Chelsea, Swansea and is Chris Smalling now a Man United Media Darling?

Sep 10

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DEFENDER: Chris Smalling, Manchester United

This season has certainly been an odd one defensively. The reliable old guard of Terry and Ivanovic have struggled to provide and I can safely say I have more points on my license than they do combined. I’d describe having them both in from GW1 in the same way my parents describe me; an expensive mistake.

So the question is, who will fill that void? Sagna and Kolarov have been excellent so far but I think Chris Smalling might emerge as a regular points scorer, clean sheet or not. Clean sheets are only one way of scoring points and with Smalling’s position as new media darling looking increasingly secure, he could well pick up some MOTM awards over the next few week, and where better to start than against Liverpool.

MIDFIELDER: Pedro, Chelsea

I don’t think the age old cliché of ‘no easy games’ has ever been truer than this week. The big teams have some tough games and there’s no obvious tip of who will run riot. Arsenal don’t look totally convincing and face Stoke at home and form team Manchester city play a very confident Palace, with United and Liverpool squaring off. I still think Sterling represents value at 13.1% picked and has now opened his City account. Scott Sinclair has been in incredible form and Villa have a very winnable tie against Leicester but given that regular scorers have been hard to find I’m going to stick with Pedro who has netted once and assisted twice in his first two Chelsea starts and I fancy him to add to that.

FORWARD: Harry Kane, Spurs

The freight train that is Callum Wilson keeps picking up pace and is now 21% picked and Swansea’s Gomis looks more like the International footballer that he is every single week. However, I have a feeling that after the break with the England setup, Harry Kane might finally start his season. Particularly, if his new strike partner Son can complement him and take some of the creative weight off Eriksen.

. Remember when Shearer just waved his hands in the air?? pic.twitter.com/CO1Ge0LAzW #FPL

— FantasyYIRMA #FPL (@FantasyYIRMA) September 5, 2015

OUTSIDER: Virgil Van Dijk, Southampton

0.1% Ownership and I had to go for a new signing really, otherwise what was the point in the transfer window?! Van Dijk is priced at 5.5m and I presume will replace Yoshida in that Southampton line up. You don’t pay 11.5m on a 5 year deal for a guy to sit on the bench. For those of you that have followed his career, you will know he is well worth a goal too. He can distribute, he is aggressive at corners and in all honesty if you ever want a laugh simply ask random people on the street if they can pronounce his full name – limitless entertainment.

CAPTAIN: Ayew, Swansea

I am going to stick to my only tried and tested all season and that’s Ayew at Swansea. Watford away should be a win for the Jacks and he is somehow still under 20% picked. Petr Cech is a perhaps surprising Vice Captaincy choice for me simply because I think it’s a stick on clean sheet and it depends how much you need the points.

Written by @CraigHazell

Craig Hazell is a television professional, writer and Heart of Midlothian fan who makes up one third of the popular FPL podcast The Gaffer Tapes. As a student, Craig won the BBC Sports Broadcaster and Comedy Broadcaster of the year, before going onto to be a regular on the London open mic comedy circuit. He now writes about anything from TV & Movies, to food and of course football, providing he can shoehorn a 90s pop culture reference into just about anything.