Advertisement
Best has enjoyed a fine start to the season. Neal Simpson/EMPICS Sport

Fantasyland: He's simply the Best...

We provide a fantasy-tinged preview of the weekend’s action, with several upcoming games that have goals written all over them.

HELLO, I’M BACK again after last week’s temporary absence.

And despite my imploring Niall Kelly not to recommend Ivan Klasnic and Laurent ‘I’m an Arsenal defender so I must be dodgy’ Koscielny as ‘two players to pick this week’, he stubbornly went ahead and did it anyway.

In contrast to last week, in which many of the big sides met, this week’s fixtures seemingly have a number of games where the outcome seems practically pre-determined.

In other words, the type of gameweek where you can rack up the points provided you pick the right players…

Two players to pick this week

Emmanuel Adebayor (Tottenham): Tottenham looked a much-improved outfit against Liverpool last week, and it was partially thanks to the presence of Adebayor. The ex-Togo international, like Peter Crouch before him, serves as Tottenham’s target man. However, unlike Crouch, he also has the ability to be the 20-goal-a-season man that Spurs so desperately lacked last year. It would be no surprise if he adds to the three goals he has scored since joining Tottenham this weekend, as they take on a Wigan team who looked weak so far.

Leon Best (Newcastle): Given that they have lost players of the calibre of Andy Carroll and Joey Barton in recent months, it is a huge surprise to see Newcastle currently sitting in fourth place in the table. And their great start is partly thanks to the goalscoring exploits of Best, who has registered nine goals in his last 15 appearances (take note: Giovanni Trapattoni). In addition, he has also scored seven more league goals in 2011 than the much-heralded Andy Carroll. Does that make him worth £35million then?

Two players to avoid this week

Per Mertesacker (Arsenal): Anyone who thought Mertesacker was the answer to Arsenal’s defensive problems will have been made to think again after his performance against Blackburn last week. The German’s frailties were exposed, as things went from bad to worse for an Arsenal side who seem bereft of confidence at the moment. They host Bolton this weekend in a game you’d normally expect them to win, but these days, nothing’s guaranteed for Wenger’s side, who played with a level of naivety at the best of times this season.

Craig Bellamy (Liverpool): Including Bellamy may be tempting for some, given how impressive he looked in midweek, in addition to the fact that Liverpool have a home game against Wolves that they’d be expected to win. However, picking the striker represents a significant gamble, given his history with injury problems. Moreover, a Liverpool victory is far from certain. They looked extremely poor against Spurs last Sunday and lost in the equivalent fixture last season.

Predictions for the week

Arsenal 2-2 Bolton

Chelsea 4-0 Swansea

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves

Man City 3-1 Everton

Newcastle 2-1 Blackburn

Norwich 1-1 Sunderland

QPR 1-1 Aston Villa

Stoke 1-3 Man United

West Brom 1-1 Fulham

Wigan 0-2 Tottenham

How my team got on last gameweek: Pretty poorly. The team registered 36 points – 4 below the average and way off the top score of 106 points. If only Rooney had scored that penalty…

Who’s leading TheScore.ie’s league: Mark Kilgallon’s ‘Maximum 20 character’ are leading the way. Mark scored a solid 68 points, which was enough for him to replace Paddy McKenna’s ‘Ride Me Sideways’ at the top of the leaderboard.

WATCH: Maradona kicks out at Al-Wasl fan>

Read: Rock ‘n’ Roll Star: Joey Barton turns music reviewer>

Close
4 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Luke
    Favourite Luke
    Report
    13hours ago

    Well done. Hopefully they can retain the Koh Samui cup this summer

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Boyle
    Favourite Niall Boyle
    Report
    13hours ago

    @Luke: absolute horseplay

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute robert kelly
    Favourite robert kelly
    Report
    13hours ago

    @Niall Boyle: absolutely sending it!

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Boyle
    Favourite Niall Boyle
    Report
    14hours ago

    Would be very disappointed if 6 of the Blackrock squad aren’t capped by Ireland this summer

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute adizlack93
    Favourite adizlack93
    Report
    14hours ago

    @Niall Boyle: and you’ll be begging for the other 9 players

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SEAN
    Favourite SEAN
    Report
    12hours ago

    @Niall Boyle: bit early for that under 20s first i would of taught

    4
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Boyle
    Favourite Niall Boyle
    Report
    12hours ago

    @SEAN: expect a solicitors letter for a derogatory comment like that

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Ryan
    Favourite Kevin Ryan
    Report
    13hours ago

    Tremendous game, albeit defence-dominated, well worth a watch by those who can. Munster fans would enjoy another top performance by Michael O’Sullivan, the Blackrock openside

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Kirwan
    Favourite Jack Kirwan
    Report
    12hours ago

    @Kevin Ryan: agreed. I thought that lad was excellent. Is he a Munster kid?

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Ryan
    Favourite Kevin Ryan
    Report
    10hours ago

    @Jack Kirwan: From Kerry apparently, and definitely in the Munster system. So, for example, played for Munster against Leinster in the U19 interpro last August

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tony McGrath
    Favourite Tony McGrath
    Report
    13hours ago

    Just get into leinster academy and be capped by capped by ireland within 2 years

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rian O'Callaghan
    Favourite Rian O'Callaghan
    Report
    11hours ago

    Shame it was in Tallaght can’t believe people actually live in that kip. Still serious horseplay with the lads.

    6
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.