Here’s Michael with his fantasy premier league article on 4 Everton players you should consider for your 2nd wildcard
fantasy premier league – 4 Everton Players You Should Consider for your Second Wildcard
After a summer spending spree that saw an outlay of around £140 million, few would have predicted that Everton would have to turn to Sam Allardyce just a few months later in order to pull them away from the threat of relegation.
And he has done just that. Although results have waned after they initially picked up following his arrival, Everton certainly look in a better place than they did in October.
The other good thing about Big Sam for fantasy football players is that you have a good idea of just how he’ll set up: solid defensively, strong at set pieces, and, ideally, with an outlet up front.
Source: Everton Football Club via Facebook
Therefore, despite having one of the worst defensive records in the league, a couple of well-valued Blues at the back could well sure up your defence. And that’s not all, Everton have also made a couple of shrewd moves in the final third of the pitch, both of whom could holster your attack.
The great wish for any new signing is that they hit the ground running. And in the case of Theo Walcott, Toffees will be hoping Arsenal will be struck by the “former player curse”, and that Walcott will have the fortune of scoring against his old team – as is so often is the case.
Below, we’ll run through four Everton players you should certainly consider including as part of your second wildcard.
Jordan Pickford – Goalkeeper – £4.9m
You’ve got to feel for Pickford. He was on the six-man shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year last season, despite being part of a truly dreadful Sunderland side.
A big money move to Everton came to him in the summer but then the Toffees too wilted under beams of hope, meaning they have also leaked a lot of goals. It’s not the start he would have hoped for. Perhaps he needs a good luck kiss from Phil Jagielka; according to the Lottoland blog, that particular pre-match ritual worked for Laurent Blanc and Fabien Barthez…
The Blues conceded 28 goals in 14 games prior to Allardyce’s arrival, keeping just two clean sheets in the process. But, since his appointment, Everton have conceded 10 goals in 9 games and kept four clean sheets.
Expect clean sheets to be a staple feature of how Everton end the season – meaning Pickford should be a serious contender for your number one.
Source: Everton Football Club via Facebook
Mason Holgate – Defender – £4.3m
One man who has surprisingly flourished since the appointment of the new manager is young, ball-playing centre-back, Mason Holgate.
Since breaking into the first team, Holgate has primarily featured at right-back but, since appearing at centre-half in Everton’s 4-0 win over West Ham, Holgate has looked far and away Everton’s best player in that position.
You can expect him to be a mainstay for the second half of the season in what should be a tight Everton defence. And, at £4.3m, he’s an absolute snip.
Theo Walcott – Midfielder – £7.1m
If Walcott had been listed as a striker, there’s no way he would have made this list. But, as a listed midfielder, he represents massive point-scoring potential.
After ending his 12-year stay at Arsenal, the 28-year-old will likely form a key component of Everton’s attack, which is likely to see himself and Yannick Bolasie on either side of the club’s new striker, Cenk Tosun.
Assuming he stays fit, Walcott won’t be short of game time at Goodison Park, and, for all his critics, it’s worth considering he managed to score 108 goals and provide 78 assists in 397 appearances for the Gunners – a strong record for a player that has spent much of his career out wide.
Source: Everton Football Club via Facebook
Cenk Tosun – Forward – £7.5m
One thing Everton were crying out for in the first half of the season was a proper striker. And, in Cenk Tosun, they seem to have acquired one.
Tosun was one of very few bright lights in Everton’s 4-0 defeat to Spurs, showing glimpses of his potential with aerial prowess, significant strength, good hold-up play, and a half-decent turn of pace.
The Turkish international scored four goals in six appearances in the Champions League this season, as well as 28 goals in 49 league appearances for Besiktas since last season.
He will now provide the focal point of Everton’s attack and, while you shouldn’t expect a gluttony of goals from Allardyce’s side for the rest of the season, it seems Tosun will be there to claim the lion’s share.
Also see the Geeks view on the 2nd wildcard timing in his blanks and double gameweeks article
Here’s Everton’s next 6 fixtures:
Leicester (H)
Arsenal (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Watford (A)
Burnley (A)
Brighton (H)
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