Given the form of United’s deadly duo at present, it is very tempting to pair the two of them together in what appears to be a fairly undemanding Christmas programme for the league leaders.
Gameweek 16 review
It’s not always the case, very rarely in fact, but anyone who followed my Fantasy Football tips from last weekend would have been smiling come the end of the Gameweek after all bar one of my recommendations did the business.
There were two goals for top dollar pick Wayne Rooney, a brace for captain’s pick Michu, a clean sheet for Asmir Begovic and 16 points for a rejuvenated James McClean. I should and will enjoy the satisfaction while it lasts because it will no doubt be a fleeting feeling.
As it turns out, McClean was the only one to make the Dream Team this week as one of four players to achieve the top score of 16 points alongside Mikel Arteta, Robert Snodgrass and Fernando Torres.
Not far behind that group was our own James McCarthy with 15 points after his brace against QPR, while Norwich’s Grant Holt weighed in with 14 points after a goal and two assists against Swansea.
At the back, Carlos Cuellar (11) and Nathaniel Clyne (10), flank Liverpool’s goalscoring defender Glen Johnson (10), while Brad Guzan was the top scoring goalkeeper with eight points.
J-League
Barry McCabe’s reaction to losing the top spot last week was swift and brutal and he is back where he belongs (or at least where he thinks he belongs) this week after an 85-point haul saw him reclaim top spot with 12 points to spare.
Last week’s leaders, Derek Dickenson’s Haven’t Got a Kalou have dropped back to third after a fairly average 58 points, meaning that Mick Lacey’s Onion Men are now the biggest threat to Barry in first place.
Derek is joined in third place by Paul Lynch’s brilliantly named side Cavanacancan, who make their first appearance in the top five, with regulars Darren McCann’s Dazzleros and Michael Brophy’s Atheltic Bilbrophy making up the top five.
Considering that he’s a former housemate of JOE’s resident Fantasy Football pundit, it would be remiss of me not to mention the man hovering just outside the top five, Joe Carlin, whose outfit, The CocaCola Bigmacs, lie seven points adrift of the big hitters.
The suspicion remains, however, that he has reached his peak and will not occupy as lofty a position in the league for the rest of the season.
J-League Top 5:
- Breffni Blues – Barry McCabe: 980 points
- Onion Men – Mick Lacey: 968 points
- Haven’t Got a Kalou – Derek Dickenson, Cavanacancan – Paul Lynch: 960 points
- Dazzleros – Darren McCann: 958 points
- Athletic Bilbrophy – Michael Brophy: 957 points
Is it worth gambling on Rooney AND RVP?
Would you be prepared to sacrifice over a quarter of your entire budget on just two players? Normally, it wouldn’t be a prospect even worth considering, but given the form shown by Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in recent weeks, it is certainly worth a thought.
Through injury, a dip in form on Rooney’s behalf and the burst of form by Javier Hernandez, it is only very recently that we have seen what two of the most consistent strikers in the Premier League and in Fantasy Football in the last few years are capable of when paired together.
Van Persie’s form has been as regular as clockwork all season. Only Michu has scored more points (107 to RVP’s 102) and more goals (12 to RVP’s 11) and the three-game ‘drought’ he endured against relatively mediocre opposition last month was so surprising simply because it was so rare.
Rooney, as is his style, has been more patchy but more devastating in individual games than his more prolific colleague, posting tallies of 11 (Newcastle), 14 (Stoke), 16 (Reading) and 12 (Man City) and not an awful lot else besides.
In fairness to Rooney he has been affected by the constant switching of positions, but he seems to have settled in a role just behind Van Persie in recent games and also appears to have benefitted from a bit of a kick in the arse from Alex Ferguson, who went public over his need for more goals and more match fitness.
In the last two games, Rooney and Van Persie have contributed 40 points between them and with games against Sunderland, Swansea, a struggling Newcastle, a West Brom side who appear to be on a comedown and Wigan between now and New Year’s Day, there could be plenty of points on offer for the deadly duo.
There are mitigating factors like potential injury, loss of form, Fergie’s capacity to throw out a strange team selection and the fact that there is no way both of them will play every minute of a hectic Christmas period, but with some astute transfer dealings, having both of them in and around the squad isn’t the most outlandish tactic to pursue.
P.S. In case you didn’t know, no players from either Chelsea or Southampton are in action this week owing to the Blues’ participation in the Club World Cup, so keep that in mind when you’re making changes this weekend.
JOE’s Fantasy Football Picks:
Top Dollar: Luis Suarez (£10.3 million). Liverpool coped just fine without him last weekend, but he’ll be eager to show just how important he is to the Reds’ cause on his return to action against Aston Villa at Anfield.
Mid-Range: Michu (£8.0 million). Yes, him again, but if you don’t have him in your team by now, you really should.
Bargain Basement: Robert Snodgrass (£5.9 million). The Canaries have been flying high of late and Snodgrass has been one of the leading lights, picking up 28 points in his last three games with two goals, two assists and six bonus points.
Irish Pick: Darron Gibson (£4.7 million). In recent weeks, Gibson has been showing the potential we always knew he had at Man United, he’s cheap and is a good bet for an assist with his range of passing in midfield.
Captain’s Pick: Robin van Persie (£13.8 million). Probably still on a high after last week’s match-winner in the derby and the Sunderland defence will have a hard time stopping him at Old Trafford this weekend.
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