Monday Morning Manager

Every Monday the Manager will be looking back over the weekend.  Who shined, who stunk and what it all might it portend going forward.  If anything.

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Liverpool
Liverpool just looked flat.  I don't know if it's the Alonso sale or Gerrard's injury or Palacios throwing himself about, but Liverpool never really threatened.  Gerrard had a few pops from distance (where his three shots on target came from I'm not sure.  I counted 1 on, 2 off) and Torres nearly connected with a nice GJohnson cross.  But I'm hard pressed to think of another opportunity.  They did look better when Benayoun came on and gave them a full 11 players on the pitch.  Wait... what do you mean Babel was playing the first 65 mins?  Really?  I didn't notice.  Still, Gerrard got his points and Reina made some fantastic saves.  He had no chance on the goals. 

And what goals!  A rocket from BAE of all players and a flying header from Bassong - who made A LOT of fantasy managers very happy this weekend.  Modric was taking corners and THud was given free-kicks.  It will be interesting to see if Jenas can get his place back when he's healthy.  I wouldn't be surprised if he's on the bench, or at Everton, as 'arry can be stubborn.

Manchester United 1 - 0 Birmingham City
Berbatov was not a cheap replacement for Rooney.  Hoped he would be... he wasn't.  Rooney was a man on a mission and it was his goal that won the match for United.  Nani played well again, creating the goal with a cross from which Rooney shot and buried the rebound.  But Nani only lasted 45mins and we'll have to see if he can play in midweek or if he's even likely to be back for Wigan at the weekend.

At the other end of the pitch, Rio and Evans join the defensive injury list with Rio not making the game and Evans leaving on 74 mins and JUST missing out on the clean sheet points.  Foster didn't have too much to do, and was still shaky but was solid enough when he needed to be making two saves to preserve the shut out. 

Everton 1 - 6 Arsenal
Arshavin who?  Fab4 gets the Manager's player of the week honor for his performance taking apart a solid Everton team at Goodison Park.  Arsenal had one of those Arsenal games but Everton really let them have the freedom of the penalty area on those early set pieces.  Vermaelan and Gallas were both unmarked as they scored and that's just inexcuseable.  So Fabregas is a must have for next week's match at home to Portsmouth whereas before the game it would have been Arshavin.  Both wouldn't be too bad either. ;-)

As for Everton, I'm not sure what to think.  On one hand, maybe they are unsettled or too injured.  But on the other, they have a great run of matches coming up and I'm inclined to pile in on some of their reduced prices.  Players like Baines, Howard and Fellaini, despite how they played at the weekend, may be really good bets over the next month or two.  At the least, we'll keep an eye on their fortunes in Europe later in the week.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 - 2 West Ham United
I'm glad we wrote about Mark Noble in our West Ham season preview.  So we can almost say "we told you so".  He had a great game from midfield and who knows, maybe he's ready to make the leap.  You know, "the" leap.  For more of a fantasy bargain, Dyer had a very lively match and Jimenez (who took a few corners) also pushed forward.  West Ham are good at beating the teams they are supposed to beat and, in the past at least, been just as likely to lose to the teams they were likely to be beaten by.  Next week's match, home to Spurs, should be a very interesting test for both clubs.

Where we can definitely say "we told you so" is on Nenad Milijas!  We've been pimping him since the day he signed for Wolves and we weren't disappointed with his performance in an advanced role.  Wolves are going to struggle but he looks a bright spot at least for fantasy managers.

Stoke City 2 - 0 Burnley
Same as it ever was for Stoke.  A Shawcross goal from a Lawrence free-kick and a Stephen Jordan (wasn't he a Citeh Academy prospect way back when?) own goal from a Delap throw.  I think Burnley is just off the radar for the next month (@ManU, Eve, @Che, @Liv) but maybe there will be some bargains (Alexander?) on the other side - if they can recover.  It was interesting to note that Eagles didn't start the match.  That kills whatever fantasy value he may have had.

Portsmouth 0 - 1 Fulham
A lucky goal for Zamora who repaid any faith anyone may have had in him, or his price tag.  But it was Dempsey's work that created the goal.   Just saying.

Bolton Wanderers 0 - 1 Sunderland
DBent makes it happen!  On the road no less.  This is a big win for Sunderland, getting their new era off to a good start and building on the good feelings the club was developing, rather than quashing them, or at least diminishing them, at the first hurdle.  For Sunderland the immediate question is health in attack as KRich, BFAR and Malbranque are hurting.

Bolton play Liverpool next week, but otherwise have Hull, Portsmouth, Stoke and Birmingham in the next month.  They are going to have to pick up some points if they don't want to be sucked in to the bottom of the table.  For fantasy, Matt Taylor continues to lead the way, but it's Bolton.  So, meh.

Blackburn Rovers 0 - 2 Manchester City
The Citeh era has begun!  Three minutes into the match they score through Adebayor and at the death Stephen Ireland is invited to score the cushion.  Rovers aren't completely healthy but I think they may be in trouble this season.  I would stay away from their players regardless of their current discount prices until they show something different. 

For Citeh, Given had to stand on his head again and agasinst a better team than Rovers they may have conceeded.  Citeh played Barry as the lone anchor player and as we wrote about in the preview, that may hurt them against better attacks.  Of course, they may not play that way against better attacks.  SWP got the start and two assists even though his place was thought to be most at threat from the new arrivals.  So we know that have good players, but we are still worried about the rotation of said players.  Stay tuned.

Aston Villa 0 - 2 Wigan Athletic
Wigan looked very lively and all four of their attackers - HRod, Gomez, N'Zog and Koumas - paid off for fantasy.  Gomez slipped off the radar last week but had a really good showing.  He took kicks and wasn't afraid to shoot from his spot off the striker.  For my money, he's right up there with Milijas of the newcomers.  I'm not sure I want to pick him up hosting ManU, but couldn't argue if you did. 

Villa were weak where we expected them to be - up the middle.  No Barry, no Laursen.  And they paid for it on the second goal where N'Zog brought the ball right up the middle of the pitch and found Koumas who finished nicely.  Not as nicely as HRod's 'Yayga-bomb' though.  That was a great strike.  Hopefully he can continue to thrive and maybe next time it will be his own teamate that sets him up.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Hull City
Drogba justified all of his 10 and change price tag this weekend! That's a joke.  I'm not sure I like him stealing Lampard's kicks, but better him than Deco.  Malouda was a real disappointment for me, however.  Especially as I moved down from Rooney to Berbatov to get him.  That will probably turn out to be a fifty-plus point loss over the week.  I'm trying to console myself that it's early.  But it does hurt.  A lot.  We live and die with this stuff, right?

Hull didn't look as out of their depth as I expected them to.  Perhaps the new signings, Hunt - and his goal - in particular may just do the trick after all.  But they still leave without points, even if their pride is still intact.