Say What – Gameweek 16

Say What? returns from Christmas shopping with bags packed full of tasty soundbites from Gameweek 16’s big talking points. This week we hear from Manuel Pellegrini and Brendan Rodgers on midfielders disguised as strikers, Louis van Gaal dresses Wayne Rooney in midfield-wear, whilst Robin van Persie puts on a goalscorer onesie. Jose Mourinho is on hand to talk squad rotation, Christian Eriksen benefits from Spurs’ conditioning and Stewart Downing is in line for some due praise from Sam Allardyce.

With a notoriously congested winter fixture schedule under way, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho gave us an inkling of his rotation plans prior to the Blues’ 2-0 win against Hull. Cesar Azpilicueta was the most noticeable absentee from the match, while Cesc Fabregas missed out through suspension after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season in Gameweek 15. Fantasy managers with a bench assembled from dead wood players will be left considering a rotation strategy of their own as the fixtures start to pick up pace.

“I don’t think one player is going to play these six matches. Every one of them has to go to five, one rest I think I have to give them. We did that against Sporting, we gave a rest to some players, and we’re going to do this from now until the end of the month. We have two days off, which is the two days after Derby, which allows the players to go home. It’s the only two days I can give them. We play Tuesday against Derby, I give them Wednesday and Thursday, after that they are back Friday to play Monday.”

Manchester United duo Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney found themselves among the more popular Fantasy deputies for the injured Sergio Aguero, so Louis van Gaal’s decision to field his captain in a more withdrawn role to afford youngster James Wilson a place alongside Van Persie was met with mixed opinions in the Fantasy community. Fortunately for his owners, Rooney still managed to get on the scoresheet with a tidy finish and there was further encouragement in his manager’s post match explanation for his role.

“The staff [do] the analysis of the opponent and we are analysing where are the weaknesses of the opponent – then we make our line-up because of that. Today I thought Rooney was more a midfielder for us because I need more speed up and Wilson has speed. That is why I did that, no other reason. Next time Rooney is maybe a striker.”

Rooney, though, clearly has no objections to a new role. After netting for the third time in four appearances, the United skipper
discussed his manager’s decision to shift him into midfield and reckons being taken out of the firing line up front could well help prolong his Old Trafford career.

“It is a different system and a new position again for me this season but I have played it before. It is a different way of playing. I am enjoying it. I like to learn different roles and I think it will help me on the pitch and after football if I go into management. I think it can help me in years to come. You see top players like Michael Owen retire. He was one of the world’s best players but I don’t think he could drop back into midfield so, once his pace had gone through injuries, that was kind of the end. But I feel I can drop back and I am sure it will give me an extra few years at the end of my career.”

The United manager also gave an indication that he will continue to utilise in-form Van Persie in his favoured two striker system…

“He didn’t play very well [for a short spell], but you have to compare him with other players at that time. He was lucky because [Radamel] Falcao was injured. I had to compare him with [Wayne] Rooney and [James] Wilson. With Rooney, I can play a lot of positions. Wilson is a young talent and he has to show himself also in the training sessions. I have always played with two strikers, and only three or four times with one striker. Maybe he [Robin] was lucky, but I have a lot of confidence in him. I have already explained here what I like in a striker. Not only [the ability to] make goals, but to also be an attacking point and to see the third man [to link with when he joins the attack]. Van Persie is one of the best strikers at that.”

Van Persie echoed his manager’s sentiments on his flourishing current form. It’s now four in four for the 12.6 man, who has also grabbed a pair of assists over that period – with a trip to Aston Villa up next, few would doubt the mercurial forward’s Fantasy appeal.

“When you hit 30 and you’re having a bad spell everyone says it’s because you’re 30 or 31 and things might be over for you. I live a quiet life for my football and I’m almost convinced now that I will play for many years to come at the highest level, at least that’s what I want and what I’m aiming for. The age thing is not an issue for me at all…It was a hard start to this season. It’s hard to maybe pick things up straight away after the World Cup. It can be tough to really get back to your best form. But over the past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling very well physically. I feel like I can make more runs and keep things going up until the last bit of the game. I feel good and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the goals are flowing in much better now.”

Across the city was a manager whose eyes will have been green with envy. After losing the league’s top scorer, Sergio Aguero, in the previous match, Manuel Pellegrini was unfortunate enough to see his only available deputy Eden Dzeko limp out of the warm-up for City’s clash with Leicester City. In Fantasy terms, the situation couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Champions have a mouthwatering run of fixtures and tantalising pedigree for goals, if only there were a striker fit to take advantage. Pellegrini’s tactics for the next month could prove telling in their title race, and the prospect of an out-of-position midfielder could have a significant impact on our Fantasy shopping list.

“We will work this week with the players to see who can play best in that position. It can be Silva, it can be Nasri, it can be Milner. We must decide which is the best one. I always said James is a very useful player for the squad. At some moments he wants to play more but wherever he plays he is important. That is why we’ve kept him here. Pozo is not a striker. We must try to find another way to play because our strikers will be out for at least one month more.”

Arsene Wenger has dealt with his own fair share of injuries this season and the return of Olivier Giroud seems to have given the Gunners a real boost to their attacking threat. The France international served up a pair of excellent finishes against an in-form Newcastle United but Wenger was keen to point out that its not just goals that Giroud brings to the table.

“I believe in his mentality. He’s a positive guy. Even when he misses something people forgive him because he has a positive mental impact with the physical impact as well. He gives us different options because we can go for a longer ball. We have plenty of players who can play short and he gives us a variety in our game.”

Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers was tasked with explaining why he elected to start the weekend match at Old Trafford with a striker-less starting XI. Raheem Sterling was fielded centrally with Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana the most advanced midfielders behind him and, but for David De Gea and some wayward finishing from Sterling, the move could have proved an inspired change…

“I thought the kid was outstanding today. I asked him to play central, where he could move across the line and penetrate in behind or come in short. I thought he was outstanding at that. He got himself chances. His first chance came when Adam played a great pass in and he’s hit it off his left side, but De Gea’s made a great save. He’s had other chances when he’s anticipated and run through. He’s a wonderful young player. There will be a point where he will get a breather and a rest. But at this moment in time, he’s our main catalyst in the team and he still looks fresh. He’s working very well.”

Elsewhere, Christian Eriksen maintained his good form with another impactful display in Tottenham’s 2-1 win at Swansea City. The Spurs midfielder laid on a goal for Harry Kane before coming up with a late winner after Wilfried Bony had equalised for the home side and the Dane reckons Pochettino’s training regime is starting to pay off late on in matches.

“Maybe the work we did in  pre-season is starting to bear fruit. You’ve seen in recent games that we’re able to go 100 per cent at the end of the game. Earlier in the season, we wouldn’t have been fit enough to go like that the whole game. Of course you have periods where the opposition have more of the ball and you have to play differently but we have the confidence and power to keep going for 90 minutes.

But despite the Fantasy allure of Christian Eriksen, it’s another London based midfielder leading the pack as the hottest target for Gameweek 17. Stewart Downing has been snapped up by over 65,000 Fantasy managers already ahead of the Hammers’ home tie with Leicester City based on the strength of his season thus far. Incredibly, Downing sits just two points off of Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas for the season and has comfortably out-performed the likes of Raheem Sterling and Yaya Toure to date, and his manager Sam Allardyce has certainly benefited from his remarkable form.

“When you talk about changing a player’s position, with somebody like Stewart’s experience, you say ‘well, if it doesn’t work you go back to where you were and we don’t worry about it – it’s more my responsibility than yours. But he hasn’t just liked it, he’s loved it. You can see the freedom he’s gained by being able to pop up in different areas of the field, finding space that we need to find, and our other midfield players will find him with the ball. He will turn and run at opposition defenders and cause them huge amounts of problems. Not only did he do that on Saturday, but he scored as well. He got one all of last season, but he’s got three already now and could have had six or seven, so I hope he continues in the same vein. Lots of players have to change the way they play when they get that little bit older and gain that experience, finding a different way of expressing their ability, and it’s worked brilliantly for us and him at the minute.”