Here’s the next edition of the fantasy premier league pre-season catch up where we focus on Liverpool, Chelsea and Fulham
Indonesia 0 Liverpool 2
Liverpool: Mignolet: Johnson (Kelly 65), Toure (Wisdom 65), Agger (Skrtel 65), Enrique (Robinson 46): Gerrard (Allen 45), Lucas (Henderson 65), Alberto (Assaidi 65): Downing (Ibe 65), Aspas (Borini 65), Coutinho (Sterling 65).
Subs not used: Jones, Spearing, Flanagan.
Goals: Coutinho 10, Sterling 87.
ESPN showed the line up as 4-3-3 but it looked more like a 4-2-3-1 to me. The back 4 could easily be the first choice back 4 and there’s great value there potenially with Toure at £5.0m compared to the rest of the defence at £6.0m. With Reina going to Napoli, Mignolet also looks good value at £5.5m. Liverpool have very good opening fixtures and coverage of their defence would do you no harm.
The midfield started with Gerrard and Lucas as the screening double pivot. The 3 midfielders behind Aspas were Coutinho surprisingly left and Alberto centrally with Downing right. At half time Coutinho and Alberto swapped for a while before the wholesale changes came in. Sturridge is injured and Suarez suspended at the start of the season so assuming Sturridge recovers it will be interesting to see if Aspas changes things when Sturridge takes the central striking role.
To me Coutinho and Sturridge are a little too pricey for fantasy premier league. I can’t see why Coutinho is the same price as Silva and Walcott. I’m also not convinced Alberto will start but the non signing of Mkhitaryan does open the way for other midfielders. Sterling has to be in with a shot and is only £5.5m. A little more out there has been the form of Ibe who has been great in both games. He’s only £4.5m. Remember Sterling was the same price last season.
Overall though it was pretty uninspring stuff from an attacking point of view. Strurridge will be very relaxed about his position watching this and Rodgers will be even more determined if its at all possible to bring Suarez back on side. This is the side that Arsenal hammered 7 goals past and without the striker they are desperately trying to sign.
So what to take from the game? Monitor Toure starts, keep and eye on Alberto and Sterling and Ibe as a cheap part of the 3 mids behind the striker. Coutinho has to play centrally behind the striker to be worth the money invested. The only exception would be if Rodgers goes 4-3-3 and he plays on the left of the front 3.
Malaysia XI 1 Chelsea 4
Chelsea line-up (First Half): Schwarzer; Ivanovic, Terry, Chalobah, Bertrand; Essien, Van Ginkel; De Bruyne (Feruz 31), Traore, Hazard; Lukaku
(Second half): Cech; Wallace, Kalas, Cahill, Cole; Ramires, van Ginkel (McEachran 66); Moses, Hazard (Piazon 66), Schurrle; Ba
Chelsea Scorers: Traore 5, De Bruyne 28, Lukaku 45+4, Moses 88
Unfortunately there’s no value in the Chelsea defence. Everyone who has any chance of playing is a quite pricey £6.0m. There’s no doubting the quaity of their defence and Mourinho if anything should improve it but with the uncertainty of selection and the tricky start(assuming they have no DGW1) then maybe its worth waiting to see how they line up. The midfield is just a case of looking to see who will play behind the striker in 4-2-3-1 (which Mournho has said is his favoured system) You have to think Hazard and Mata (despite the rumours) are nailed on. This leaves the other position between Oscar and Shulrrle neither are particulalry cheap. Again unless there becomes a DGW1 its worth waiting in my mind to see how Mourinho lines up and plays given the tricky fixture start that CHelsea have. Up front its a case of seeing who starts. I kind of think that if there is no transfer, which I dont believe will be the case, then Lukaku will start give his pace and power which will suit the Mourinho counter attack style.
What did we learn from this game. Not much givn the loads off changes. De Bruyne has talent as a number 10 although I cant see him getting the nod again in the 3 and Van Ginkel will play in the double pivot not the midfield 3.
Jose Mourinho said: ‘When he was on the floor and asking for a change everyone on the bench thought the worst.
‘The first assessment by the doctor is that its not the ligaments for sure and if its something in the meniscus then it is a very small injury. We believe its not an important injury.
‘Hopefully not because the kid is a fantastic player and showing to you match after match and showing to me in training that he’s going to be a key man on the pitch.’
Fulham
Fulham have played 3 games in preseason now on a tour of Costa Rica.
CS Caragines 0 Fulham 3
2 goals from Berba and one from the man in his home country, Bryan Ruiz. Here’s the line up for what its worth
Line up Stockdale (Stekelenburg 45′); Riether (Vigen Christensen 77′), John Arne Riise (Richardson 45′); Sidwell (David 69′); Hughes (Hangeland 45′), Senderos (Amorebieta 45′); Duff (Dejagah 45′), Karagounis (Derek Boateng 45′); Berbatov (Rodallega 45′); Kasami (Ruiz 45′); Mesca (Kacaniklic 45′)
Unused substitutes:
Etheridge, Briggs, Trotta, Tankovic
Apart from Berba and Ruiz’s goals. Dejagh seemed to be the performance of note
LD Alajuelense 1 Fulham 3
Goals from Sidwell, a Berba pen and Ruiz again
Here’s the lineup which was much more focused with only 3 subs
Lineup:
Stekelenburg; Riether, Richardson; Derek Boateng; Hughes, Hangeland; Dejagah (Kacaniklic 58′), Sidwell (Karagounis 83′); Berbatov (Trotta 83′); Ruiz; Kasami (Mesca 70′)
Unused substitutes:
Etheridge, Senderos, Briggs, Vigen Christensen, Duff, David, Tankovic
Again Berba and Ruiz got noticed with goals but Dejagh again got strong reviews
Deportivo Saprissa 2 Fulham 2
Goals from Rodallega and Ruiz
Lineup:
Stockdale; Riether, John Arne Riise; Sidwell; Senderos, Amorebieta; Duff, Karagounis; Rodallega; Ruiz; Mesca
Unused substitutes:
Stekelenburg, Etheridge, Briggs, Hughes, Vigen Christensen, Kasami, Richardson, Derek Boateng, Dejagah, David, Trotta, Tankovic
The goals scorers seemed to be the best performers here
So what are we looking for with Fulham in pre-season?
Firstly they have a pretty ordiary 6 opening fixtures and I’ve rated them 16 on my fixture ease schedule. Here’s the fixtures:
Sunderland A Arsenal H Newcastle A WBA H Chelsea A Cardiff H
Despite having a pretty ordinary defence, only 4 clean sheets at home and 4 away plus bad underlying stats means the defence isn’t a great prospect. To make it worse everyone likely to start is at £5.0m which is way too expensive in my mind. The CB position next to Hangeland is the only cheaper option. Thats either going to be Hughes, Senderos (who had it last year) or new boy Amorebieta. At the moment its impossible to take a view and neither the fixtures or the form make me rush out to get one for GW1
The midfield also doesn’t present any options in my mind, no value and no outstanding performer. Dejagh who’s shown some form is £5.5m and a flank player. I was hoping for £5.0 which may have made him a cheap rotation midfielder
Up front Berbas an option given a good run of games but quite expensive at £7.5m. Ruiz has shown a little form in his home country but generally he’s played either too deep or on the flank for me to consider him. At £6.0m he’s a little more expensive than I would have thought. £5.5m he would have looked a potential option even given the limitations.
So in Summary I cant see any real attraction at the moment from Fulham apart from maybe the front 2 when there’s a good run of fixtures but no one looks likelyto get in to my GW1 team
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