Scouting the Doubles – Gameweek 34 – Hull City

In light of Leicester’s miraculous revival and a run of six matches without a win, Hull City now only sit outside the relegation berths on goal difference alone. With Arsenal, Spurs and United in the final four Gameweeks, the Tigers will be desperate to capitalise on their match in hand when they travel to Crystal Palace and host Liverpool in Gameweek 34.

The Prospects

In a Gameweek that also includes two fixtures for Chelsea, Liverpool and the buoyant Foxes, it’s difficult to make a case for Steve Bruce’s out-of-form side. Allied to the fact they’ve netted just four goals in their last six outings, the Yorkshire club face three of the league’s top six sides after the double – necessitating an exit route for any potential acquisitions. With free transfers at a premium leading up to a double Gameweek 37 for Arsenal and Sunderland, few Fantasy managers will want to shoulder that burden.

Hull’s first head-to-head of Gameweek 34 sees them pay visit to a Crystal Palace team that succumbed to a shock 2-0 defeat at Selhurst Park last Saturday. The Eagles were grounded following a four-match winning streak in which they netted 11 goals and recorded an historic victory over Manchester City. With six goals in seven appearances, Palace frontman Glenn Murray is the form forward leading up this encounter. Meanwhile, among the league’s midfield roster, only Alexis Sanchez (12) and David Silva (15) have attempted more shots inside the box than hat-trick hero Yannick Bolasie (11) in the last six Gameweeks. On the flip side, City’s goalscorers will draw encouragement from the fact that Palace have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine league matches.

The Tigers welcome the Reds to the KC Stadium in the second of their double match-ups, knowing only Chelsea have bested them in their last four home ties. Liverpool have registered clean sheets in four of their last seven fixtures but revealed a defensive vulnerability in their 4-1 defeat to Arsenal that Bruce will be keen to exploit. Hull could also be boosted by the absence of Daniel Sturridge, given that the English frontman was ruled out of Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final and will be short of fitness even if he features in their trip to West Bromwich Albion.

Hull have notched just two shut-outs in the previous 12 Gameweeks, rendering their rearguard a near write-off from a Fantasy perspective. The promise of bonus save points would have made goalkeeper Allan McGregor (4.8) a budget option for the double, yet he no longer boasts security of starts after being dropped for Steve Harper last weekend.

The Likely Lads

Dame N’Doye (5.5) piqued the interest of Fantasy managers upon his switch to Hull in the January transfer window, netting in his first three starts. Despite failing to score in his subsequent appearances, only three forwards have attempted more shots than the Senegalese striker (14) in their last four matches –  although only four were from inside the box.

Ahmed Elmohamady leads the Tigers’ scoring charts this season with 92 points, highlighting the dearth of attacking flair in their squad. The 4.9-priced midfielder scored against Chelsea in Gameweek 30 and has mustered more shots inside the box (three) than any other Hull midfielder in the previous four matches, whilst his ten key passes over that period has been bettered by only four other midfield options in the top-flight.

The Cheeky Punt

Given their form, it’s arguable that any Hull option is no more than a punt but, as we’ve seen in recent double Gameweeks, it’s folly to write off struggling sides.

With Gaston Ramirez struggling due to a hamstring problem, Jake Livermore‘s (5.1) could be worth considering. The former Spurs man has fired eight attempts on goal in the last four matches, more than any midfield team-mate.

If Bruce’s glowing praise regarding Mohamed Diame’s return to the side is anything to go by, the English head coach will be desperate to reinstate the Senegalese midfielder back into the starting line-up following two brief run-outs in recent weeks. Despite only clocking 934 minutes of pitch time this campaign, Diame is Hull’s second-top scorer, having notched four goals in his first six starts for the club.

For those managers operating on a shoe-string budget in the upcoming double, Irish defender Paul McShane could prove a decent enabler. With uncertainty over the Hull keeper situation, the former Sunderland man – who netted in Hull’s recent trip to Swansea City- sets you back just 3.9. The Tigers defensive record suggests this may be a punt too far for most, though.

Abel Hernandez (6.6) represents a risky outside bet. The Uruguayan striker was dropped for Hull’s visit to Southampton but came up trumps in the Chelsea clash two weeks before, scoring for the first time since Gameweek 8. Bruce needs goals, though, and with Nikica Jelavic still injured, Hernandez could return to the XI alongside N’Doye.