With the Premier seemingly relocated to sunnier climbs, toiling in training camps and relaxing on beaches, things have hushed back in chilly old blighty. Nonetheless, we unearthed some nuggets including Marc Wilson’s return to reserve action for Stoke, the latest tactical thinking at St James’ Park as Hatem Ben Arfa nears a comeback, and further evidence that David De Gea has become a viable Fantasy option between the sticks…
Marc Wilson stepped up his recovery from a broken leg by playing 90 minutes for Stoke reserves in a 2-1 defeat by Burnley yesterday. The left-back is due to feature in another match for the Potters’ second-string before Tony Pulis takes his side to Fulham for the Gameweek 27 clash on February 23 – a match Wilson reckons he will now be ready for:
“The main objective for me was to get fitness out of the game.I am not feeling any twinges, more stiffness than anything…I am looking towards the Fulham game. I think the game on Monday will benefit me and then I have the rest of the week to get myself right for the weekend.”
Having failed to play since Gameweek 9, Wilson has now dropped to 3.9 in FPL – superb value, given his previous consistency of starts under Pulis. With home games against West Ham, West Brom and Villa in the next six, in addition to the Fulham trip, Wilson will no doubt be snapped up by many despite a run of eight games without a clean sheet for Stoke. New boy Brek Shea also impressed in yesterday’s match. Handing a role on the left wing, he nodded home the Potters consolation to suggest he could offer a mid-price midfield alternative (at 5.0 in FPL), should he nail down a regular role.
Martin O’Neill took time to discuss Steve Fletcher and Danny Graham’s potential strike partnership yesterday. The Black Cats flew to Dubai earlier this week, with their manager revealing he is keen to work on developing an understanding in their training camp:
“We’ve got a good chance this week – there’s been very little chance so far with Steven Fletcher away with Scotland last week – to get them together and start working with them. I don’t think we’ve got one specific system, I hope not anyway, and in time my own view is the two players can play together. It’s just a matter of time and I don’t see that being a massive problem. We’ll see, it’ll take a little bit of time.”
Much of the reason for a change up top has been the form of Stephane Sessegnon. The Benin international has notched just once in the last 14 Gameweeks and has recently been shifted from his usual support role behind Fletcher to the wing as a result of his inability to find the net – a situation O’Neill admits is a real concern:
“This lad, for the ability he possesses, should score double figures in a season. Into the penalty area, he’s beating players and he should do better. He should finish them off, he really should for that ability because he can be mesmeric. When he dummies inside to come in, coming across the box, he should just drop the shoulder come inside and have the shot. He does it in training sessions time and time again. That’s what I think. He scores in training. It’s frustrating because this boy could be priceless if he could do that part of the game.”
With four favourable fixtures on the horizon(wba, FUL, qpr, NOR), Sunderland look likely to receive further investment before the schedule take a turn for the worse in Gameweek 31. Coming in at 5.4 in FPL, Graham is certainly one to watch and is considerably cheaper than any of the Black Cats’ attacking assets – a start against West Brom in 10 days’ time could see him appear on our radars.
Alan Pardew has been talking up the return of Hatem Ben Arfa to the Newcastle ranks, stating that the Frenchman could come into contention for the Gameweek 27 clash with Southampton on February 24. His potential return to fitness presents an exciting prospect for the Magpies but would also pose a few selection headaches for Pardew. He has already offered some insight into his thinking, however…
“I think there’s a possibility Hatem will be back for the next home game….You’d like to think with Yoan on one side, Ben Arfa on the other and Moussa Sissoko and (Papiss) Cisse through the middle – blimey, that’s mouth-watering for us…You put Cheick Tiote and Sissoko in there and we have got a really, really good side if we can get it out on the pitch.”
From Pardew’s statement, he seems to be pondering keeping three attacking players behind Papiss Cisse, with Ben Arfa on one flank, Yoan Gouffran on the other and Moussa Sissoko supporting down the centre. That would presumably leave Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye in the deep lying midfield roles – although that would mean no placed for Jonas Gutierrez, a regular in Pardew’s lineup to this point. Certainly the return of Ben Arfa would add considerable creativity to the Magpies attack, perhaps boosting the appeal of both Papiss Cisses as an option up front, and Moussa Sissoko as a mid-price midfield option. Newcastle’s fixtures also perk up considerably in the coming weeks, giving them the platform to kick-on and transform their season following recent struggles.
The aforementioned Sissoko has again spoken out on his impact at St James’ Park, enthusising on his admiration of Partrick Vierra as an example of a French midfielder who established himself in the English game, whilst offering further views on his role at Newcastle…
“I am not a No.10. Let’s say I am an attacking central midfielder. I like to move, defend, attack. I do everything a bit. The centre is where I can bring the most to the team. On the side, it is much more complicated.”
Given Pardew’s statement surrounding his view of his lineup on Ben Arfa’s pending return, it seems that there is little prospect of Sissoko being shifted from his current role, pushed up in support of Cisse from a central area.
Roberto Mancini’s mood is set to be boosted by the return to fitness of defender Micah Richards according to reports. The Daily Mail have stated that Richards is being penciled in for a return to contention for the March 4 encounter with Aston Villa in Gameweek 28. Richards has been out of action since October and has made just three league appearances this term. However, after showing promising form last season (earning six assists in the process), Richards’ return may be significant when it comes to offering Mancini greater rotation options at the back. Pablo Zabaleta is currently the undisputed holder of the right-back role and has started the last 11 matches, earning player of the month at City for the past two months. A role at centre-back, perhaps even in a 3-5-2 system, may well be a more likely outcome for the returning Richards.
Sir Alex Ferguson has talked up the form of David De Gea on the eve on tonight’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid, offering further evidence that the Spaniard is now firmly his number one. De Gea has started the last 11 league matches for United, with Anders Lindegaard seemingly relegated in the pecking order. Indeed, Lindegaard was even absent from the United bench for Sunday’s victory over Everton, amidst speculation that he will be departing Old Trafford in the summer. Ferguson had this to say on De Gea’s maturing form in his Madrid press conference…
“Obviously, the boy [De Gea] has shown his character because he’s taken a lot of criticism and sometimes unfair criticism. But what we are good at doing at this club is developing people, both as players and as characters. David came as a young goalkeeper, one who was not used to the English game, and he couldn’t speak language. He also had to mature physically, but young kids have wobbles, they get up, wobble again, get up and then walk, and the boy is walking now.”
De Gea himself has also acknowledged his progress at the club since his arrival…
“Of course when you arrive at a new club it is normal there will be low points. The important thing is to learn from them and improve. I know I am much better than when I first arrived at Manchester United.”
Fantasy managers must now be pondering De Gea as a viable option betweent the sticks, with the evidence mounting that he has established himself as United’s number one. With a value of 5.5 in the Fantasy Premier League game, De Gea is the cheapest route to the United defence and, with the challenge from Lindegaard seemingly reduced, now appears to offer security as well as value. While United have kept just six clean sheets this term, they have put together back-to-back shutouts as Ferguson looks to grind out the wins to take them over the line in the title race. With fixtures strong in the coming months, the United defence, with De Gea now an option, looks enticing.
