Next up in our series of “Sleeper” articles, which focus on players who failed to reach our expectations last time out, is Tottenham’s enigmatic left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto. The Cameroon international’s foraging runs down the flank provided Fantasy managers with a viable option for our five man defences in Harry Redknapp’s final season in charge at the Lane but, after months on the sidelines with a knee injury, has yet to impress under Andre Villas-Boas:
After a number of unimpressive Fantasy campaigns for the north London outfit, Assou-Ekotto unexpectedly came to fruition in 2011/12. Starting that season started as a cut-price option, he grabbed our attentions with a couple of goals, five assists and nine bonus points in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game. With 12 clean sheets also thrown in, Assou-Ekotto finished that term on 135 points and was resultantly slapped with a premium price tag across the Fantasy games last summer, setting us back 6.5 in FPL.
Initially, things looked good. A goal and maximum bonus points in Gameweek 2 at home to Norwich suggested the Cameroon star was set to flourish under the incoming Villas-Boas but after just one more appearance, the 29-year-old picked up a knee problem which severely curtailed his game time. Unavailable for selection from Gameweek 4 until Gameweek 23, his price plummeted and while Assou-Ekotto featured in all but four of Tottenham’s fixtures from that point onwards, he failed to produce any more attacking returns and finished the season on just 44 points, trailing in the wake of Jan Vertonghen’s debut haul of 136 points for Villas-Boas’ side.
The Prospects
Although rumours have been rife of a possible move away from the north London club, Assou-Ekotto’s future appears to lie at the Lane, judging by his manager’s latest comments to the Portuguese press:
“We finally have Benoit [Assou-Ekotto] back so, apart from the fluid that he has on the knee, he was involved in all of the fixtures since he got back. He’s an extremely important player for us. We have Danny Rose coming back and Zeki Fryers so we have to make the best decision [for next season].”
Certainly, if Villas-Boas chooses to retain Rose rather than farming him out on loan again, Assou-Ekotto’s appeal will surely take a dive. Rose made 25 starts during a season-long stint at Sunderland last time out and, having established himself at Premier League level, won’t be prepared to bench-warm. Indeed, with Kyle Naughton and Jan Vertonghen also capable of playing left-back, Fantasy managers will likely assess Assou-Ekotto’s game time with some trepidation, in spite of his manager’s encouraging statement.
Across the Fantasy games, a drop in price is on the cards – 5.5 looks likely in FPL, though 5.0 isn’t out of the question, given that Michael Dawson started the 2012/13 campaign at 4.5. With fit-again Younes Kaboul and Steven Caulker also in the frame at centre-half, it may well be that Villas-Boas will rotate his backline options in accordance with opponent, making the Tottenham defence a little too unpredictable for out Fantasy liking. Despite an inevitable price hike, Vertonghen’s versatility and eye for goal looks the most appealing option, though if Assou-Ekotto can offer the same security of starts which saw Kyle Walker make 36 appearances at right-back last time round, he could still have a part to play in our plans.
