fantasy premier league – Saturday pre-season matches Aston Villa, Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Hull, Newcastle & West Ham

Preseason

 Here’s the fantasy premier league match catch up from a few of  the pre-season games on Saturday with games involving Aston Villa, Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Hull, Newcastle and West Ham.    We’ll be studying the games for form, line up issues and looking for value in players

Aston Villa 3 Malaga 2

Aston Villa: Guzan; Lowton, Okore (Baker 76), Vlaar, Luna (Bennett 76); El Ahmadi (Westwood 76), Delph; Weimann, Tonev (Helenius 76), Agbonlahor; Benteke. Subs not used: Steer, Clark, Bacuna, Albrighton, Sylla, Bowery, Gardner.

Scorers: Benteke 12, 31(pen), Vlaar 21

Well the dream of  a £4.0m defender in the shape of Baker may have come to an end as I unfortunately thought it would when Okore started against Malaga.  The other 3 are how I expect them to start.  The front 3 were as they will start GW1 with Benteke central flanked by Weiman and Agbonlahor.  The midfield 3 is the one area that is uncertain.  Delph looks like a certain starter at £4.5m while the rest is a bit hard to predict with Tonev looking impressive.  However, at £5.0m I’m still looking for players further up the pitch. 

The other standout was Benteke and while most of his goals have been against the poorer opposition this was a goal and a pen against quality opposition.  Its just his price and their hard fixtures to start which are putting me off.
 

Cardiff 2 Bilbao 1

Cardiff City: Marshall; Connolly, John, Kim, Caulker, Turner, Whittingham, Gunnarsson (Cowie 65), Campbell, Bellamy (Mason 65), Smith (Noone 79). Subs not used: Brayford, Lewis, Hudson, Conway. 

The line up wasn’t kind to £4.0m RB Brayford who was left on the bench for  £4.5m Connolly.  The other £4.0m cheapie Ben Turner started though and now looks a good bet to start.  Ignore John, he’s just in there as £4.5m Taylor is suspended for GW1.  Kim started and looks a good bet for a £5.0m midfielder as again does Whittingham who is now looking a good chance to start.  I’m looking at Kim myself though just as he seems to have more gametime security 

Caulker and Campbell were the standout performers

Crystal Palace 0 Lazio 1

Palace: Speroni, Ward (Dikgacoi 46), Gabbidon (Ramage 46), Delaney (Boateng 77), Moxey (Jerome Williams 74), Jedinak (Wynter 69), Garvan (O’Keefe 46), Jonny Williams (Bolasie 46), Dobbie (Grandin 46), Thomas (de Silva 22, Gayle 46), Wilbraham (Phillips 46). Subs not used: Fitzsimons.
 
£4.0m RB Ward started for Palace and looks a good bet to fill the shoes of many fantasy premier league manager looking for a cheap bench warmer. Moxey who’s also £4.0m started but he will only be short term until Parr is back.   Possibly the best £4.5m midfielder Thomas limped off injured and it looks like it will prejudice his GW1 start. Unfortunately I see him replaced by Bolasie who is £5.0m.   The news got worse when £4.5m midfield bench warmer Jedinak also went off although that sounded less serious.  We’ll report when news comes through.  For those who want a £4.5m  striker Dobbie started although the Chamakh signing will probably see him start instead.  Garvan also started which is a good sign for the £5.0m attacking midfielder although its hard to rule Grandin out completely.  Overall the team was a bit of a mish mash selection wise and not the rehearsal for GW1 us fantasy premier league managers would have liked.
 
Best performers were Jedinak, Garvan and Dobbie
 

Hull City 3 Betis 0

Tigers: Allan McGregor, Ahmed Elmohamady (Liam Rosenior 73), James Chester (Paul McShane 73), Curtis Davies, Maynor Figueroa (Joe Dudgeon 73), Robert Koren (George Boyd 73), David Meyler (Alex Bruce 73), Robbie Brady (Andy Dawson 88), Sone Aluko (Matty Fryatt 73), Danny Graham (Aaron Mclean 80), Yannick Sagbo (Nick Proshwitz 80).
 
Goals from Graham Aluko and Boyd

The first name every fantasy premier league manager would have been lookig for was £4.0m James Chester who started and played 73 minutes.  Good news and in a back 4 as well.  You’ve got to think he starts GW1.  Koren and Brady both started as £5.0m options. I’m sticking with Koren due to his central position but Brady did get the assist from a set piece.  Meyler started as a £4.5m mid option but will only be there until Quinn recovers.  Graham got his first goal and he remains a £5.5m option as does Aluko even cheaper at £5.0m.  I’d struggle to pick him over Anelka though or even Aluko over Chamakh.

Standout players were  Aluko, Graham, Davies and Figueroa 
 

Newcastle 1 Braga 1

Newcastle: Elliot (Krul 46); Debuchy (Taylor 76), Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon (Dummett 46); Ben Arfa (Obertan 88), Tiote (Cabaye 46) Sissoko (Anita 76), Gutierrez (Sammy Ameobi 53); Cisse (Marveaux 76), Shola Ameobi (Gouffran 64).

Sub not used: Gosling.

Goal: Coloccini.

This pretty much looks like the GW1 lineup apart from Elliot and maybe  Goufrran instead of Ameobi.  Yanga – Mbiwa at £4.5m played the whole game and has to have the edge of Taylor for the CB spot with oloccini.  The rest of the defence is far too expensive.  Personally I dont rate the defence at all and even £4.5m looks too expensive. 

No one looks like theyre worth having in the mid and forward positions except maybe HBA although at £7.0m he’s not cheap.  They do have good fixtures after the opening game though and a gamble based on fixtures with HBA would be the only option for me although I really cant see it such is my faith in the team.

 

West Ham 2   Pacos de Ferreira 1 

West Ham: Jaaskelainen (Adrian 71); Demel, Reid, Tomkins (Collins 46), O’Brien (Rat 46); Nolan (Taylor 78), Noble, Morrison (Diame 46); Cole (Vaz Te 73), Maiga, Jarvis

Subs not used: Collison, Diarra

Goals: Morrison 1, Maiga 40

£4.5m midfield goal sensation Ravel Morrison  started although with Diame on the subs bench it still leaves some doubt as to whether he will play.  I’m still not doubtful he’ll start but I’m not  sure I’ll be able to resist the gamble though.  On the negative side £4.5m cheapie Collins didnt start, £5.0m Tomkins did although they did have a half each so all is not lost especially as Collis has seen a lot of gametime.  Carroll is not going to start but I would rule out Maiga as anything other than short term.  Apart from Diame and Cole or Vaz Te it pretty much looks like a GW1 team. 

 
Standout players were Diame, Jarvis and Morrison.  Interestingly Rat had a few negative comments in the post match press conference which may lead to O’Brien starting to the annoyance of Sun Dream Teamers   

 Thats it, Only 6 games to go for Saturday!

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