In our first members article of the week, we assess the displays of West Ham, Leicester and Villa’s forwards as the search for a Callum Wilson replacement intensifies. We cast an eye over Southampton, Spurs, West Ham and Arsenal’s midfields and also analyse the impact of Brendan Rodgers’ decision to switch to a 3-4-1-2 formation in the last two Gameweeks.
Depends on the state of the rest of your team... I wouldnt say its worth a hit but definitely time running out
Don't have great cover in my team, only Nyom is a sure starter from my bench.
Keeping already used both FT's to get the cash for Vardy. Chelsea's fixtures are good so still hopeful.
That would of been my thoughts on this until I saw how bad he was against Porto, and how good Willian was. I think its extremely likely he will get dropped.
Got Ighalo on the bench, so not a disaster.
Tl;dr: I’m confident of game time for Rudy Gestede.
So I’ve done some digging into Rudy Gestede and his occasional sub appearances to get an idea of his game time going forward. Here’s a collation of every mention in every Aston Villa match report so far.
Opening day, sub appearance playing 31 minutes, scored winner:
“Rudy hasn't trained an awful lot, but we knew he would give us a different dimension. We worked very hard to bring him to this football club so we're delighted - and that's a victory for the people behind the scenes at the club.”
Week 2, sub appearance playing 31 minutes:
No quotes from Sherwood, likely still not integrated into new team fully.
Week 3, starts, plays 90:
No quotes from Sherwood, BBC describe him as ‘wasteful’ with his chance’.
League Cup vs Notts County
Not in squad, likely using Tuesday and Wednesday to integrate and focus on premier league rather than two days preparing and light training after a league cup match.
Week 4, starts, plays 90:
No quotes from Sherwood, BBC says “Rudy Gestede's imposing presence caused problems for the away defence.”
Week 5, sub appearance, plays 15 minutes, Agbonlahor started.
No quotes, no mention in match report.
Week 6, 45 minutes played, subbed on for Sinclair:
No Sherwood quotes, BBC notes “The hosts were outplayed in the first half and Sherwood's decision to replace pacy Scott Sinclair with targetman Rudy Gestede at half-time did little to turn things around.”
League Cup vs Birmingham, starts, plays 90, scores only goal of the game. Sinclair and Agbonlahor start on flanks alongside Gestede.
Sherwood says “We've shown we're a flexible team”, perhaps referring to the fact the can use the pace of Sinclair or the presence of Gested or both in combination. Birmingham manager Gary Rowett says “we were undone by a moment of quality from Rudy Gestede. That is very difficult to defend against.”
Week 7, starts, plays 90, scores twice.
No quote from Sherwood but BBC notes Agbonlahor was injured and Gestede was his replacement in the starting line up. What we don’t know is whether Gestede would have started anyway. Another point to give Gested hope of more game time is that according to the BBC he “was the only reason Villa - who played quite defensively - ran Liverpool so close at Anfield.”
All in all I think its been a case of Sherwood trying to find balance and the best system to use Gestede, Sinclair, Ayew and Agbonlahor in and which goes on the bench and so far Gestede’s argument for game time has been very persuasive and that he should seem a more permanent fixture in the team going forward.Looked a weapon against Liverpool, keeping an eye on him
That's a lot of research for an Aston Villa striker! 🙂
Good stuff, although he's not for me, mainly due to fixtures.Oh for sure medium term fixtures are horrible, but with the luxury of my WC in hand, I'm taking a 3 week punt on the guy.
The only problem is Villa are rubbish and can't defend. Other than that Gestede is a good differential. Nice digging Balders.
Can't defend is no quibble for looking at their striker 😉
Correct. Gestede will miss a few chances,,,every striker does (Sanchez!!!)....A team has to provide a striker with at least a reasonable number of chances to convert...Give Gestede three or four quality crosses a match and he will do just that.
there is no logic to what sherwood does
Buying Gusted as a Benteke replacement seems logical to me
lol Gestede* even
substitutions, game management, team selection have been very poor
He doesn't seem to know what he is doing and chops and changes his team almost every week. What indication do we have it changes suddenly after a 3-2 loss to a very poor liverpool side?this has been the case since he took over at spurs from AVB, still gets goals from a poor side though.
Thanks Balders...
All I can conclude is that Sherwood needs a check up from the neck up not to play him for 90 mins week in and week out.Aye, but then again I'm not convinced he is completely with it from the neck up 😛
Balders, is there an league update yet?
not yet, there'll be a community article out before the weekend though.
Villa would be best served in a 442 diamond or maybe 352 with Gestede attacking crosses from deeper positions (crossed from around 20yds) from Amavi and Bacuna (both expert crossers). would also allow him to play with a strike partner like Agbonlahor and would give more numbers in central midfield.
On your marks...
Gestede...
Go...😆 I have to make the transfer now
Pulled the trigger on my WC, got low team value so this is my first draft with £0.2ITB
Myhill - Krul
Evans - Bertrand - Nyom - Reid - Francis
De Bruyne - Mahrez - Sanchez - Payet - Howson
Aguero - Sakho - Vardy
The only person I'm not happy about missing out on is Hazard or a Chelsea/City defender... any suggestions on what to change? Thanks all 🙂Bertrand ----> Chelsea/city defender? I'm not convinced by southampton just yet. Tough few games as well.
Cant afford it.. where should I downgrade to make space?
How much is Bertrand? You can maybe get Zouma?
He's 5.3 so could afford... worried about Zouma's rotation though, the only Chelsea def I'd go for would be Azpi
For the sake of Kolarov I'd ditch Krul and trust in Pulis at the back each week.
I'd be 0.1 off 🙁
Could get Azpi though?
Would not worry about Che defence tbh. They are not well.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/467452/Jose-Mourinho-Why-dropped-Eden-Hazard
Daily star I know but should give hazard owners some hope
I think Gestede would be a great pick too
@Balders
he is a rotation risk though, scored first day and sherwood still benches him
no guarantees of starts
McCarthy, Hennessey
Kolorov, Naughton, Bellerin, Targett, Browning
Lens, Mahrez, Payet, Hazard, Mutch
Wilson, Aguero, Martial
4.2m in bank
1.Wilson-----Lukaku/Pelle
2.Wilson----Vardy
3.Wilson----Vardy
Lens-------KDB -4
4.Play WC3 or 2
shaqiri and wilson out--->sakho and redmond in for -4 hit?
is it good move or no?I think it is, maybe not Redmend though. Is he even nailed?
Like the Sahko inclusion. Sinclair could also be an option for cheap mid
Palace mid instead if you can afford. Punch perhaps
Play Williams or Richards this weekend??
williams
How long does it take for Shaqiri to get a scan? 😛
Can someone shed me some light on the Kompany situation? Im so confused
PELLEGRINI ON KOMPANY AND BELGIUM: "I think it will be difficult for him to play for the national team next week"
Ow man. This silva and kompany saga is trolling me. Had both for 3 weeks.
Guess thats AOA chip being used
I've brought Harry Kane in this week...... mental?
It is that or genius, no in between
potentially brilliant.
Doesn't make sense on form. About ten better options. But could be one of those gut shots that works. I'd stay well away though
Boarder line insanity or genious. Not sure yet. Good luck. Got to be better than Agzero (c) again. 😉
Thanks 🙂
It crossed my mind as well given that Vardy's form is unsustainable but it was a punt too far.
tbf if i could have afforded Wilson > Vardy i probably would have done that but i couldn't and getting Sturridge would have required too much squad surgery.
Plus i obviously fancy Spurs to turn over Swansea on Sunday
not at all
Wilson to
(A) Ighalo
(B) BerahinoA
(C) Sakho
This
Berahino surely. Vardy better bit Berahino looks good. Can see Ighalo goals drying up, Feeney will be getting their goals soon enough imo
Between the 2, got to be Bera
B
Bellerin nailed on?
Yes
Should be
Would not bother w Ars defender just yet. Kos just did his hammy and they play Utd next.
A) hazard
B) payetB
ayew sure?
B
B all day
B
put Azpi in last week, already regretting it, please help me convince myself it was a good move 🙁
It wasn't, it really wasn't
Cheers dude 🙂 *sigh*
Chelsea are due a clean sheet and have the same defenders that got many last year. Keep him. He'll get more points than most other defs by end of season
yeah that was my thought process but they better keep a clean sheet against Villa or it might be ditch o'olock
Sorry mate.
So did I, it was a sh1t move but glad I have company (not Kompany though)
haha the azpi fanclub might not have the greatest membership right now but at least theirs no lol in lolarov this season 🙂 love that guy
3 home games in 4.
I got Bego in. They gotta get better, even by just a little!Chelsea defense a bad idea. Give up 2 goals a game
How did Pedro look tonight?
Worse than *insert something bad*
dreadful
awful
Pfft...
Wow. Really? :/ Was hoping to keep him another week.
Not great.
puncheon or bolasie??
Neither!, the Palace attack is a minefield
Puncheons guaranteed more time, but has Cabaye to share set pieces with this season. Bolasie has potential for more explosive returns. Bolasie more likely to be rotation risk with Zaha looking good on Sunday. Both good differentials, I'd go Bolasie myself
Punch
thx everyone
cabaye
Sako
Since when did Willian become a free kick machine
So Silva expected to play tomorrow. Finally fit!
Hes gonna be a nice differential for us come newcastle!
yeap but ive already sold him
newcastle is silva's favorite opposition. think he;s scored 5 goals against them. correct me if im wrong
Always have feeling that he could bw injured in warm up or something. He's burnt me too many times, I'm never getting him again!
Really? Doesn't strike me as that type of player at all.
I never expect fireworks or multiple goal games from him but i know that if he's in my team for a month or two he'll deliver consistent returnsI have Mane on the 'never again' list...
Jeez... your funeral
Maybe you were just referring to his injury record? In which case ignore the above lol
He's great for returns when I don't have him it seems. Fantastic player. Just whenever I bring him in, he seems to get injured.
So the UCL fantasy site is broken then?
R.I.P.
My team name is something completely different to what it should be 😆
Is anybody actually surprised?
It's been a hopeless useless site for a number of seasons now.
Avoided by many now I believe.it has been for the last four years at least.
Hahahaha
As predictable as a Jack Wilshere injury
Thought on the two potential moves below please
A) Ozil to Silva/KDB
B) Ozil + Gomis to Sanchez + Vardy for 14I'd do B
A is better this week.
Though I'd go Ozil/Gomis to kdb/vardy-4*
A
Prefer Silva if fit ...
A) -4 Darmian/Wilson to Dawson/Vardy
B) -4 Pedro/Wilson to Payet/Vardy
C) Wilson to IgalhoB looks really good, considering Pedro might get dropped
B. Don't take out a united defender for minus 4. Points too valuable for that!
B
B
Though I see your logic with A as I am contemplating the same moves.
I got Vardy already.
Don't know if this info has been posted earlier but Kompany hasn't travelled for tomorrow's game and won't be ready for the game agst Newcastle
Interesting, do u have a link by any chance?
It was on the radio this evening but came from Pellegrini
thanks.
I don't expect anyone gives a toss about the Belgium game
Belgians might
Another 0 for Kolarov 🙁
Captain choices for the weekend
I had Sanchez captain against Leicester but I doubt he will get alot against man utd
Thoughts on
Vardy, Sanchez, yaya or kolarovkun
Don't have agreed refuse to pay over 13 on 1 player
Payet vs Sunderland?
Wouldn't like to captain any of those. Possibly Yaya if he's guaranteed to be starting.
Vardy or Mahrez
Not alot between Yaya and KDB as far stats are concerned, Yaya is still a top mid and I'm happy to stick if fit.
Probably better to stick... but i'd rather have KDB
Anyone keeping Gomis?
I sold him for Sakho
Yeah? That doesn't sit right with me at all. Swapping back-to-back home games for back-to-back away games
kind of what I'm thinking as well, although West Ham have performed pretty well away from home this season..
This is true
Gomis will continue to get subbed off at HT giving you a massive 1 point each week
Considering it for one more week. My concern is the fact he was brought off at half time not that he hasnt scored for a few games... u?
seems to have lost form so they go hand in hand in my opinion. Two pretty good gws coming up but falling while sakho is rising might change it. I'm considering either gomis -> sakho or hazard - > Silva/KDB this week and Gomis -> Pelle/Lukaku next week
For 2 more weeks
o/
o/
MNF x 2Though if he blanks this GW or gets taken off early again I will get rid for Pelle after IB.
x 1?
MNF?
Monday Night Football
There is no MNF this week...
Yes. I'm holding
Is the Premiership really as bad as recent Champions League results are making it look?
The Premiership isnt, the teams are
3rd best league in Europe
No i think English clubs suffer a lot because they have to play thru Christmas where other country's take holidays and the break helps them recover more than English teams do which has a effect in the long run imo
Can you explain the poor form & results before the Christmas breaks then.
We're in September...
Someone help me on who to start next week, have already made my transfers this week but just not sure who to leave on the bench
Hart-DeGea
Kolarov-clyne-smalling-Williams-azpilicueta
Mahrez-mata-payet-barkley-puncheon
Aguero-ighalo-Wilson
Any suggestions?DeGea, Clyne, Smalling, Wilson (Why haven't you sold him?),
Williams vs Clyne your only real decision, unless you expect Citeh to concede again without Kompany in which case you can start deGea for saves i guess
I had benteke and Sinclair and 2 fts and decided to strengthen the midfield with payet and leave Wilson for the next game week
Wilson, Smalling, Clyne
coutinho→payet/Cabaye for next 3 GWs ?!
yes or no ?hell no, why would you lose coutinho who takes all their set pieces
to payet ,yes
Meh... not necessary. Anything more pressing.
Hold
For just next 3 GWs...definitely Payet. It's close between Coutinho and Cabaye
TYVM all
8 years, 8 months agoPedro owners, what are you doing? Time to sell I think, even potentially for a hit. Thoughts?