Say What? – Gameweek 26

Once again we dig through the media soundbites to unearth a few gems from the weather-hit midweek action. Sam Allardyce, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Arsene Wenger discuss defences, Tony Pulis turns his attentions to attack, whilst Brendan Rodgers hails Liverpool’s “SAS” after the Reds racked up eight goals over their last couple of fixtures:

With an astonishing five clean sheets in their last six Premier League games, Sam Allardyce’s West Ham defence is in red hot Fantasy form. Big Sam lauded his current centre-back pairing and new first-choice keeper after Tuesday’s 2-0 home win against Norwich, which saw captain Winston Reid warm the bench once more. Interest in James Collins is growing as the centre-half, available at just 4.2 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), not only retained his place but grabbed a goal to draw the plaudits at the Boleyn, whilst Adrian (4.4) also received his manager’s praise after showing just why he’s ousted Jussi Jääskeläinen from the number one spot:

“Apart from [James Collins’] really good performance at the back again, with James Tomkins, he has got the winner for us… I think Ginge would stick his head in a fire if he thought he could get us a few points or a clean sheet! That’s the attitude you need to have in this league – tough and brave and with ability and desire. To get that clean sheet, our goalkeeper Adrian made three outstanding saves… He made them at critical times for us and that gave us the opportunity to get the win.”
Sam Allardyce delighted by his defence’s form and commitment.

Gameweek 25’s star performer Edin Hazard was left frustrated following Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns. West Brom’s tactical discipline nullified the winger’s attacking threat and Hazard went on to complete the game without a single shot at goal:

“I tried to play, we tried to play but it was a very difficult game. It was very complicated whenever I had the ball because there were two or three opponents there. We could have got one or two more goals if we had been a little smarter with our final passes. They had a plan to defend, as was the case when we played West Ham.”
Eden Hazard airs his frustration at being marked out of the game at the Hawthorns.

Arsene Wenger addressed the degree of anxiety affecting Fantasy owners after a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at the Emirates saw Arsenal’s title credentials come under further scrutiny. Wenger attributed his side’s lack of attacking fluency to the psychological impact of the previous weekend’s mauling at Anfield and also rued the loss of key goalscorers:

“I felt we were nervous, yes… We care about what we do and when you concede five goals like we did on Saturday, we are only human beings and that is always what you get after a game [like that]. Sometimes you don’t score because the team was highly focused not to concede today. We are a bit short of goals at the moment. Mathematically we have lost goal-scorers with Walcott and Ramsey. At the moment in games like that, you see that.”
Arsene Wenger on Arsenal’s nerves, and a lack of goal-scorers.

With the continued absence of Walcott and Ramsay, Wenger called on record signing Mesut Özil to add goals to his game to fend off recent criticism. Özil’s ownership has been steadily decreasing with just one league assist since Christmas – he has now scored in just three of his 21 league appearances since arriving from Real Madrid and, with the fixtures set to turn tougher around Gameweek 30, further sales can be expected:

“He feels the pressure of course. He knows a lot is expected when you are a big transfer like that. There is a big expectation level but he should not worry about that, just play in the team and enjoy it, give his best. That’s’ the best way to deal with it. You want the guy who plays behind the striker to score some goals and sometimes he is too obsessed with making the perfect pass when he could take a shot at goal.”
Wenger looks to Mesut Özil to weigh in with a few goals.

Cardiff City manager Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer took encouragement from the performance of his defence following their display against Aston Villa. Popular budget duo David Marshall and Ben Turner, available at 4.7 and 4.1 respectively in FPL, both made vital interventions and, with the Bluebirds looking a little more resolute than usual, they may be worth consideration ahead of home fixtures against Hull and Fulham.

“Caulker and Turner, they did as well as two centre-backs can, along with David Marshall, that is where we take a lot of encouragement. There was a solid foundation and that is what you need to play from. Clean sheets are a more vital factor in the situation we are in. That gives you a chance to win games. We created enough chances to win against Aston Villa.”
Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer on the value of clean sheets.

Following a gritty comeback win at Craven Cottage, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers discussed the interplay of his headline strike combo ‘SAS’. His side have notched 20 times in their last six Premier League fixtures, including five against Arsenal and four against Everton, since Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were reunited in attack.

“Both Luis and Daniel can play on the sides, but when one of them does we give them the freedom to move and penetrate, especially Daniel because his penetration is so fast and that’s a key part of the game for us. When they haven’t got the ball they have to work like animals as there is a big responsibility on them to defend that side of the field… What we have is two individuals with qualities which are different. Both have a desire to score goals but they are not your traditional partnership.”
Brendan Rodgers on the tactical nous of his SAS partnership.

Elsewhere on Merseyside, Everton’s Kevin Mirallas spoke of his favoured position after the Toffees clash with Palace fell victim to the weather. The Belgian flyer has been fielded as a lone forward, a support striker and on the flank as Roberto Martinez shuffles his pack to deal with a spate of injuries. Everton are set to announce a new date for their clash against the Eagles early next week, and with three home fixtures in the following five (che, WHM, new, CAR, SWA), Mirallas will be a popular Fantasy asset for managers looking to capitalise on a tidy run.

“I’ve changed my mentality and I think I’m more positive. I’m playing in different positions and I think my best position is in behind the striker. There are a lot of players in the squad now who can play in my positions and I think that is good for me. We have Gerry, Aiden, Stevie, Ross, Ossie – we have lots of players. That is good for me because we have lots of competition but also it allows me to play in different positions.”
Kevin Mirallas on his preferred position for the Toffees.

Staying true to his roots, Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis will be looking for his side to contribute more goals from set-piece opportunities. The former Stoke boss had built quite the reputation for resilient defensive displays and set-plays, and with a regimented defence now taking shape, we can expect to see his Eagles pose a greater threat from balls into the box from free-kicks and corners. Great news for owners of Palace’s rearguard, in particular.

“We need to score more goals full stop. But we also need to share the goals more around the team, we are a little bit disappointed that we haven’t scored as many goals from set-pieces as well because we have some big lads in the team. We have got to contribute all over the pitch, irrespective of who scores, the main thing is that we have the firepower to score from all over the pitch.”
Tony Pulis expecting an upturn in Crystal Palace’s attacking threat.