FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Post-Updates

Lucas Leiva may uplift Liverpool players' fantasy scoring potential to the next level.

This post serves as a complement to our FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview Series and updates the latest fantasy relevant news to you until the season starts.

Arsenal
Santi Cazorla (£9.0m) joins the Gunners from Malaga CF. Extraordinary move by Arsene Wenger whereby he spent as much as £16.5m on a senior player. Cazorla should become a decent fantasy player, and is expected to hurt Mikel Arteta's (£8.0m) fantasy value a lot by stealing his set pieces.

On the other hand, Robin Van Persie's (£13.0m) move to Manchester United is a  done deal as the Red Devils offerred £24m for the Dutch forward. Olivier Giroud (£9.0m) and Lukas Podolski (£8.5m) should become great fantasy stocks then.

Thomas Vermaelen (£7.0m) meanwhile has been promoted as the Gunners' new captain. Hopefully no more captain curse for them.

Liverpool
So Joe Allen (£5.5m) says goodbye to Liberty Stadium and goes to Anfield. A very interesting move which can make the young English a big fantasy hit, thanks to his fantasy price of £5.5m, though he is expected to play a little deeper - somewhere between Lucas Leiva and the skipper Steven Gerrard.

Also going to Anfield is Moroccan winger Oussama Assaidi from Dutch side Heerenveen. He is still not listed in FPL so we will need to wait and see before we can evaluate on his value.

Manchester City
Mancini finally got his first player this summer in the name of Jack Rodwell (£5.0m). Not much of fantasy relevance though, as Rodwell plays deep in the midfield - a very unpopular position in fantasy world.

Interestingly, it seems like Carlos Tevez (£9.0m) has gained back Mancini's trust and has now become the manager's primary choice upfront. With his calibre, his fantasy valuation of £9.0m is a steal.

Manchester United
As Van Persie goes to Old Trafford, things become very unsettled at Manchester United. Will RVP and Wayne Rooney (£12.0m) complement each other well and produce even better fantasy points or hurt each other fantasy potential instead? One thing for sure is that Danny Welbeck (£8.5m) and Javi Hernandez (£8.0m) are useless in fantasy terms now, unless either of the two aforementioned big guns suffer an injury. Shinji Kagawa's (£8.0m) value hurts as well with more bench time to be expected.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview Compilation

Carlos Tevez is back on track and may become a major fantasy force again.

I have released the full set of Fantasy Premier League 2012/13 Season Preview to you, but the journey doesn't end here. Latest updates especially on transfer movements and injuries and of course our gameweek 1 preview will be published later this week, but before that, let me just compile everything under one page so that you can view the preview series hassle-free.

FPLZ 2012/13 Season Previews (in chronological order):

1. How to Play Fantasy Premier League 2012/13 Edition
2. Introduction
3. Team Data Summary
4. Individual Data Summary
5. Arsenal F.C.
6. Aston Villa F.C.
7. Chelsea F.C.
8. Everton F.C.
9. Fulham F.C.
10. Liverpool F.C.
11. Manchester City F.C.
12. Manchester United F.C.
13. Newcastle United F.C.
14. Norwich City F.C.
15. Queens Park Rangers F.C.
16. Stoke City F.C.
17. Sunderland A.F.C.
18. Swansea A.F.C.
19. Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
20. West Bromwich Albion F.C.
21. Wigan Athletic F.C.
22. The Promoters: Reading, Southampton and West Ham
23. Post Updates

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: The Promoters

The Promoters: Reading, Southampton and West Ham

The promoters with their new kit this season.
From left: Mikele Leigertwood (Reading), Rickie Lambert (Southampton) and Kevin Nolan (West Ham).

Overview

It's good to see them back, honestly. Reading, Southampton and West Ham are all old brands in English football and have large fan bases. Southampton fans will be extremely happy after being away from Premier League since 2005.

Survival will definitely be their primary objective this season, but it is hard to see the likelihood of each of them so survive with so many new faces around, though West Ham are still mainly composed by old faces such as Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Carlton Cole.

Reading: Pogrebnyak, Le Fondre, McAnuff, Guthrie
Reading have acquired some interesting players this summer, and one of them is Pavel Pogrebnyak (£5.0m). The Russian joined Fulham last season and recorded an astonishing record of 6 goals in just 943 minutes of action. With his ridiculously low price of £5.0m, he is definitely a steal.

Adam Le Fondre (£5.0m) is Pogrebnyak's partner upfront, and was the key in bringing Reading back to the top-flight league with 12 goals last season. A value for money forward, though I believe he is more susceptible to rotation especially when Brian McDermott decides to play 4-5-1, since Pogrebnyak is a more natural lone striker.

Jobi McAnuff (£5.5m) is another key man who brings the Royals to the premiership this season, contributing 5 goals and 11 assists in the process. His price seems a little bit pricier than his Pogrebnyak and Le Fondre when their fantasy value seems similar, though he is the best Reading midfielder to get in my opinion.

Danny Guthrie (£4.5m) did not get a lot of playing time at Newcastle, but I think he will get it at Madejski Stadium. Though not flashy, the midfielder is dependable, and can deliver goals and assists occasionally. A good choice as your fifth midfielder.

Southampton: Lambert, Lallana, Clyne

Scoring 25 goals last season, Rickie Lambert (£6.0m) is the ace of the Saints, and has scored 78 goals in 132 appearances for Southampton. The lad has great physical build and exceptional penalty taking ability (he still has 100% record with the club), so one would expect him to deliver some good value from his price.

Adam Lallana (£6.0m) is the second most important man behind Lambert for Southampton's return to the Premier League, recording 11 goals and 10 assists. Nothing too impressive, but a good figure nonetheless, although his £6.0m valuation doesn't seem like a good bargain compared to Lambert who is valued at the same price.

Named as a member in League Championship 2011/12 Team of the Year, Nathaniel Clyne (£4.0m) has shown great talents in the age of just 21. Though he has no great goal and assist statistics, but he is still very young, and the price of £4.0m fits perfectly as your fifth defender.

West Ham: Nolan, Vaz Te, Noble, McCartney, Maiga, Cole
We have a lot of old-time fantasy favourites at West Ham. Kevin Nolan (£6.0m) hit his prime when he was Newcastle, and was then bought by West Ham, which relegated during the time. Nolan is a great attacking midfielder - 12 goals last season at the Championship shows that.

Ricardo Vaz Te (£5.5m) has shown great efficiency last season, scoring 12 goals in just 18 appearances for the club. A good budget forward to get, though he threatens to quit the club should the right offer comes as he is unsatisfied with his wage.

Mark Noble (£5.0m) is a good candidate for 5th midfielder, with a track record of 8 goals and 9 assists last season. He played consistently under Sam Allardyce last season, you need not to worry about him rotting in the bench.

The Hammers acquired the service of George McCartney (£4.0m) this summer, and you can acquire his service too at a bargain price of £4.0m. One of the best £4.0m defender you can get in FPL this season.

Forward Modibo Maiga (£5.5m) is another man that Big Sam landed this summer. The forward has a decent track record at Sochaux (24 goals in 59 appearances), you one would expect him to challenge for the forward spot at Boleyn Ground.

Carlton Cole (£5.5m) is an old name in fantasy, and has a decent goal record, though not really impressive. His playing minutes is hindering him from getting good fantasy scores, but to include him in your fantasy team can be beneficial when the time is right.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Wigan Athletic F.C.

Wigan Athletic F.C.

Victor Moses promoting his club's new kit for 2012/13 season.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Safe
Struggle - this has always been Wigan's situation every season, and the last one was not an exception. Poor conversion rate especially by Victor Moses in first half of the season had almost sent the Latics to hell, though they fired up in the late stage of the season and saved themselves with still a little bit extra league points for survival.

This Summer: Lack of Excitement
Many players are going away from DW Stadium this summer, with names such as Hugo Rodallega, Mohamed Diame, Steve Gohouri and Chris Kirkland; heading the opposite direction are highly rated young midfielder Fraser Fyvie and Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis. Not very flashy here, as usual.

Upcoming Season: Escape the Cycle
Stuck in relegation battle, barely survived. Stuck in relegation battle, barely survived. The unhealthy cycle has been on and on every season for Wigan, and surely this is not something the players and the fans like. They definitely need to bring their skill to the next level and pull themselves up to the mid-table position to avoid such scare again.

Moses' indices last season.

N'Zogbia V2: Moses (FI: 0.634)
He wouldn't like to be recognized that way, but that's the way he is. Victor Moses (£7.0m) is the new ace of Wigan after the departure of Charles N'Zogbia last season, though he did not look like at first. The lad failed to score for a streak of 60+ shots before scoring his first goal on December last season - an embarrassing record for any players. But he marched on from there and ended the season with 6 goals and 6 assists - certainly not bad for a player from a club which constantly troubled by relegation fears.

His £7.0m fantasy valuation might stop you from getting him, but I do believe he has the quality to meet his asking price. The bigger doubt though is his highly possible move to Chelsea, which can be done in these few days. Stay alert for the development.

Budget Pick: Di Santo (FI: 0.434)
There are hardly any fantasy talents at DW Stadium other than Moses, but Franco Di Santo (£5.5m) can be the next hit at Wigan after Moses.

At the age of 23, the Argentine still has a lot of room to grow, not to mention he played only 2025 minutes last season - 150 points should be an attainable target for him this season with less competition upfront and higher reliance on him, should Moses leaves.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: West Bromwich Albion F.C.

West Bromwich Albion F.C.

Gareth McAuley with West Brom's 2012/13 season home kit.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Impressive
Being a team who go through the promotion and relegation cycle regularly, West Brom managed to change the situation this time, finishing at glorious tenth place last season. A big part of the credit goes to ex-manager Roy Hodgson though, and with him left the club for England international team, it is a doubt whether they can reach the same height again this season.

This Summer: Clarke's Debut
Steve Clarke has been appointed as the new manager of the Baggies. A risky move as this is Steve Clarke's first stint as a club's head coach.

As for players, Ben Foster's move to the Hawthorns become a permanent one, with midfielder Claudio Yacob, young Belgian Yassine El Ghanassy (loan), free agent Markus Rosenberg and Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku (loan) joining the team. Five players were being released, namely Keith Andrews, Marton Fulop, Paul Scharner, Nicky Shorey and Somen Tchoyi.

Upcoming Season: Uncertain
As mentioned this will be Steve Clarke's first time as a manager - things can go everywhere honestly. The pre-season record is neither good nor bad at the moment. Maybe the first few gameweeks will reveal Clarke's ability to mange a club.

Odemwingie's fantasy stats.

Wet Gun?: Odemwingie (FI: 0.454)

Peter Odemwingie (£7.0m) was an instant fantasy hit during his first season at the Hawthorns, but his performance somehow declined to an unappealing level last season.

Still, the Nigerian forward managed to score double figure goals last season. The lad does have good fantasy potential, so do keep an eye on him and get him when the right time comes.

Ridgewell's fantasy
indices last season.

Great Return: Ridgewell (FI: 0.924)
It really caught me when I saw Liam Ridgewell (£5.0m) scored such a high FPLZ Index last season, which aroused my curiousity to analyze him further.

The defender scored 61 points in just 1170 minutes of action, which he managed to score one goal, one assist, and six clean sheets. Impressive.

He now costs £0.5m more than last season, but nonetheless he should be the first man to consider among West Brom defenders, if Steve Clarke can keep the back as tight as when it was during Hodgson's era, or even tighter.

Tough Battle: Long (FI: 0.344), Rosenberg (FI: N/A), Lukaku (FI: N/A)
Interesting competition upfront for West Brom where we will have three equally good candidate to fight for the second forward spot alongside Odemwingie - Shane Long (£6.0m), Markus Rosenberg (£6.5m) and Romelu Lukaku (£6.5m).

All of them are priced in the same band, so it really takes time to observe and see which player actually plays more and brings good value to fantasy managers.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR F.C.

Spurs with their new home and away kit for 2012/13 season.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Unlucky
They got the fourth place, but without the qualification for Champions League. Tottenham Hotspur can consider themselves unlucky as Chelsea won UEFA Champions League for the first time, which effectively blocked their way to the top-flight European tournament this season. It was still a good season anyway, as they had gone very close to the leading duo at one point, showing great competitiveness and potential as title contenders.

This Summer: Massive Changes
Harry Redknapp was sacked for some unknown reason and replaced by Andre Villas-Boas, who failed a big time at Chelsea. A very questionable move by Daniel Levy seriously.

Swansea's successful loanee Gylfi Sigurdsson and former Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen are the ones who have joined the club currently, with players such as Vedran Corluka, Niko Kranjcar, Louis Saha, Ryan Nelsen and Steven Pienaar all heading the opposite direction.

Upcoming Season: Insecure
With such a big change in the management, it is hard to predict Tottenham's new season. The change in manager will certainly bring in a lot of uncertainty, especially when Redknapp had brought so much of stability and achievement at White Hart Lane. The first month will surely give us an indication whether Villas-Boas will succeed or flop for the second time in Premier League.

Bale's stats last
season.

Speedy Speed Boy: Bale (FI: 0.699)
Aged 23, Gareth Bale (£9.5m) is definitely one of the best talent across the European continent right now, thanks to his excellent speed and explosiveness, precise ball delivery, and his decent aerial threat.

Having played 3216 minutes last season, Bale managed to record his best fantasy record so far with 195 points. Don't be surprised if he breaks the 200 point milestone this season - he still has plenty of room to grow.

The bad news unfortunately for Bale is that he limped off during the pre-season game with Liverpool, after a dangerous tackle from Charlie Adam, who is renowned for his sloppy defence.

Van der Vaart's historical P90.

Super Poacher: Van der Vaart (FI: 0.547)
Rafael Van der Vaart (£9.0m) actually has the ability to achive a 200-point season easily, but his injuries were limiting his potential to do so.

The Dutch has P90 of 6.50 last season which ranked first among his teammates, but playing minutes of only 2314 meant that he only ranked third in terms of aggregate scores. During the season before the last one he played 2222 minutes, which was even lesser.

I have no doubts about Van der Vaart's flair and goal poaching ability, so let's hope that he can be less injury-plagued this season and score more fantasy points. His price tag of £9.0m resembles a good bargain when compared to his scoring ability.

On Fire: Sigurdsson (FI: 1.240)
It was just half a good season, and Glyfi Sigurdsson (£9.0m) has become freaking expensive at the price of £9.0m, on par with his new teammate Rafael Van der Vaart.

However, the Icelandic is on sublime form during Tottenham's pre-season tour, scoring 2 goals and 3 assists in his first 4 games for the North London club. His set piece ability is a marvelous addition to Andre Villas-Boas's squad, and that really justifies his high price tag.

Defoe's FPL historical data.

Affordable: Defoe (FI: 0.340)
Jermaine Defoe (£7.5m) spent more time on the bench than on the pitch last season, but with Villas-Boas struggling to find a new forward for the team, he should become the team's first choice forward this season.

His best fantasy season record is 150 points - not too great, but good enough for his price, as long as he doesn't injure that often. Tottenham's offensive approach will definitely help him to rack up a good amount of points.

Super Budget Prospect: Kane (FI: N/A)
Tottenham manager is struggling to find a new striker for the team, but that may become a great fortune to fantasy managers as he will need to deploy Harry Kane (£4.5m) more often than not in this coming season.

The 19-year-old English scored 8 goals for Milwall last season, and can be a hit this season with his ludicrous price of £4.5m.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Swansea A.F.C.

SWANSEA A.F.C.

The Swans on fire with their new away kit.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.
Password: http://p-fplz.blogspot.com/

Last Season: Fantastic Debut
Swansea are the first Welsh team to play in the Premier League, and they did not disappoint. Superb tiki-taka play, wonderfully acrobatic Michel Vorm and great loanee Glyfi Sigurdsson have all made the season at Liberty Stadium a happening one. An 11th placed finish have certainly far beaten out fans' expectations.

This Summer: Few Additions
Michael Laudrup has marked his takeover with three new players currently - former Genoa defender Jose Manuel Flores, youngster Jonathan de Guzman from Villareal (loan) and attacking midfielder Michu from Roya Vallecano. Decent players.

Joe Allen meanwhile has gone to Liverpool recently, bringing £15m to the Swans. Great, great business.

Upcoming Season: Continuation of Tiki-Taka?
Clearly the club owners do not hope to disrupt much of the current system inherited from Brendan Rodgers, and the appointment of Michael Laudrup proves that. Laudrup has gained a lot of Spanish football experience during his time at Getafe and Mallorca, and is a big admirer of one-two passing. But can he maintain or even escalate the Swans' tiki-taka to the next level? Time will tell.

Sinclair's FPL stats
last season.

Good Value: Sinclair (FI: 0.548) 
Scott Sinclair (£7.0m) resembles a good value to fantasy managers last season, thanks to outstanding offensive ability, and most importantly, his role in taking set pieces.

The lad played over 3000 minutes last season - no issue of rotation - and was the primary penalty taker of the team. Unless these change, I see Sinclair as a value buy who can deliver consistency to your team.

Flying Man: Vorm (FI: 0.674)
I think Michel Vorm (£5.5m) is the first ever fantasy goalkeeper who tops the team's scoring table, and he deserves it thoroughly after recording a whopping 143 saves last season.

The Dutch was one of the excitement of Premier League last season, thanks to his wonderful reflexes and exhilarating flying saves (click here to watch some of his best saves last season). He is one of the greatest goalkeeper in the making.

Nonetheless, spending £5.5m on him when Swansea have just changed their manager is a risky move, so I suggest to wait at least 2-3 gameweeks and see Swansea's defensive performance before you decide whether to get the superman.

Budget Pick: Dyer (FI: 0.611)
Nathan Dyer (£5.5m) was one of the hit at Liberty Stadium last season, as he hit his career high with 5 goals and 4 assists.

Given his price of £5.5m, you can hardly find any better fantasy midfielder than him. Definitely a good pick for your fourth or fifth midfielder.

Next Sigurdsson?: Michu (FI: N/A)
Michu (£6.5m) went through a successful season last term with Rayo Vallecano, scoring 15 La Liga goals in the process and got Laudrup's attention to sign him.

He is yet to prove himself in the Premier League, but given his stats, don't be surprised if he becomes the next Sigurdsson of the team.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Sunderland A.F.C.

SUNDERLAND A.F.C.

Sunderland introducing their new away kit and new kit sponsor.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Decent
13th place is honestly a so-so position, but it is considered good enough in such a fiercely-battled Premier League environment. A string of good performances especially from Stephane Sessegnon, Nicklas Bendtner and James McClean have given Sunderland a respectable finish, though they could do a little bit better.

This Summer: Exit Wave
Carlos Cuellar is the only newcomer at Stadium of Light so far, while five players who include goalkeeper Craig Gordon and defender Michael Turner have gone the other way. Certainly very opposite from their usual activity in the transfer market.

Upcoming Season: Needs Magic
It looks like the Black Cats are in the bottleneck, and Martin O'Neill will need to do something to break that. He has a good crop of young players to utilize, and if he can grow them fast, Sunderland can well be in the position to push for a spot in Europe.

Sessegnon's stats
last season.

Pivotal: Sessegnon (FI: 0.622)
Stephane Sessegnon (£8.0m) was unarguably the most important chess piece of Martin O'Neill as he contributed 7 goals and 12 assists last season.

With no big guns upfront this season, the Beninese is expected to play in the advanced role again and be as productive as last season. Still a good pick in your midfield lineup.

Wanting An Injury-Free Season: Campbell (FI:0.217)
Fraizer Campbell's (£5.5m) has been constantly plagued with injury, but he is match-fit currently as he prepares for the new season.

The 24-year-old lad has some impressive footwork under his boots, and should be Martin O'Neill's current first pick in his forward lineup. So if Campbell can stay free from injury, he has the potential to become a fantasy hit.

Underpriced: Ji (FI: 0.270)
It's funny to see Ji Dong-Won (£4.5m) to cost as low as £4.5m, especially when he is now at worst the third choice forward of Martin O'Neill.

With Campbell very prone to injury and Connor Wickham (£5.5m) even younger than him, Ji can be a great fantasy prospect at times over the course of next season. The timing must be right though to reap a good value from him.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Stoke City F.C.

Stoke City F.C.

The Potters new away kit in conjunction with the club's 150 years celebration.

 You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Quiet
Compared to the time where they have just joined the Premier League, Stoke City really looked anonymous last season. They played boringly, and had always been in the "unfocused" region of the league table (they finished the campaign 14th). Their trademark long throws were not as "fresh" as before as well.

This Summer: Quiet
The Potters signed Michael Kightly from Wolverhampton Wanderes and 21-year-old former Rangers midfielder Jamie Ness joined as a free agent, but otherwise things have been very quiet at Britannia, with no other new signings going in and only fringe and young players heading out. Ricardo Fuller is possibly the only man that Premier League fans may know in Stoke's exit list.

Upcoming Season: Quiet?
There aren't any big changes happening at Stoke City, so it's really hard to expect something special to happen there next season. With more and more midtable clubs spending money like nobody's business, the Potters have to be careful to not fall into the quicksand of relegation.

Walters' historical stats.

Gun In the Hole: Walters (FI: 0.506)
Being just a semi-starter two seasons back, Jonathan Walters (£6.5m) was fully entrusted by Tony Pulis to play in the hole last season. He did not disappoint, and went on to become the team's second top scorer with 7 goals, behind Peter Crouch (£6.5m).

With Crouch remain to be the only reliable striker they have, Walters should continue to play at his best position behind the towering lad. He may be the next Dempsey in the making - the American also start his career at Fulham from zero to hero.

Bright Start: Kightly (FI: N/A)
Michael Kightly (£5.5m) was tipped by FPLZ as the next fantasy hot pick during when Wolves first promoted to the Premier League, but things had gone oddly and he failed to shine, registering not even 2000 minutes over the last 3 seasons.

He only needed 134 seconds on the pitch to declare himself as a Stoke City player though, as he scored his first goal for his new club against SpVgg Greuther Furth in pre-season friendly. It's still hard to say how he will do in the league this season, but as one of the Championship best player seasons ago, he surely has the quality to shine.

Source of Creativity: Etherington (FI: 0.475)
Although not showy, Matthew Etherington (£6.5m) has been very consistent in FPL for the last 3 seasons, thanks to his high quality passing especially in set pieces. In fact, becoming the primary set piece taker of the team is a big factor for him to score for at least 120 points for the last 3 seasons.

With not much of good firepower upfront, the Potters will need to continue to rely on him to deliver. A dependable man who can deliver a good amount of fantasy points.

Tough Man: Shawcross (FI: 0.443)
Ryan Shawcross (£5.0m) was a hit when Stoke first joined the Premier League, but his price surge have made him a less popular figure in FPL.

The English defender is an tough man to beat, and is good at winning headers to score goals. Stoke will need to better their defensive record though, to make Shawcross a good fantasy defender to own.

Towering Presence: Crouch (FI: 0.467)
Peter Crouch (£6.5m) has always been a iconic figure in the Premier League ever since his time at Southampton, thanks to his height. Though not at a very prolific rate, the lad has a dependable goal record at every club he has played for, which is what Stoke sickly need.

Crouch ranked 10th last season in terms of fantasy points in the list of forwards. Not too bad with his price, but with the front pack of forwards all scoring crazy amount of points, fantasy managers may not feel comfortable to satisfy with a budget performer in their line-up.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Queens Park Rangers F.C.

Queens Park Rangers F.C. 

Alejandro Faurlin posing for QPR's 3rd kit.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Just Enough
It was ironic to see the team who dominated the Championship two seasons ago struggled so much in the Premier League last season, especially when the other two promoters have freed themselves from relegation so early. They are really lucky to still remain in the top-flight league this season thanks to Bolton who failed to win their last game last season.

This Summer: Bigger Cash Splash
Tony Fernandes never stops spending. QPR have already sign a whopping number of 7 players so far, who namely are Samba Diakite, Fabio da Silva (loan), Robert Green, Junior Hoilett, Andrew Johnson, Ryan Nelsen and the best among them all, Park Ji-Sung. Ambitious, but whether these purchases can be converted into results is another story.

Quite a number of players are migrating away from Loftus Road as well, and they are Patrick Agmeyang, Daniel Gabbidon, Fitz Hall, Paddy Kenny and Daniel Shittu.

Upcoming Season: Looking for Improvement
With such a strong financial support from the boss, Mark Hughes simply has to deliver. Though the players can only be classified as second class players at best, they depth that QPR have is tremendous. If the gaffer can use this advantage effectively, things can really turn big at Loftus Road.

Park's historical P90.

No More Parking On the Bench: Park (FI: 0.262)
Park Ji-Sung was wasting one of his greatest attributes at Manchester United, and that is stamina. Nicknamed "Three-Lungs Park", the South Korean never runs out of breath in the game, has immense work rate, and is able to play everywhere on the midfield.

With his decision to join QPR, fantasy managers have the chance to see his full potential, should he start regularly for the whole season. If he can deliver 5 goals in 2006/07 season with Manchester United in just 775 minutes, I see no reason why he cannot achieve 10 goal milestone this season if he can play for more than 2500 minutes.

Revived?: Taarabt (FI: 0.343)
Adel Taarabt (£6.0m) was one of the player whom many pundits expect to shine last season, but for some reason the lad failed to deliver what he seemed to promise.

Nonetheless, the midfield had a fine run during the final quarter of last season, averaging 6.0 points for the last 6 Premier League games he played for QPR. With better crop of players surrounding the Moroccan this season, Taarabt should definitely be included into your fantasy watchlist.

Survived: Hoilett (FI: 0.456)
Relegated with Blackburn, QPR took Junior Hoilett (£6.5m) back to the Premier League after the winger's contract expired this summer.

The Canadian is definitely a talented one, with his name listed in FIFA's 13 Players to Watch in January 2012. If he can improve on his 7 goals and 6 assists tally last season, he can become a really popular fantasy pick.

Overcrowded: Forwards
Bobby Zamora (£6.5m), Djibril Cisse (£6.5m), Jamie Mackie (£5.5m), Heidar Helguson (£5.0m), Andrew Johnson (£5.0m), Jay Bothroyd (£5.0m)...... The long list of forwards goes on.

Rotation policy will certainly be on Hughes' books, so fantasy managers should really avoid them now. I believe Zamora could be the exception though.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Norwich City F.C.

Norwich City F.C.

Norwich's new kit is almost the identical to last season's one.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Splendid
Compared to last time where Norwich were at the Premier League, this time around they were performing much better. A 12th placed finish have certainly surpassed people's expectations on them a lot, especially when they were freed from relegation so early last season.

This Summer: New Manager
With Paul Lambert decides to try his luck at Aston Villa, Norwich have brought former Newcastle manager Chris Hughton as his replacement. Hughton has a pretty decent record at Newcastle and Birmingham, so fans can expect some solid performance from him.

As for player changes, the Canaries are taking in 22-year-old Jacob Butterfield, 24-year-old Robert Snodgrass, Rangers' defender Steven Whittaker and Sunderland's centre back Michael Turner; going the other way are Zak Whitbread and Aaron Wilbraham, both being released.

Upcoming Season: Hopeful
With club's ace Grant Holt penned a three-year contract extension with the club recently, things are looking good at the moment. Hughton has been very good in managing small to medium sized club, and their new additions look solid too. Survival should not be a problem honestly.

Holt's and Pilkington's stats last
season.

Needs More Playing Time: Holt (FI: 0.645) and Pilkington (FI: 0.599)
Grant Holt (£6.5m) is really good in converting chances, but his playing time was hurting fantasy managers who owned him last season. The captain scored P90 of 5.52 last season, which is good for a player of any price. But to sit on the bench frequently meant that he played only 2249 minutes last season and scored a mediocre score of 138. If he can play somewhere near 3000 minutes this season, he can really become a great bargain as long as he can maintain his efficiency.

Besides Holt, Anthony Pilkington (£6.0m) is another productive player of Norwich City in fantasy terms who was limited by his playing time. His FI of 0.599 was second behind Holt last season, and playing minutes of 1975 only last season suggests that he can achieve much more if more time is given.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Newcastle United F.C.

Newcastle United F.C.

The Toons with their new away kit this season.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Flying High
Alan Pardew is building himself a fascinating resume as he led Newcastle to finish the season in such a marvelous fashion. Fifth place was simply wonderfully overperforming for a club that have such limited financial resources. The Senegalese duo, Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse, deserve to take a huge share of credits for the Magpies' success for their superb goal rate.

This Summer: Some Changes
Romain Almafitano becomes the fifth French player in the current Newcastle line-up alongside Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux and Gabriel Obertan as he joins from Reims on a free transfer. Joining him at Sports Direct Arena (or St. James' Park?) is 18-year-old Gael Bigirimana from Coventry City and 19-year-old Curtis Good from Melbourne Heart.

The departure of Danny Guthrie is the more shocking news for me, as he played so well for the Magpies last season. Also left the club are Leon Best, Fraser Forster, Peter Lovenkrands and Alan Smith.

Upcoming Season: Flying Lower?
As of now Newcastle still offer a very competitive squad, but surely Ba and Cisse may leave anytime with their owner being very willing to let go of his players at good prices. They should still play in the upcoming season nonetheless, though I doubt the likelihood of reaching the height set during last season.

Cisse's goal rate.

Undisputed: Cisse (FI: 1.258)
It is hard to believe that he was a stranger for English football fans six months ago. Papiss Cisse (£9.5m) started his fantasy career at £7.0m, but it turned out to be such a big arbitrage opportunity - he just couldn't stop scoring goals. 13 Premier League goals in just 14 games (watch here) has made him one of the most incredible fantasy player ever, especially when he came with such a low price.

His price has shot high this season to £9.5m, but if Cisse can continue to score like nobody's business it is still a very profitable fantasy business.

Ba: Before and
after.

Sacrificed: Ba (FI: 0.739)
Demba Ba (£7.5m) had a wonderful season with the Magpies earlier last season, but that changed with the arrival of his compatriot Cisse. He had to played as a side player rather than his favourite central forward position, making his performance for the second half of the season deteriorated drastically.

With no major changes ongoing at Sports Direct Arena, it is hard to hope that Ba will revive this season, unless either other Premier League clubs can take advantage of his release clause or Cisse leaves Newcastle after just one half of fantastic season.

Anticipated: Ben Arfa (FI: 0.549)
Hatem Ben Arfa (£7.5m) always does very well when he is on the pitch - however he wasn't playing much last season.

He scored 100 points last season in just 1556 minutes (P90: 5.78, ranked second in Newcastle) - which indicates that he has got the potential to achieve a 200 point fantasy season if he can start regularly. Definitely one of the lad that you need to watch in this coming season, especially when he started regularly at the end of last season.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United players wearing the famous "picnic kit".

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Close But Not Enough
So Sir Alex Ferguson almost made a miracle by taking one of his weakest United to almost win the Premier League title. It was only almost though, as the Red Devils somehow stumbled their 8-point lead over local rivals Manchester City during the last few matches of Premier League last season, as their central midfield crisis penalized them.

This Summer: An Asian for An Asian
The Red Devils acquired yet another Asian after landing Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund in their attempt to further dominate the Asian market. Nonetheless, Park Ji-Sung was picked up by QPR soon enough, and the count of Asians in Manchester United remains to be one.

Nick Powell is the only other signing that arrived at Old Trafford, while Tomasz Kuszczak, Michael Owen, Ritchie De Laet and Paul Pogba are all leaving. Fabio da Silva meanwhile has parted way with his twin brother to join QPR on loan.

Upcoming Season: The Charge for 20th
Manchester United continue to be one of the favourites to win the Premier League title, especially when they have gotten themselves a world class midfielder which they have wanted for a long time. They will still be Manchester City's biggest obstacle to become the champion once more in my opinion.

Rooney's stats last
season.

Key Man: Rooney (FI: 0.778)
Hail Wazza Roo. Despite not winning the Premiership, Wayne Rooney (£12.0m) has recorded his best Premier League season so far, scoring 27 goals. It was also his best fantasy season as well, though it is only 6 points better than his previous best (2009/10).

With 230 points already it is hard to expect him to break the record again this term. Nonetheless, with United's rock solid offensive lineup which is now further enhanced with Kagawa's arrival, to match last year's standard of performance is a reasonable expectation on the English ace. Van Persie's possibility of joining Manchester United may hurt his fantasy points though.

Complicated Battle: Nani (FI: 0.617), Valencia (FI: 0.631), Young (FI: 0.528)

The Red Devils' wingers in comparison.

Manchester United has the best wingers across the Premier League, but that is not really a good news in fantasy terms - they have three equally excellent players competing for two spots!

Luis Nani (£9.0m), Antonio Valencia (£9.0m) and Ashley Young (£8.5m) represent the sweetest dilemma for Sir Alex Ferguson, but my advice for fantasy managers is simple - stay away. Unless any of them starts consistently, it is really not a wise decision to fund about 9% of your initial £100.0m transfer kitty on a player that you are not even certain that he will start.

Good Potential: Kagawa (FI: N/A)
The next Asian football legend is here at Old Trafford, and I see no reason why he cannot achieve success at Manchester.

Shinji Kagawa (£8.5m) is bought to resolve the lack of creativity in midfield and thus fantasy managers can expect him to be one of the Red Devils' focal points in offence. It might be a tough journey for him initially, but once he click with his new teammates he really has a huge fantasy potential.

Nonetheless, rotation might be an issue for him as well, with Danny Welbeck (£8.5m) and Javier Hernandez (£8.0m) both allowing Fergie to line a 4-4-2 formation instead of playing Kagawa in the hole.

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FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City players showing off their new kit in style.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Dramatic Finish
It was such a exciting finale last season, and City should be grateful to be at the right end of it. Sitting at the summit of English top-flight league since 1967/68 season is definitely a wonderful achievement for the Citizens. They should improve on their consistency nonetheless, as clubs like Manchester United do not usually slip an 8-point lead.

This Summer: Strangely Quiet
The sheikhs at Etihad Stadium are somehow obeying the FIFA Financial Fair Play currently, signing no one so far. Out are fringe players Owen Hargreaves and Wayne Bridge (on loan). Arsenal captain Robin Van Persie was linked with the club before, but Mancini has played down the chance to get the Dutch's service.

Upcoming Season: Title Defence
The stress level will be higher for Roberto Mancini following his success in getting the league title. Expectations will be higher as well definitely, especially in UEFA Champions League where City got knocked out embarrassingly in group stage last term. Tougher task awaits for the Italian.

Aguero's score
distribution.

Untouchable: Aguero (FI: 0.738)
No matter how Mancini rotate his set of forwards last season, there was one player who always remained as his primary pick, and that was Sergio Aguero (£11.5m).

Mancini's faith was not a blind one - the forward scored 23 goals and 9 assists in his debut Premier League season which ranked him third in FPL. With everything remains almost the same at Etihad Stadium, fantasy managers can expect Kun to deliver the same level of performance in this coming season.

Silva's score
distribution.

Consistent: Silva (FI: 0.468)
It is quite a surprise to see David Silva (£10.0m) ranks only at number 10 in terms of FI among Manchester City's players, but that was mainly due to this superb consistency - the lack of score fluctuations has made his CI very low.

Silva might not be a good captain candidate (his upside potential is relatively low), but he is definitely a good season long pick. I cannot recall any player who was more consistent than him last season.

Pricey: Kompany (FI: 0.578)
Sure, Vincent Kompany (£7.5m) is the key man in City's defence, but does he worth as much as £7.5m in FPL? Sounds negative to me.

City's defence was always one class lower when the skipper was not around, but given the fact that defence works as a unit rather than an individual, I would prefer to seek for other alternatives at City. Joleon Lescott (£6.5m), Kompany's partner in central defence, is £1m cheaper than the Belgian, yet he was only 13 poitns shy from Kompany's 145 points last season.

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