Here’s the final fantasy premier league pre-season match catch up with Sundays games involving Man Utd and Everton. We’ll be studying the games for form, line up issues and looking for value in players
Man Utd 2 Wigan 0 – Community Shield
Line up together with Daily Mail ratings: De Gea 6, Rafael 6 (Smalling 16 6), Jones 6, Vidic 6, Evra 7, Zaha 6 (Valencia 61 6), Carrick 7, Cleverley 6, Giggs 7 (Anderson 67 6), Welbeck 6 (Kagawa 83), Van Persie 7 (Januzaj 83).
Subs not used: Evans, Lindegaard.
Goals: Van Persie 6 59.
With Nani, Young, Hernadez and Rooney injured, although Rooneys maybe tactical its hard to take a first choice lineup from this. although I suspect was in the circumstances. The benching of Kagawa was strange though and has to question his role going forward. Zaha offers value at £6.5m but his game was a little on and off and its hard to see where he will be when Nani and Young are fit.
Depending on what you saw as Giggs position United played 4-3-3 or 4-4-1-1 with Welbeck linking midfield and attack and drifting left when Giggs moved forward centrally. United played Moyes tactic of pressing high up with pitch and caught Wigan in possession a number of times.
RVP was interesting as to me it looked like 2 chances 2 goals. RVP had the most shots in the box last year apart from Suarez but had much better conversion rate. Without a creative midfielder being purchased and Rooney possibly going, will he still get the chances he did last year? This is why the Kagawa siuation was even more surprising. As I write this I’m stll sticking with RVP, his consistent returns makes him a great default captain option but I did look at the game and wonder where he was going to get the cances from as a 100% conversion rate just isn’t going to happen unfortunately.
Everton 2 Betis 1
Everton: Howard, Baines, Distin, Jagielka, Coleman, Pienaar, Gibson (Heitinga), Osman, Barkley (Naismith), Mirallas (Deulofeu), Jelavic (Kone).
Booked: Mirallas.
Goals: Jelavic 35, Mirallas 62.
£4.5m attacking mid Barkley is the name that every fantasy premier league manager is looking out for although this maybe different when Fellaini returns. Fellaini didn’t play as an injury precaution. The injury to Gibson though may give a chance to Barkley if Osman moves back into the deeper midfield roles. Jelavic started after showing great goal scoring form in pre-season although I’m unsure whether he will stick with him or Kone. Mirrallas also continued his fine pre-season form and at £7.5m as a mid he isn’t cheap but is definitely the pick of the Everton attacking players. The defence was predicatable and Coleman is still my defender of choice.
Here’s the link to my GW1 fixture ease schedule:
http://www.fantasyfootballgeek.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-fixture-ease-schedule-gw1/
