s tactical ploys game-to-game.
