The Knee Jerk – Saturday

Saturday left Fantasy managers considering their expensive front lines once again, as Newcastle’s mid-price Frenchman maintained his stunning form. The headlines were to be snatched from him, however, as a United youngster delivered a performance that possibly announced the arrival of the next major Fantasy bandwagon.

The Game Changer

Alan Pardew’s post-Goodison tinkering shifted Loic Remy back to the left of a front three, with Papiss Cisse recalled in the central role but the move did little to quell the Frenchman’s goal threat. A first half brace at Cardiff from Remy sealed a precious three points and took his tally since his arrival in the North East to five in four starts.

Mentioned in Monday night’s Knee Jerk, at the time, considering Remy as a serious candidate for a slot in our three-man frontline seemed optimistic having witnessed the performance of Romelu Lukaku. While the Belgian also put continued pressure on those three places with a fourth goal of his Everton tenancy at City, Remy won further admiring glances as Fantasy managers contemplated whether the pair, both currently priced under 8.0 in the Fantasy Premier League game, could possibly keep pace with more expensive options.

Goals from Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez again confirmed their current “near essential” status but, should Olivier Giroud stutter at West Brom on Sunday, Fantasy managers may look to the Gunners striker, along with Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, and consider both Remy and Lukaku as cheaper replacements to free up cash. With Fantasy managers perhaps attempting to find differentials and break up template teams, Remy, who was removed with 20 minutes to go as a precautionary measure, could prove to be a key target who could liberate funds for a refresh at the back and in midfield.

The Underused

Fantasy managers may just have been handed another gift. Adnan Januzaj was one of the pre-season starlets who left us wondering if he could possibly break through into the first team ranks. However, when it came to gambling on a cheap United asset, it was new signing Wilfred Zaha which drew the most pre-season interest. Now, six Gameweeks in, while Zaha stil has more owners than Antonio Valencia and Shinji Kagawa, it’s Januzaj who has suddenly emerged as a the “prospect”.

Encouraging displays off the bench earned the 18-year-old Belgian a first start at the Stadium of Light and he took his chance spectacularly. His poise, balance and fearless display, was capped with two stunning goals. It left Fantasy managers scrambling to the player list, excitedly realising that, in Januzaj, a gem had been unearthed.

Priced at just 4.6 in the FPL, could it be that we’re about to witness another huge budget midfield bandwagon to rival those or Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley?

While his security of start in the long-term will be in question, certainly we’d have to expect Januzaj to retain the shirt for Gameweek 8’s home clash with Southampton. With Stoke to follow at Old Trafford a week later, there is clear potential for the young Belgian to go on delivering. With Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney blanking and Fantasy managers looking to gain coverage of United’s potential over their forthcoming home matches, Januzaj arrival on the scene could not be better timed.

The Selection Poser

Ben Arfa’s omission from Pardew’s teamsheet at Cardiff was perhaps not a surprise. The Newcastle boss used terms such as “balance” and “consistency” following Monday night’s first half horror show at Goodison. There’s little question that Newcastle were a better side in the second half on Monday without Ben Arfa – a player who has always struggled to find any degree of consistency throughout his chequered career.

Today, Newcastle’s performance was, for long spells, supremely convincing. Cabaye flourished in the engine room and Remy, in Ben Arfa’s position on the left, won the game for the Magpies.

While his talent will surely surface again, it’s perhaps unlikely that we’ll see Ben Arfa in the starting lineup for the visit of Liverpool in Gameweek 8. Pardew will be boosted by the three points and with Jonas Guiterrez also returning as a hardworking option out wide, Ben Arfa looks set to face a wait to prove a point.

His Fantasy owners are unlikely to hold and wait for Pardew to work him back into his lineup. Ben Arfa’s price had risen to 7.5 from 7.0 in the FPL by Gameweek 6 but, having dipped to 7.4 this week, the winger is already the most sold midfielder just hours after Saturday’s final whistle. With the two-week break now looming, a significant price drop looks likely as Fantasy managers trade in to pick up the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Ross Barkley and even Adnan Januzaj.