Fantasy Premier League

Tactical review: Beatt it

Mon Oct 19 04:56PM

It's time to look back at the weekend in Fantasy and assess how well The Fantasist got on with its Choose 'em or lose 'em predictions.

It's a good job The Fantasist baked a pre-emptive humble pie in case Paul Robinson (2 points) failed - it was tucking in as early as the fifth minute when Robbie Blake blasted Burnley in front at Blackburn. Robbo eventually got the win, but a two-point haul is not what you are looking for.

You were advised to steer clear of the returning Edwin van der Sar (11.5 pts) who was busy against Bolton, although it's worth remembering he did not manage to score his value (11.77), the usual yardstick for a good performance.

And the '50-50' Manuel Almunia (0 pts) missed another game for Arsenal - obviously check whether he plays in midweek before making a decision for the weekend.

Into defence, where The Fantasist has no beach ball-eque excuses for its dismal selections. William Gallas (2.5 pts) failed to keep a clean sheet at home to Birmingham, while  Gael Givet was dropped from the Blackburn team to play Burnley. A cardinal sin to tip a player who ends up on the bench.

The Blackburn defender to go for was Pascal Chimbonda (14.5 pts), who found the net with a fine effort, and midfielder David Dunn (19 pts) had a splendid outing for Rovers.

The defensive 'lose 'ems' were more accurate. Jose Bosingwa (3 pts) duly came unstuck at Aston Villa, Jamie Carragher (6.5 pts) did better than expected but was still way short of matching his value and Tal Ben Haim (6 pts) was another loser.

In midfield top tip Theo Walcott's (3pts) chances of a good outing were torpedoed by that Liam Ridgewell tackle, which forced the young winger off after just half an hour. That was a lucky break for Andrei Arshavin owners as the Russian came off the bench to grab a goal and 14.5 points. Tomas Rosicky (8.5) appears to have nailed down a first team place after injury.

Fantasist favourite Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (17.5 pts) has emerged as a real gem. If you picked him up at his starting price of 4.71 you're laughing. Even at his present price of 9.00 he looks worth picking up. The final selection of Ryan Giggs was good but not great- his 13 points just a smidgin below his 13.45 value.

It took a brave man to suggest a 'lose' for the mightily expensive Cesc Fabregas (12 pts), but it was a good call in the end. The Fantasist was also right that Javier Mascherano (3 pts) would not start for injury-ravaged Liverpool.

The Fantasist dropped a real clanger with its enthusiasm for Michael Owen (1 pt). It simply hadn't bargained on quite how bad the little tyke was going to be against Bolton. He missed a host of chances as the chips on his shoulders hindered his shooting.

Louis Saha (8.5 pts) saw plenty of action in Everton's draw against Wolves, but failed to find the net and consequently disappointed. All told, it was a good job James Beattie (25 pts) did the business, then. His two goals proved a match-winning contribution for Stoke.

Carlos Tevez surprisingly started for Manchester City against Wigan, but his relatively poor return of 8.5 made him a wise drop.

Elsewhere, few would have predicted the weekend's top scorers, which included Luis Valencia, James Collins, Ledley King and the crazily inconsistent Abou Diaby, along with Fantasist picks Beattie and Bilyaletdinov.

Finally, James Milner (1.5 pts) owners should not despair after a low score against Chelsea. The England man was terrific, but you don't always get what you deserve in Fantasy. He's still good, though.

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