Season Preview - Blackburn Rovers

Quick Reminder, Real Life

What an ugly season. They dropped from 10th place in 2009/10 to 15th in the standings last season. They fired a solid if not spectacular manager in Big Sam and replaced him with Steve Kean who excites exactly nobody. They didn’t score well, they didn’t defend well. Really, the only thing that went even passably well was their defending at home which was the sixth most effective in the league. Sadly, their scoring at home was tied for second from the bottom so even the thing they did well didn’t help THAT much other than allowing them to avoid relegation.

Quick Reminder, Fantasy

A slight return to adequacy by Morten Gamst Pedersen and continued fantasy excellence from Christopher Samba were notable performances, as was the emergence of David "Junior" Hoillet. I suppose you could say Robbo rebounded from a long while in the fantasy wilderness. It would be stretching to get excited about much else as occasional fantasy stalwarts like Nelsen and Dunn were injured more frequently than usual.

Summer Changes

Danny Guthrie gets chance against Spurs

Danny Guthrie gets chance against Tottenham - NUFC Latest News - Newcastle United - ChronicleLive

ALAN PARDEW will hand Danny Guthrie the chance to revive his season against Spurs at St James’ Park on Saturday.

However, Andy Carroll and Steven Taylor are rated "extremely doubtful" with thigh and hamstring problems.

Hard-working midfielder Guthrie caught the eye in the Wear-Tyne derby and, with Alan Smith ruled out of the encounter with Harry Redknapp’s side and Cheik Tiote still banned, the Shropshire- born player has done enough to impress his manager in just under an hour against the Black Cats.

Pardew – who also has Dan Gosling fit and available – told the Chronicle: "Danny Guthrie will play.

"He was excellent in the second half at Sunderland.

"And I hope he will take it into Saturday."

For what it's worth, there's your Newcastle update. Guthrie is 5 in the fantasy game and if I were looking for a midfielder at that enabling price I would take David Hoilett, who has been putting up good points for his price and whose Blackburn host West Brom this weekend.