It might not be pretty, but the man gets results.
Gameweek 22 review
Alan Pardew’s instant impact at Crystal Palace is evident not only in the Eagles’ results, but in the performance of his players in Fantasy Football terms.
Marcus Gayle is one of the Palace players in red hot form right now and he was the top scorer in Gameweek 22 with 16 points after two goals and an assist against Burnley.
Jason Puncheon is another and he got 12 points for a goal in the same game.
In a high-scoring week, Puncheon was outshone by stamp-happy Diego Costa, who won’t be adding to the 16 points he contributed against Swansea for a while, as well as Oscar, Eljero Elia (15 points each) and Santi Cazorla (14).
West Ham’s Enner Valencia grabbed a spot alongside Costa and Gayle up front with 11 points, while at the back there was room for Branislav Ivanovic, Nacho Monreal (10 points apiece) and Phil Jagielka (9) in front of Ben Foster (7) in goals.
J-League
It’s tantalisingly tight at the top of the J-League after an average week for scoring, with less than 20 points separating the top five.
Joe O’Neill’s Dr. Neo Cortex have claimed top spot after a solid 57 points, usurping former leaders, Sean Kelly’s The Honey Badgers, who could only manage 43.
Joe Hodge’s 50 Shades of O’Shea managed to hold onto third spot, although there is a lot of heat being put on by Adam King’s Eatfood Drinkwater and Michael Ward’s I Gotze no idea, who are only six points further back.
J-League Top 5
- Neo Cortex – Joe O’Neill: 1,339 points
- The Honey Badgers – Sean Kelly: 1,332 points
- 50 Shades of O’Shea – Joe Hodge: 1,327 points
- Eatfood Drinkwater – Adam King: 1,321 points
- I Gotze no idea – Michael Ward: 1,321 points
The Pulis effect
Much like sh*t to a blanket, when you get a reputation in football it tends to stick.
It is why, after helping Stoke City punch way above their weight for years, that the first thing people associate with Tony Pulis is an unattractive brand of football when he is worthy of far more credit than that.
Considering the job he did with Crystal Palace last season it was a surprise to see Pulis leave last summer.
It was less of a surprise to see him picked up by another Premier League club and it will be a major surprise, in our eyes, if West Brom don’t avoid the drop with Pulis at the helm this term.
It’s early days yet, but already the Baggies are reaping the benefits of the Pulis approach.
They have as many clean sheets in the last two games (2) as they did in the ten games before that and much like Pulis’ Palace last season, nobody is going to pick up a handy three points against them.
At the back, Ben Foster (£4.6 million) now looks like an attractive choice between the sticks while of the first-choice defenders – who are all reasonably priced at less than £5million – Chris Baird is looking like a bargain for £3.9 million, having played 90 minutes in the last four games.
West Brom’s midfielders have yet to spark to life under Pulis but up front, Saido Berahino appears to have a new lease of life (20 points in his last three games).
Victor Anichebe, meanwhile, who scored twice against Birmingham in the FA Cup last weekend, could yet be an unlikely bolter between now and the end of the season.
In that time, there will probably never be a situation where you hand the captain’s armband to a West Brom player, but if you’re on the lookout for solid types who’ll pick up a valuable few points here and there, keep a hawk eye on the Hawthorns.
JOE’s Fantasy Football Picks
Top Dollar: Wayne Rooney (£10.7 million). We’re reluctant to recommend a Man United player given their mediocre form, but they should have enough to get past Leicester at home and Rooney is as likely as anyone else to help them do it.
Mid-Range: Philippe Coutinho (£7.6 million). A goal and three assists in six games doesn’t sound amazing, but if Coutinho maintains his current form then an end product will surely follow.
Bargain Basement: David Ospina (£4.8 million). The Colombian’s promotion to the first team has coincided with Arsenal’s good run of form and it doesn’t look like Wojciech Szczesny is likely to get a recall anytime soon.
Irish Pick: Damien Delaney (£4.9 million). Alan Pardew has yet to plug the very apparent leaks in the Palace defence, but they are on an upward curve and as long as they are it’s a good thing for Delaney, who remains a first-choice under the new boss.
Captain’s Pick: Santi Cazorla (£8.3 million). A lot of Arsenal players have been making an impact in recent weeks and none more so than their little magician in the middle of the field. He has claimed 29 points in the last four games and there’s potential for plenty more at home to Villa on Sunday.
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