Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 35 – The Weak

After casting on eye over the sides with strong fixtures to follow, we now turn our attentions to those who have less reason to be cheerful. Palace’s season is in danger of petering out, whilst Hull and the Baggies face a tough task to pick up the points over the final four Gameweeks of the season.

Crystal Palace

After a rampant start to life under Alan Pardew, the Eagles have dropped off in the last couple of Gameweeks, losing two successive home matches against relegation contenders West Brom and Hull. Their chances of returning to form now look slim, with a horrendous next three handing them away days at Chelsea and Liverpool either side of Man United’s trip to Selhurst Park, and we can expect those who invested in Palace’s star assets to be in the market for alternatives.

Glenn Murray’s three consecutive double-figure hauls between Gameweeks 30-32 were enough to convince over 150,000 managers to snap up his services prior to the Baggies defeat, and for those who chose to keep faith for last weekend’s equally disappointing loss to Hull, an exit route is now a priority. The same can be said for owners of Yannick Bolasie, who has also failed to produce returns in the last two and looks set to struggle against the watertight defences of Chelsea and Liverpool. With just a single clean sheet accrued in their last 14, few were paying much interest to the Eagles’ rearguard as it was, but the schedule should guarantee that the likes of Scott Dann and Joel Ward remain far from managers’ thoughts.

West Brom

The Baggies have rediscovered their resilience in recent weeks, recording clean sheets in each of their last two outings after having shipped 10 goals in their previous three. That resolve will need to be maintained if they are to reap further success from their final four fixtures of the campaign, with away clashes with Man United, Newcastle and Arsenal and a home encounter with Chelsea making up a testing run-in that looks set to deprive them of Fantasy interest.

Boaz Myhill’s appeal as a budget option between the sticks will rely on his save points from here on in, whilst Joleon Lescott and Craig Dawson are due to face the chop or be relegated to our benches by their remaining owners. Midfielders Chris Brunt and Craig Gardner have both delivered returns in recent Gameweeks, but are set to remain on the periphery of our thinking despite their budget price tags. Up top, Saido Berahino has now failed to find the net since Gameweek 28, and is now unlikely to come back into the reckoning until next season.

Hull

The surprise outfit of the current double Gameweek, the Tigers have recorded back-to-back shut-outs and two vital victories over the past four days, and are now four points clear of the relegation places. There’s still plenty of hard work to do, however – a home meeting with Arsenal precedes a scrap with fellow relegation contenders Burnley, and with clashes against Spurs and United drawing things to a close, Steve Bruce’s side will need to prove their mettle if they are to dodge the drop.

Dame N’Doye served up a 15-point haul for his 6,000+ new owners across the double, but even that may not be enough to convince them to stick with the differential striker, who could be set to toil up against a Gunners backline who have conceded just twice in their last five league fixtures. Hull’s defence have been one of the undeniable heroes of the double so far, and though they now have momentum on their side, backing them to produce against the likes of Arsenal Spurs and United may be a step too far for most, leaving just that Burnley showdown as a potential source of points.

Be Wary Of..

QPR
Sitting four points from safety, and with only one win in their previous nine attempts, things are looking increasingly desperate for Chris Ramsey’s men. A quick glance at the upcoming schedule should only see that desperation increase, with the Hoops set for three testing away dates in their final four, as they travel to Liverpool and Man City in their next two before heading to the King Power Stadium for a crucial showdown with Leicester on the final day of the season. Charlie Austin’s ‘fixture proof’ status looks vital for their success, though his miss from the spot against West Ham at the weekend is sure to have shaken him up and has already convinced nearly 10,000 managers to part company, whilst Matty Phillips has now blanked in his last two and is set to be consigned to the bench by his band of owners.

Swansea
A change of system last time out brought Gylfi Sigurdsson roaring back onto managers’ radars with a 13-point haul – his joint highest tally of the campaign – whilst fielded in behind lone striker Nelson Oliveira in a 4-2-3-1. Nonetheless, the Swans’ remaining fixture list could be enough to deter major investment, with two tricky away trips (ars, cpl) and a home meeting with Man City now on the agenda. At the back, the likes of Lukasz Fabianski and Ashley Williams have now gone four matches without a shut-out, and the omens do not look good for further defensive returns – a switch to a budget rearguard alternative appears a wise move to free up the cash to splash on Arsenal’s premium double Gameweek 37 assets.

Stoke
The Potters final run-in throws up two decent away ties with Swansea and Burnley, though their appeal is undoubtedly offset by what should prove a tricky pair of home clashes against Spurs and Liverpool. With little left to play for, it’s no surprise that the Midlanders have produced a mixed bag of results and performances of late, and we can expect that unpredictability to last throughout what’s left of the campaign. The likes of Ryan Shawcross and Asmir Begovic are not due to garner much attention, then, whilst Charlie Adam’s hot streak of three goals and an assist in his last five outings is still unlikely to alter his 0.6% ownership significantly