Saturday Screamers: Swans and Cottagers on Fire

19 points in his Premier League debut? Dream start.

The first round of Premier League games this season have ended, and what an incredible start we have! Here are some highlights:

• Swansea won 5-0 against QPR. It looks like the Swans will continue to impress under Michael Laudrup's regime as new signing Michu (£6.5m) marked his name with 2 goals and 1 assist. Don't say I didn't tell you about Michu's fantasy potential before as he should become one of the super bargain this season. Nathan Dyer (£5.5m) also delivered 2 goals, which was impressive.
• Also winning 5-0 are Fulham against Norwich. Mladen Petric (£6.0m) carried forward his fine form since pre-season with 2 goals and 1 assist, just like Michu. I've also covered him in my pre-season previews and he should become a season bargain as well. No Dempsey, but who cares?
• Liverpool seem like a cursed team as they lost woefully to West Brom by 3 goals. Zoltan Gera (£5.0m) scored a goal of the season candidate, but it was Liverpool's unorganized offence and porous defence that caught my attention more.
• The first Premier League game of Arsenal in post-RVP era has ended goalless. Santi Cazorla (£9.0m) has impressed the fans though with his footwork.
• Reading's first of the two games for this gameweek ended with a draw thanks to Adam Le Fondre's (£5.0m) penalty in the ending minutes. Pavel Pogrebnyak (£5.0m) failed to score, which is disappointing.
• West Ham won 1-0 with Kevin Nolan (£6.0m) scoring. The midfielder should be the club's main fantasy contributor as expected.

FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Fulham F.C.

Fulham F.C.

Fulham captain Hangeland showing the club's
new kit for this coming season.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

Password: http://p-fplz.blogspot.com/

Last Season: Jol's Reformation
As expected Martin Jol has made Fulham's style more offensive, a stark contrast from Roy Hodgson's version of the Cottagers. That was reflected in Fulham's goals conceded (51) figure, which is the highest since 2007/08 season (60). Despite that, they were still able to achieve their second best season in the Premier League, with only one point shy from equalling 2008/09 season of 53 points.

This Summer: Big Renovation
Massive personnel changes are undergoing at Craven Cottage, which include the departure of captain Danny Murphy (to Blackburn) and striker Andrew Johnson (to QPR). Going the opposite way are ex-FPL favourite Hugo Rodallega (from Wigan), Croatian international Mladen Petric (from Hamburger SV) and full-back Sascha Riether.

Meanwhile, Fulham's ace Clinton Dempsey is heavily linked with Liverpool. However the two clubs can hardly make an agreement on his valuation.

Upcoming Season: Transition Period
Things are looking quite uncertain for Fulham this season with so much of players moving in and out. I believe this will be the season where Jol starts to mould more of his style into Fulham's play, and it could really go to either ends for now. Second year is always the toughest, for both players and managers.

Dempsey's stats last season.

The Chieftain: Dempsey (FI: 0.794)
Definitely a fantastic season for Clint Dempsey (£9.5m) where the midfielder reached 200 point milestone for the first time in his fantasy career. Very out of my expectations to see a star from a medium-sized club to perform to such extent.

Nonetheless, Dempsey is overpriced this season in my opinion. With the acquisition of Rodallega and Petric, the American will have less time featuring as a "false nine", thus limiting his goal opportunities. I do not see much value in him unless he moves to Liverpool.

Hot Stuff: Petric (FI: N/A)
Hard to say how well Mladen Petric (£6.0m) will fare this season, but the lad has shown incredible form in pre-season, scoring 5 goals in 4 games.

The Croatian has a track record of 38 goals in 98 appearances for Hamburger SV, which translates to 1 goal in about every 2.5 games. It deviates a lot with Petric's current form, so fantasy managers should take time and observe before making a move for him. Would not be too bad as a third forward though with his affordable price.

Worth An Eye: Rodallega (FI: 0.271)
Interesting move by Fulham to acquire Hugo Rodallega (£6.0m), whom Roberto Martinez had lost faith on him last season.

Rodallega was a hit 3 seasons back, where he scored 149 points at a fantasy friendly price of £5-6m. Unfortunately, it was a down slope track ever since, and the lad had only played for 1257 minutes last season as he failed to impress Martinez.

Still, the Colombian has the potential and a move to Craven Cottage could revive the spark beneath him to perform. A man that worth to keep an eye for.

Cost Effective: Diarra (FI: 0.642)
It surprises me when FPLZ Index shows that winter purchase Mahamadou Diarra (£5.0m) ranks third among Fulham's list of players, behind of Dempsey and another winter joiner Pavel Pogrebnyak (he has joined Reading anyway).

The Malian has a P90 of 4.57 last season, which was impressive compared to his low price. His experience in Real Madrid and AS Monaco should help him to perform well again in this new season. Definitely not a bad choice as a fifth midfielder in your team.

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

2011/12 Fantasy Season Preview - Fulham

Fulham FC

Last Season Summary

League ranking: 8th (49 pts)

Points per game (home: away): 1.63: 0.95

Goals per game (for: against): 1.29: 1.13

Number of clean sheets: 14

Top league scorer: Clint Dempsey (12 goals)

Top league assister: Bobby Zamora (5 assists)

Transfers

In: Pajtim Kasami, John Arne Riise, Dan Burn, Csaba Somogyi, Marcel Gecov

Out: David Stockdale, Jonathan Greening, Zoltan Gera, Eddie Johnson, Diomansy Kamara, Kagisho Dikgacoi, John Pantsil

Predicted Season Finish: 10th

Several changes from what Martin Jol inherited from Mark Hughes. While the spine of the team is pretty much the same, the Cottagers' participation in Europa League will divert their attention towards Premier League.

Fantasy Ace: Clint Dempsey (£8.5m)

Unarguably the most recognised United States player currently, Dempsey went through his best times at Fulham last season , scoring 12 goals and 3 assists. The fact that his fantasy price rising consistently - ranging from £0.5m to £1.5m every year - shows how important is the attacking midfielder to the Cottagers nowadays.

Currently 28, I believe Dempsey is capable of making this coming season even better than his last.

Decent Picks: Aaron Hughes (£5.0m), John Arne Riise (£6.0m)

Priced at permissible level of £5.0m, Hughes should be your first choice if you want a defender from Fulham. He got all Fulham's clean sheet points last season with only 16 minutes away from 100% appearance for Fulham, so you will have no trouble of rotation from him.

Joining Fulham with a view of playing with his brother, John Riise will provide Fulham more dynamism in attack. Gifted with a great left foot, the Norwegian defender can give a lot of support in offence. Furthermore, he also has a pair of strong arms which can conduct long-range throw-ins.

Worth Scouting: Bobby Zamora (£7.0m), Brede Hangeland (£6.5m), Damien Duff (£6.5m)

While Zamora has been constantly sidelined throughout the season, when he's fit he is one of the best mid-priced strikers across the league.

Scoring 6 whopping goals last season, Hangeland is priced expensively this season. At £6.0m I would still consider him, but being £1.5m more expensive than Aaron Hughes he is not really a value for money selection unless he is able to score like last season.

Not the very same Duff we knew when he was at Chelsea. The Irish has been quite injury-prone just like Zamora. Being quite inconsistent as well, you will need some courage and wisdom to earn good fantasy points from him.

Riise Returns: Former Liverpool Player to Reunite With His Brother At Fulham

John Arne Riise
His time at Liverpool was fantastic.

Great news - Martin Jol has just confirmed that Fulham's bid for Roma defender John Arne Riise was accepted.

Honestly I am a fan of the Norwegian since his time at Liverpool. He's a natural left-footer, good at both ends, delivers good set pieces and is also gifted with powerful throw-ins - albeit not as great as Rory Delap's.

His arrival at Fulham means that he will play with his younger brother Bjorn Helge Riise - not as well known as his elder brother though.

Will Riise play as good as his time at Liverpool? I hope so.

Maxi Rodriguez Scored Another Hat-Trick

Maxi Rodriguez
Got another match ball in just two weeks.

Unbelievable. Maxi Rodriguez, the one who's on the start-sub fence for most part of the season, explodes with an unstoppable form as he scored his second hat-trick in two weeks time with Liverpool beating Fulham 5-2 on the road.

First he eclipsed Hernandez's fastest goal of the season which was just created one day before, and then he completed his hat-trick with a long range cannon. He is definitely so so confident recently.

Can Maxi book a starting spot in the next season with his resurgence of form? Still looks negative for me with Carroll, Suarez and Kuyt standing firm on the trident front.

Gameweek 34 Fantasy Preview

Gareth Bale
PFA Player of the Year. Even Dirk Kuyt has better statistics than him on the league.

Raul Meireles
PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Well deserved.

Scott Parker
Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year. What a great year for a great leader.

Congratulations to all three of them for winning their awards respectively. This season has gone pretty far isn't it? Still, there are three horses running for the title and five clubs struggling on the quicksand of relegation. Excitements continue...

Back to this gameweek. Four more teams on a double this week, with Fulham having the best fixtures among them. Will you invest heavily on double gamers given that the top clubs are having relatively easy fixtures this week? A big gamble to be honest.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Daniel Sturridge
Can he continue his magic in this gameweek double?

Double Gamers

• Stoke City (Aston Villa @ away, Wolves @ home) - Fantasy managers won't be enjoying too much from this double with two tough opponents. The Villans had regained their long lost form and will give a hard time to Bolton at their home ground. Wolves on the other hand are still distance away from survival and will again fight their best for points. Still, start your Begovic, Huth and Etherington - they are all great in collecting fantasy points. Prediction: AST 2-0 STO, STO 1-1 WOL.
• Wolves (Fulham @ home, Stoke @ away) - Interestingly both of their opponents this week are double gamers. They should at least salvage a point at Molineux given Fulham's inability to win an away league game since 2nd of February. Stoke at away is a tricky one, but with nothing else to lose, they will fight out their best. Jarvis is the best Wolf, but those who are willing to take risk may stock Ebanks-Blake or Milijas as well. Prediction: WOL 2-1 FUL, STO 1-1 WOL.
• Fulham (Wolves @ away, Bolton @ home) - The Cottagers are quite on fire now with the return of Bobby Zamora, and it's quite possible to take four points from these two games. Dempsey and Zamora are worthy for your captain armband this week. Prediction: WOL 2-1 FUL, FUL 2-1 BOL.
• Bolton (Arsenal @ home, Fulham @ away) - First, they have neither European spots to pursue for nor relegation crisis to fight for; Second, one of their opponents is Arsenal (I know the Gunners have been quite unreliable recently, but still). Don't put too much on hope for them except for one - Daniel Sturridge! Prediction: BOL 1-2 ARS, FUL 2-1 BOL.

The Rest

• Man Utd v Everton (1-0) - The Red Devils are not as slippery the Gunners, but you never know.
• Blackpool v Newcastle (2-1) - The Magpies are quite safe. Will they lend a helping hand?
• Liverpool v Birmingham (3-0) - The Reds now have more than enough weaponries to kill any team who park their buses.
• Sunderland v Wigan (2-2) - One point from last nine games for the Black Cats. I'm quite sure they will not win this time as well.
• Tottenham v West Brom (2-0) - It's VdV's time again.
• Chelsea v West Ham (3-0) - Expect complete demolition by the Blues (if Torres doesn't start).
• Blackburn v Man City (0-1) - City needs to win to protect their Champions League spot.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Didier Drogba
Another scoring spree for the Ivorian?

Captain Picks

• Drogba - On his peak currently.
• Suarez - They will be plenty of opportunities for him to strike.
• Zamora/Dempsey/Sturridge - Double gamers with fantasy excellence.

Buys-In

• Drogba/Malouda - Back to their prime.
• Van der Vaart - Starts his scoring engine again.
• Dempsey/Zamora - Fantasy proven.

Sells-Out

• Man Utd players - The toughest period of their season is coming soon.

Squad of XV

GK: Schwarzer

DF: Huth, Hangeland, Luiz

MF: Malouda, Dempsey, Etherington, Van der Vaart

F: Drogba, Suarez, Zamora

Subs (in order): Begovic, Jarvis, Flanagan, Gary Cahill

Captain: Drogba

ECS: Value

Sunday Shockers

Robin Van Persie
Wenger lost what seemed to be a free trophy. The worse part is, he might even have to lose the Dutchman again for some period of time.

Not an anticipated Sunday as all teams who looked better on paper lost. The focus of course is on the League Cup final. Arsenal, who was set to break their six year title drought, continues to wait for another chance to end the embarrassment as they was sentenced to death by Obafemi Martins injury time winner. Humiliation.

Thomas Hitzlsperger
Just came back from injury, but his impact for the team is obvious.

West Ham won comfortably against Liverpool. The Reds weren't at their best in my opinion, but the Hammers deserved the credit. Hitzlsperger's return continues to provide the fluency in midfield that West Ham lacks, and new signing Demba Ba continues to dominate the front line of Hammers. Survival in Premier League shouldn't be a problem to Avram Grant's side with them around.

Damien Duff
Equalised.

On the other hand, Manchester City can only earn a draw against Fulham at home. Balotelli provided a fantastic strike for the lead, but that was later cancelled with Duff's quick goal in the second half. Their solid third place certainly don't look solid now.

A strange Premier League Sunday, after all.

Gameweek 24 Fantasy Preview

Ryan Babel
The EPL flop may escape from sinking Liverpool with a price of £6m.

The transfer window starts to heat up David Wheather (Middlesbrough to Bolton, £2.3m) the latest deal confirmed. Meanwhile, Luis "Hand of God II" Suarez possible move to Liverpool continues to top the transfer rumours.

Back to Fantasy. There will be three replacement fixtures this week, so do try to stock up double gamers whenever possible. The winter transfer wildcard can do you a lot of good this week, but I still believe try using it as late as possible.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Darren Bent
Faces gameweek double on his debut gameweek for Aston Villa.

Teams with Gameweek Double

• Liverpool (Wolves@away, Fulham@home) - Kenny Dalglish is still waiting for his first victory in charge and it seems very possible in this gameweek. Wolves is weak at defence and adding a game against Fulham at home, attackers such as Torres and Kuyt remain the most attractive option from the Reds. Martin Kelly is the only defender I would recommend from Liverpool with such a mouth-watering price.
• Wigan (Arsenal@away, Aston Villa@home) - Not so sure about Latics. Arsenal is in an upbeat form at the moment and it will be hard for Martinez's side to win against the team who has kept three consecutive premier league clean sheets. It won't be easy as well against Villa since they have recruited Darren Bent who will ultimately solve their finishing weakness. N'Zogbia and Rodallega might score one or two, but don't expect much.
• Blackpool (Sunderland@home, Man Utd@home) - It's ridiculous if you still don't have Charlie Adam at your squad. The skipper has already scored 31 bonus points and there will be another gameweek double for him at gameweek 27. DJ Campbell is the second pick as always. As for the defence, I don't think they can guard Gyan of Sunderland and Berbatov, Rooney and Nani of United.
• Fulham (Stoke City@home, Liverpool@away) - I am not surprised to see Fulham score four points this week. Clinton Dempsey remains your Fulham's fantasy ace and may rack up a goal or assist and also bonuses. Hangeland can grab a clean sheet against Stoke. Fulham players won't be good long term buys though as they will face Chelsea and Man City on gameweek 27 and 28.
• Manchester United (Birmingham@home, Blackpool@away) - Six points are on Fergie's hands. Blackpool is the worst home player of the league, so no worries for United's woeful away performance. I expect one clean sheet out of the two, with Nani the most potential candidate for captain. You might want to bet on Berbatov - he can burst any time as long as he partners with Rooney.
• Aston Villa (Man City@home, Wigan@away) - I would have swapped for Bent directly right after his transfer was confirmed, but a game against Man City cancelled my plan. Bent will still be the most tempting bargain of the team since the likes such as Downing, Young and Albrighton will promise unlimited supplies for him to score. It's almost certain that Bent will get his first goal this gameweek.

All Games

• Wolves v Liverpool (1-1) - Rome was not built in one day so I don't expect Dalglish to recover the Reds' away confidence so fast.
• Arsenal v Wigan (3-0) - Captain Van Persie if you own him.
• Blackpool v Sunderland (1-1) - Holloway may sneak home with points as Sunderland is now in post-Bent transition period.
• Everton v West Ham (2-1) - Just deploy every single Everton player you have.
• Fulham v Stoke City (2-0) - The cottagers are in fine form and I expect that to continue against mid-table opposition.
• Man Utd v Birmingham (2-0) - Sir Alex to maintain his great record against his ex-players.
• Newcastle v Tottenham (2-2) - I expect tough challenge from Magpies.
• Aston Villa v Man City (2-3) - Darren Bent will add the dimension that Villa lacks but Man City is still too strong for them.
• Blackburn v West Brom (2-2) - Should be an entertaining match.
• Bolton v Chelsea (1-2) - Bolton's form has been lacklustre recently so I think Chelsea can complete the double.
• Blackpool v Man Utd (2-3) - One is poor at home while the other is poor at away. Victory should be on the side which has better class.
• Wigan v Aston Villa (1-2) - You just simply cannot ignore the effect of Darren Bent.
• Liverpool v Fulham (2-1) - Dalglish simply has to win to repay his fans' support.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Clinton Dempsey
The man that you should get from Fulham this week.

Captain Picks

• Nani/Berbatov/Rooney - Good games for them to rack up plenty of fantasy points.
• Dempsey - Major goal scorer + bonus pointer for two games.
• Van Persie - Wigan's a cake for him.
• Torres - Both opponents' defences aren't strong so he should have plenty of chance to score.

Buy-Ins

• Nani/Vidic - Most reliable Man Utd players in offence and defence each. Gameweek doubles at Gw 24 and 28.
• Downing/Young/Albrighton - Bent will help them to record more assists.
• Kelly - Amazingly cheap for a full back.
• Van Persie - Has been showing spectacular form recently.

Sell-Outs

• Bolton players - they're experiencing a sharp decline in form.

Squad of XV

GK: Van der Sar

DF: Vidic, Kelly, Hangeland

MF: Meireles, Adam, Dempsey, N'Zogbia, Nani(C)

F: Torres, Van Persie

Subs (in order): Kingson, Rodallega, Evatt, Alcaraz

Captain: Nani

Emergency Captain: Value

Crazy Points From Fulham Players... Again

Simon Davies
Starred the first day of gameweek 22 with 17 points.

After a 20 point haul by Baird last week, Fulham surprisingly eased another victory yesterday against West Brom with Simon Davies recorded a goal and two assists.

The big win will definitely shocked a lot of fantasy managers as there were fair amount of Fulham players such as Hangeland and Dempsey benched this week.

Also featuring on yesterday were Nani's superb return from injury with 12 fantasy points which helped United to continue Old Trafford's ultimate record and Birmingham's away win against Blackpool. Charlie Adam and DJ Campbell has already earned four and six points respectively in this gameweek double.

Fantasy Pit Stop 1: Part Three

To start reading from PART ONE, click here.

As a reminder, for this pit stop I am going to write about:

1. Some major news/events related to the team;
2. Predicted season finish; and
3. Top three rated fantasy players along with their ratings.

The arrangement of teams will be according to current league rankings, in reverse order.

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Currently in 10th

Fulham

News
Zamora aiming a February/March return - The usual glass feet. All the best for him.

Predicted Season Finish: 10th

Mark Hughes has indeed changed Fulham for better. They are more adventurous going forward now, while maintaining their trademark defence. The thing that the new Fulham manager has really impressed me is that Fulham now really work as a team and there is no specific reliance on any players.

As a low budget team, I think the rank of 10th is rather great and reasonable for the Cottagers.

Top Three Fantasy Players:

1. Bobby Zamora (7/10) - The target man of Fulham is fantasy wise effective but constantly plagued by injuries.
2. Clinton Dempsey (7/10) - One of the best American footballer currently.
3. Brede Hangeland (6.5) - The chief commander of Fulham's defence is quite expensive now.

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Currently in 9th

Blackpool

News - N/A

Predicted Season Finish: 18th

Blackpool fans may be ecstatic about their ranking currently, but the football season has still a long way to go. I particularly aren't that surprise for their current ranking. They have the gift of luck in terms of fixtures for facing Wigan and Liverpool in the right time.

For me Blackpool is like Burnley of the last season - they come with a thick layer of mystery, but as the pages of the calendar are tore, they are slowly dissected. Their performance gets poorer and poorer and eventually the team may relegate.

Nevertheless, I can't deny how great Charlie Adam is as a leader. It is not exaggerate to say that he single-handedly took Blackpool to the Premier League.

Top Three Fantasy Players:

1. Charlie Adam (8.5/10) - Cheap, has good scoring and assist record, and is the primary bonus scorer of the team.
2. Matthew Gilks (6.5/10) - Definitely one of the busiest keeper in the league.
3. N/A

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Currently in 8th

Aston Villa

News - N/A

Predicted Season Finish: 6th

Martin O'Neill's early exit does brought some little "chaos" to the club, but fortunately now there's Gerard Houllier - a more credible, more experienced manager than the former. I believe the French manager will be able to take the team to greater heights, especially in European match-ups.

As the squad has more or less the same strength as last year, I think they will end the season in more or less the same ranking.

Top Three Fantasy Players:

1. Marc Albrighton (7.5/10) - A winger less than £5.0m from a upper half team. Certainly a valuable addition to your squad.
2. Ashley Young (7/10) - The ace of the team with some great free kick skills.
3. Luke Young (6.5/10) - The cheapest defender of the team with a guaranteed starting spot.

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Currently in 7th

Stoke City

News - N/A

Predicted Season Finish: 16th

Defence has been the main ingredient for Stoke's survival in top-flight league, but I don't think that will last long. The defenders have been far from their best for a long time, while Delap the grenadier is losing his effectively as teams start to understand their tactics.

But well, I think Tony Pulis himself knows that and therefore splashes £8m for the Potters' record buying Kenwyne Jones. I believe Brittannia will remain as one of the Premier League stadium next season because Mr Jones will use goals to cover Stoke's defence.

Top Three Fantasy Players:

1. Matthew Etherington (7.5/10) - The commander of the team who has been superb since last season.
2. Kenwyne Jones (7/10) - He will have all the time to prove himself at Stoke.
3. N/A

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Currently in 6th

West Bromwich Albion

News - N/A

Predicted Season Finish: 14th

The Baggies had been in the Premiership-Championship elevator over the past decade, but I expect them to stay this season mainly because of Odemwingie. He has been great until know and is a constant threat to any defenders.

Combined with Brunt, Olsson and Scharner who all has Premier League experience, West Brom should undergo a very nice season under Robert Di Matteo.

Top Three Fantasy Players:

1. Peter Odemwingie (9/10) - He's still new at West Brom, but he's already the star.
2. Chris Brunt (7/10) - He has good experience in the league and decent attacking capabilities.
3. N/A

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To be continued in PART FOUR.

Mark Hughes Frustrates Sir Alex Ferguson

Brede Hangeland
Flew from hell to heaven.

Fulham 2, Manchester United 2.

Not quite a score that Ferguson wanted as they are now two points and nine goal differences behind Chelsea. They don't deserve a win however, with those shaky defences and the pathetic decision of letting Nani to take the penalty. You have Scholes, you have Giggs, and you let Nani? What a joke.

Hangeland scored two but it was one for each side. Still, he should be happy as he scored for the opponent first. If it was the other way round, he will suffer.

Mark Hughes looked great in managing the team. Very fluent exchanges and no sole reliance on any of his players. He does look suitable to manage a middle table club rather than clubs made up by filthy money.

One more thing, it was Berbatov and Scholes again who took the team. You know who to buy from United, don't you?