Saturday’s matches welcome in another month of Dream Team scoring with a further £10,000 in prize money on offer. The top scoring manager in March will grab a cool £5,000 of the pot and, with Transfer Window 3 now long gone, those making a serious play for the cash will need to contemplate fresh new lineups to meet the March schedule head-on. As always, existing managers can still register two new teams for just a fiver via the Dream Team Premium-In-Play package.
March throws several curveballs our way, not least a Premier League programme beset by postponements as a result of the FA Cup Quarter Finals. With a Champions League second leg and two legs of Europa League action, plus a Capital One Cup tie in the mix, the fixtures warrant a thorough analysis before suitable targets can be compiled.
The Fixtures
The regular disparity between the teams in terms of number of fixtures is in evidence again this coming month, although only two stand out as top sources of Dream Team talent.
Tottenham’s two-legged last 16 tie in the Europa League boosts their month’s fixtures to seven, with Man City also in line to take to the pitch seven times, despite suffering two postponements in the Premier League. Manuel Pellegrini’s side face a Capital One Cup date with Sunderland at Wembley this weekend, plus the FA Cup tie with Wigan – both potentially profitable fixtures.
Aside from that, the fixture breakdown looks fairly even, with six sides enjoying six fixtures and four teams currently handed a relatively sparse March schedule, with just four outings currently on their menu.
Here’s a full breakdown of the fixtures per team for the month of March:
Man City – 7 – (1 C1C, 1 FAC, 1 CL, 4 PL)
Tottenham – 7 – (2 EL, 5 PL)
Arsenal – 6 – (1 FAC, 1 CL, 4 PL)
Man United & Chelsea – 6 – (1 CL, 5 PL)
Sunderland – 6 – (1 C1C, 1 FAC, 4 PL)
Hull – 6 – (1 FAC, 5 PL)
Everton – 5 – (1 FAC, 4 PL)
Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Liverpool, Norwich, Southampton, Stoke & West Ham – 5 – (5 PL)
Swansea, Aston Villa, Newcastle & West Brom – 4 – (4 PL)
While City and Spurs seem natural sources of Dream Team talent for the month, Arsenal’s potential is dented by a testing Premier League fixture list. Similarly, United’s prospects are questionable given their current run of form, which leaves Chelsea to rival City and Spurs for our affections – Jose Mourinho’s side look to offer decent potential as we approach the business end of the season.
There then follows a supporting cast, headed up by Sunderland and Hull City with six fixtures apiece and a whole host of clubs presenting five matches – from which Everton look the best placed to lend a hand in our March squad selection.
The Player Picks
We should start with City given their position as title challengers and with two domestic cups ties and a Champions League clash on the monthly menu. While that schedule will tempt investment, their current form – with three goals in their last five – has faltered of late. Sergio Aguero’s return could prove the catalyst for improvement, and if you’re willing to risk the chance of another injury breakdown, the Argentine looks a shoo-in for a sport in our March strike force at £7 million.
The usual pairing of David Silva (£5.5m) and Yaya Toure (£6.0m) present a midfield option – both rank in the top five points scorers for their position, with the Ivorian still edging out Silva thanks to his unexpected strike rate of 16 goals in 36 appearances. Silva trails Toure by 49 points but has featured in nine fewer matches and the Spaniard continues to shine in terms of Star Man awards, collecting six from his 27 matches and earning 7+ ratings in 22 of those outings. Silva would be a brave choice but represents a differential given his 8% ownership compared to Toure’s 22%.
At the back, City’s options are cut by the continual rotation of Aleks Kolarov (£3.0m) and Gael Clichy (£4.5m) at left-back, resulting in Vincent Kompany (£6.5m) or Pablo Zabaleta (£5.5m) standing out as their most reliable options. Kolarov still tops both of them in the overall rankings, although Kompany only trails the Serb by nine points from 11 fewer matches as the City skipper continues to hoover up 7+ ratings at pace, fetching 17 from 24 appearances so far.
Tottenham’s attacking options are somewhat limited, with Emmanuel Adebayor (£3.5m) the clear standout. The Togo striker has notched 11 goals from 15 appearances since he was resurrected as an option by Tim Sherwood and, along with Aguero, looks an assured candidate for our forward lines this month – particularly given that Sherwood appears to be fielding stronger lineups in Europe.
Tottenham’s midfield options are limited, suggesting that investment in the back four might be a stronger option, although Paulinho looks to have cemented his start in recent matches and could be worth a gamble given his modest £3.5 million price tag. Jan Vertonghen (£5.5m) is always the luxury option in Sherwood’s defence, with Danny Rose (£2.5m) providing the value alternative – providing he recovers from the knee problem that kept him out of last night’s clash with FC Dnipro.
As mentioned, both the Arsenal and United squads should be approached with caution. While the Gunners have a title bid to maintain, their fixtures throughout March threaten to de-rail matters. Visits to Stoke, Spurs and Chelsea and a crunch clash with City suggest that clean sheet returns will be minimal. Throw in the away trip to Bayern and, while Arsenal have six fixtures, few of them suggest points at either end of the pitch for Arsene Wenger’s men.
United, meanwhile, are wrestling with indifferent form and welcome both Liverpool and City to Old Trafford, around a vital Champions League second leg tie with Olympiakos. The pressure on David Moyes is mounting and, although both Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, priced at £7.0m and £8.0m respectively, have the talent to warrant consideration – only a brave Dream Team manager will look to them over the likes of Aguero, given the lack of confidence in the United camp.
Chelsea’s run-in should harvest more points and see them continue their challenge on both the domestic and European fronts. The visit of Galatasaray is expected to return a positive result, while Stamford Bridge clashes with Tottenham and Arsenal in March will be tests but can be approached with confidence given their home form. With away trips to Fulham, Villa and Palace, Jose Mourinho’s side remain ripe for investment with a member of the back four looking almost essential.
Chelsea’s rearguard has allowed just five goals in 12 games since the turn of the year and further shut-outs look assured next month. Cesar Azpilicueta won Star Man in Turkey in midweek and remains strong value at £4.0 million. Equally Gary Cahill (£4.5m) looks to have cemented his starting berth, while Branislav Ivanovic (£6.5m) and John Terry (£5.0m) are your secure picks with goal threat on offer.
In attacking terms the options are far more limited, with Eden Hazard, at £6.5m, the only standout candidate offering a degree of consistency. Oscar’s (4.5m) star has faded of late, while Willian’s (£4.0m) output seems limited despite a consistent run of starts.
Swansea’s exit from the Europa League last night severely dented their appeal, leaving us looking beyond the teams in Europe to the likes of Everton and, believe it or not, the likes of Hull and Norwich.
Roberto Martinez’s side have outstanding league fixtures in March, with three plum Goodison clashes, supplemented by an FA Cup tie with Arsenal. Seamus Coleman (£3.0m) looks essential as a member of our back four, with the tactic of doubling up with Leighton Baines (£6.5m) also looking viable. Further forward, Kevin Mirallas, as a £3.5 million midfielder, has to come into the equation despite competition for starts in his position. Romelu Lukaku (£4.0m) is a wildcard pick up front if you fancy him to be instantly restored and rediscover a scoring touch on his return from injury.
Hull City’s FA Cup fixture with Sunderland offers further potential in their squad, with confidence flowing through Steve Bruce’s charges. The back four remains a real source of value with Curtis Davies the star turn – he’s returned a staggering 105 points for his £1 million price tag – the best value of any defender in the game this season. Further forward, Nikica Jelavic (£3.0m) has to be a consideration given his form. He’s notched three in six league starts for the Humberside outfit, registering 7+ ratings in a trio of those matches. While he’s cup tied for the Quarter-Final, he’ll be given run-outs in the league against Newcastle, West Brom and Man City at the KC Stadium this month.
If you’re still scratching around for midfield options, I’d also ponder taking a risk on Norwich City’s talisman – Robert Snodgrass. The Scot snatched the winner and Star Man award in the win over Spurs and has Villa, plus Carrow Road clashes with Stoke and Sunderland in March. Further goals and Dream Team returns would seem on the cards and, at just £3.0m, he looks a decent option.
Of course we have to take the claims of Daniel Sturridge (£5.0m) seriously given the outrageous strike rate that has brought 11 goals in his last ten appearances. Three away trips next month – at Southampton, Man United and Cardiff – will test Liverpool’s current momentum, however. Sturridge, Luis Suarez (£7.5m) and the value offered by Raheem Sterling (£2.5m) in midfield should all be considered with care, then.
The Dream Team Scout League
Geoff Pryor continues at the Scout League summit on 1,545 points, with his tactic of doubling up on Chelsea’s defence proving decisive – he sits in 17th spot in the overall standings. Charles Mouzon is a little further back in second spot, with 1,520 points thus far – he has built up quite a lead over third-placed Dan Ward, on 1,415 points. The winner of the Scout Sun League picks up £1,000.
The Road to Rio
Dream Team will launch the Road to Rio mini-game, a brand new offering with its own unique player list influenced by the World Cup, on Monday March 4. It’s free to enter with a prize pool of £15,000. We’ll bring you a full guide to that game very soon.
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