Calamitous defending hands Swansea three points as Wigan slip to a defeat that seems likely to finally cost them their Premier League status. The five goals at the DW Stadium dwarf the efforts of City and West Brom at the Etihad, as the two managers shuffle their packs, much to the frustration of us Fantasy managers. Here’s the Stock Check from Tuesday’s pair of matches…
On the Up
Carlos Tevez
The Argentine had started the last seven prior to Saturday’s trip to Swansea, scoring three goals in that run. Dropped to the bench as Roberto Mancini went with Sergio Aguero in a 4-5-1, Tevez was recalled against West Brom tonight and fetched a smart fourteenth assist of the season for Edin Dzeko’s well taken first-half goal. While that was some reward for his frustrated owners over the double Gameweek, Tevez’s starting role against Reading and Norwich perhaps remains uncertain, although his prospects may well be improved should he be benched for the FA Cup final this weekend.
Angel Rangel
Selected on the Scout Picks bench, the Spaniard added to his clean sheet against City with a beautifully taken goal at the DW Stadium tonight – he is currently the top scoring defender in the Gameweek pre-bonus. Rangel has largely been a mainstay in the Swansea back four and, while his return of just one assist is hugely disappointing, he will remain a consideration for our squads next term should Michael Laudrup’s side be handed a kind opening schedule.
Pablo Hernandez
A brace of assists tonight took the Spanish playmaker to eight for the season and helped fill the void left by Michu’s absence with a hamstring injury. Like Rangel, Hernandez’s returns have perhaps dipped below expectations but he will be another worth monitoring: having settled in his first season in the Premier League, there is surely good things to come next term under Laudrup.
Going Down
Roberto Mancini
The City boss won few fans amongst the Fantasy fraternity after fielding a much-changed side that included eight tweaks with a completely different back four to the one that took on Swansea. With the FA Cup final beckoning at the weekend, we perhaps shouldn’t be too surprised to see changes although, having made significant investment in City over the double Gameweek, many will find it hard to swallow. City’s remaining two fixtures at least promise returns, presuming that Mancini recalls his big guns following the Wembley date.
Steve Clarke
Identified as a minor villain in our recent “This Much We Know” article, Clarke lived up to his billing to rival Mancini but juggling his assets for the trip to the Etihad. While we expected changes up front with Shane Long dropping to the bench, the absence of Ben Foster and Gareth McAuley were not anticipated.
Michel Vorm
Stretchered off on 85 minutes, the Dutch stopper looked in a bad way following a clash of heads with team-mate, Ben Davies. The latest reports stated that he was “up and about” post-match: it remains to be seen if Vorm sustained a degree of concussion which would make him a potential doubt for the weekend trip to Old Trafford.
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