We introduce a new end-of-season article idea this morning. Focussing on specific fixtures that had a long-lasting effect on our Fantasy campaigns, we look at some pivotal moments of 2013/14 that changed the landscape as we previously knew it:
The Scenario
The return of Luis Suarez. After sitting out the first five fixtures due to suspension, the Uruguayan was immediately re-installed to the Liverpool starting line-up as Brendan Rodgers’ side looked to bounce back from a 1-0 home defeat to Southampton in the previous match. Indeed, the Merseysiders had been struggling for goals and had found the next just five times in the opening five Gameweeks of the season, netting more than once on a single occasion.
Starting the campaign at 11.0 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Suarez had dipped to 10.9 by the time he was available, whilst team-mate Daniel Sturridge had climbed from 9.0 to 9.4 after scoring in four of the Reds’ five matches. Steven Gerrard, on the other hand, had failed to produce any attacking returns whatsoever and was struggling to justify his premium price tag, after delivering 10 goals and 12 assists in the Merseysiders’ first year under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers.
The Events
Having mainly utilised a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sturridge fielded as a lone striker, Rodgers wasted no time in showing he would tinker with his tactics, switching to a 3-4-1-2 in order to unleash the “SAS” combination as Liverpool made their way to Sunderland.
The Black Cats immediately felt the full impact as Suarez’ return to action served up two goals and the maximum bonus points in a 3-1 win on Wearside – bringing his owners a 13-point haul. Sturridge, however, was not to be outdone and played a part in all three of his side’s strikes, with a goal, two assists and a couple of bonus points harvesting 14 points. Gerrard was also in the points, with an assist belatedly kick-starting his campaign as the Merseysiders began to find their attacking form.
The Impact
Suarez’ return proved the catalyst for Liverpool to wreak havoc on top-flight defences the length and breadth of the country over the remainder of the season. The Sunderland result illustrated how canny a tactic picking up both the Reds’ frontmen would ultimately prove to be.
Significant investment arrived immediately for both Suarez and Sturridge, and by the time the following weekend’s home encounter with Palace arrived, the two forwards were subject to 0.3 price rises. The Uruguayan hit the ground running, serving up 10+ hauls in three of his first four matches and underlining what an outstanding captaincy contender he would prove to be, whilst Sturridge found the net in each of his first four games alongside Suarez, taking his tally to eight goals in the first nine Gameweeks.
With the front two running riot, Gerrard thrived from a deep-lying role – Suarez’s re-introduction to the top-flight saw the Liverpool skipper embark on a run which brought attacking returns in nine of his first 10 starts alongside the South American, as he set about re-establishing himself as a bone fide midfield heavy-hitter.
Having now delivered 293, 194 and 189 points apiece, Suarez, Gerrard and Sturridge have, for many, dispelled the idea of picking certain players for team “coverage” this term and shown that sometimes it’s a more than valid tactic to place all your Fantasy eggs in the one basket if that basket is hell-bent on attack, attack, attack regardless of the consequences.
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