With the pre-season friendly schedules starting to pick up, we cast an eye over the highlights so far this morning. At this point, it’s all about building up fitness and the first few fixtures have seen most players handed 45 minutes apiece over each game as managers utilise the depths of their first-team squads. Whilst it’s impossible to gauge any conclusions in terms of tactics and team selections from the matches played out, it’s clear that a handful of players have quickly found their form:
Bent Bags a Brace for Villa
With both Christian Benteke and Libor Kozak still sidelined by injury, the forgotten forward served a timely reminder of his talents by scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Mansfield Town. Gary Gardner was also among the goals whilst Andreas Weimann chipped in with a pair of assists as the midlands outfit got their pre-season off to a positive start. Lambert handed summer signings Joe Cole and Kieran Richardson their debuts, whilst the likes of Bent and Alan Hutton also came into contention after both were farmed out on loan in the season gone by. In addition, the game also saw Charles N’Zogbia and Jores Okore finally return from long-term injury after both spent months on the sidelines in the previous campaign. Post-match, Lambert inisisted that Bent was very much part of his plans for the season ahead, though with six tough fixtures in the first eight Gameweeks, Villa’s players will be in few initial Fantasy squads.
Clarets Forwards Find the Net
Burnley opened their summer schedule with an 8-0 win over Austrian fifth division side Grossklein yesterday. Surprisingly, last season’s top scorer Danny Ings failed to find the net –instead, fellow strikers Ashley Barnes and debutants Marvin Sordell and Lukas Jutkiewicz all scored twice in the rout, whilst budget midfielder Scott Arfield served a reminder of the form which saw him net eight times last term by also getting on the scoresheet.
Terry in the Goals for Blues
The Chelsea skipper has wasted no time in finding his form over the last week. Terry has played 45 minutes on two occasions and has already scored three times for Jose Mourinho’s side – first of all netting in an easy 5-0 win over Wycombe before emerging from the bench again to notch twice in a 3-2 comeback win over Wimbledon at the weekend. With most of his squad still resting after World Cup duties, the Blues boss has taken the chance to hand many youngsters a chance to impress – Izzy Brown grabbed twice against Wycombe – though first-team squad members Branislav Ivanovic and Mohamed Salah have also opened their accounts with a goal apiece so far.
Dobbie Instrumental as Palace Run Riot
Austrian outfit GAK Graz were humbled in front of their own fans by a rampant Palace last midweek. The Eagles won by an eye-catching margin of 13-1, with Stephen Dobbie the star man after climbing off the bench to produce four goals and three assists against a tiring backline. Jonny Williams and Glenn Murray both bagged braces in the rout but bearing in mind their opponents currently sit in Austria’s seven division, it’s best not to look too much into this result.
Peterson Impresses for Reds
Liverpool followed up a 2-1 defeat against Brondby with a weekend triumph over Preston. Saturday’s 2-1 victory saw summer signings Rickie Lambert and Emre Can handed their debuts (the latter was withdrawn as a precautionary measure due to a minor calf problem) though the standout performers so far for the Merseysiders have been a couple of youngsters. Jordan Ibe has assisted all three of Liverpool’s goals over the two games, whilst Kristoffer Peterson has scored in both matches. The Preston match saw Rodgers welcome back Jose Enrique from a long-term knee problem, with the Spaniard handed a brief second-half run-out.
De Jong Nets in Magpies Loss
Handed the skipper’s armband for Newcastle’s trip to Oldham, the Dutchman was quick to make his mark for Alan Pardew’s side. Although the Tyneside team fell to a 2-1 defeat, they’ll be buoyed with De Jong’s immediate impact – fielded in “the hole” behind a lone forward in a 4-2-3-1, he needed just 14 minutes to lash home a long-range effort to endear himself to Magpies fans. It’s worth noting that De Jong also seems to be on direct free-kicks for the Tyneside team, strengthening his chances of replicating the kind of form that saw him score 10+ goals in four of his last five seasons in the Dutch top-flight.
Pelle at the Double
After opening their summer schedule with a 4-0 win over Dutch lower league side EHC Hoensbroek, Ronald Koeman’s men served up a 6-0 victory against Belgian minnows Sporting Hasselt late last week. Summer signing Graziano Pelle was quick to demonstrate the form that saw him score 55 goals in 66 appearances for Feyenoord over the last two year by notching twice in a 45-minute debut run-out, whilst fellow new boy Dusan Tadic looks to be first-choice for dead-ball situations after serving up 10+ assists in each of his last four seasons in the Dutch top-flight. Callum Chambers – eyed up by some Fantasy managers due to a kind starting price across the games – has also been in the goals to stake a claim for a regular role at the back.
Fletcher Nets Twice for Black Cats
Gus Poyet named a different starting XI for both halves of Saturday’s 5-1 win over Darlington as Sunderland got their pre-season underway. This means we are yet to be given an inkling over the likely Sunderland number one, after Vito Mannone and Costel Pantilimon each managed 45 minutes between the sticks, whilst up front, the Black Cats boss opted for the lone forward system that served his side so well at the end of last term. Steven Fletcher started the match and grabbed a double, though replacement Connor Wickham also found the net to keep himself in consideration, while Emmanuele Giaccherini and new boy Jordi Gomez grabbed a goal apiece from midfield in a comfortable run-out.
