Over the last few months of 2012/13, Gareth Bale’s series of explosive displays had finally afforded Fantasy managers a reliable captaincy alternative to the relentless Robin Van Persie. With a goal or assist in 11 of his final 14 league appearances, the Welshman thrived in a central role behind the lone forward in Andre Villas-Boas’ 4-2-3-1 formation and ended the campaign with 14 sets of double figure hauls, averaging 7.2 points per game in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

Despite a hefty hike in price across the Fantasy games, Bale was a hugely popular pick when the Player Price Lists were released earlier this summer but with Real Madrid determined to prise him away from the Lane, his ownership has dropped dramatically with only a few days left until the season kicks off. Not only would his departure be a bitter blow to Villas-Boas’ plans for the season ahead, it would also hit Fantasy managers equally hard and leave Van Persie as the standout option in terms of reliability once more.

In our next Burning Question article, we ask a handful of contributors if the Dutchman will be impossible to ignore if Bale legs it to La Liga.

Applebonkers says….
I’m personally without Van Persie as it stands, due to fixture and form concerns more than an issue of price. So on that basis, no. Of course, the great appeal of Van Persie is his ability to score against anyone, but my argument is that a goal in each of the first three matches wouldn’t really hurt a non-owner as it costs 14.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) to acquire the United man.

Braces and hat-tricks are the ones which really punish non-owners, though I’m not sure he has the post-Real Madrid form to trump the opening schedule, with trips to Swansea and Liverpool and a home game versus Chelsea in the first three Gameweeks.

Here’s a stat: since RVP notched three times against Chelsea in 2011, 24 hat-tricks have been scored in the Premier League and only two have come against top half sides (Steven Gerrard v Everton and Romelu Lukaku v United). It’s playing the odds in my opinion, no one is fixture proof, simply various levels of fixture resilience. I have to admit, by Gameweek 4 I’d like him, though.

Andy says….
Coming from the Fantasy manager who went 31 of 38 gameweeks last season without Manchester United and Fantasy Football’s top scorer, and won the Scout Contributor’s league (I will brag while I still can!) in doing so, my answer to this question is probably pretty obvious. To me, the notion of the essential and must-have player is nothing but a fallacy. And that even includes Robin Van Persie.

The Dutch forward is arguably the best player currently plying his trade in the Premier League and will surely earn his crust for whichever Fantasy managers decide to hand over the mammoth price tag he has been handed across the Fantasy games. He’s safe, he’s secure, he’s prolific. He’s not essential though.

I’ve written many words in the past to support this claim but it boils down to the fact that I believe you can find alternative ways to spend your Fantasy budget to equal or greater effect. There’s more inherent “danger” involved in veering away from such Fantasy staples but it doesn’t mean you can’t succeed – a theory my 2012/13 season somehow managed to support.

Essentially, he’s not essential. But if there’s ever a good run of games where I think he’ll be the ideal captain choice, I’ll be the first to invest. Getting that armband choice right – or, more importantly, not getting it wrong when those around you get it right – is one aspect I do place a high priority on.

Tinkerman says…
Bale’s departure would certainly deprive us of an immense Fantasy talent and cause a huge rethink of strategy – especially for those whose draft squads currently rely on the Welshman’s explosive yet consistent returns for their weekly captaincy choice.

That said, I still don’t think Bale leaving necessarily makes Van Persie the only safe captaincy option from the start. Granted, we all know his capabilities but, with a wealth of premium midfielders offering high potential, there are plenty of ways to spend the extra budget you’d save by choosing to overlook the most expensive player in the game.

Managers avoiding Van Persie from the start would, however, leave themselves with a quandary should he prove to be the only reliable and consistent captaincy option after a few weeks. It would mean being forced into either spending points on transfer hits or activating the transfer wildcard early on. The option of initially avoiding Van Persie and bringing him in on a Gameweek 4 wildcard is one that has been discussed much on the boards – at this point, cheaper players who offer strong points potential will no doubt have emerged and will allow us to save money elsewhere in order to free up funds for the Dutchman. Since an early wildcard has proven to be a successful strategy for many managers in recent seasons, I think Bale leaving these shores wouldn’t make owning Van Persie from the start a must.

Ryan says….
The main argument for Van Persie’s essential status is that he would be a nailed-on captaincy option. As this is a new season, however, I am of the opinion that other strong armband candidates will appear as the campaign unfolds. The fact that RVP is so expensive almost compels you to captain him most weeks in order to justify his place in your side. This can act as a mental bias in one’s thought process and brings about a barrier which stops you captaining other potentially stronger options. I think it is best not to be shackled to the Dutchman and be more flexible in your armband picks.

Van Persie may not be ‘essential’ but for the conservative manager, his incredible consistency makes him a reliable captain that will still bring home regular points. It might take some time to identify exactly who the best alternative captains are – until that time, Van Persie is a safe option to get you started.

Mark says…
Essential is a big word. I wouldn’t quite go that far but, for my money, Bale’s seemingly imminent departure has undoubtedly raised Van Persie’s stock.

I was all set to overlook him and opt for the Spurs man but now the landscape has changed and suddenly I’m setting up with the Dutchman as the foundation for my team, with the rest of my selections dropping in around him.

The armband is a major concern. Yes, there will be weekly candidates who emerge but few, if any, can get close to the consistency we saw from Van Persie for long spells last season.

I’m well aware that I’ve clung to him like a security blanket and that my faith in Van Persie has cost me dear in the past but I much prefer the idea of starting the season with him and assessing what value is available elsewhere, rather than be forced to carry out major surgery ahead of Gameweek 4.

Of course the early wildcard is the solution but I want to have the choice, not be forced to play it because Van Persie has delivered a goal a game and is about to embark on a run of favourable fixtures.

The fact is, without Van Persie, I’m going into the season without any cover of the Champions’ attack. While Wayne Rooney flirted with the concept of offering an alternative last season, this time around that option looks unlikely. Unless Wilfred Zaha takes his opportunity or Shinji Kagawa cements the support role over Danny Welback, then it really is Van Persie or nothing.

While there are real concerns that David Moyes will struggle to inspire his team to the heights of previous campaigns, I see too much quality in the United lineup to risk overlooking them as an attacking force.

Essential? Not quite. Highly desirable and worth building your squad around? Right now, I really think so.