Week 4 Barn Door Team

Here's my mid-week attempt to assemble a squad for the upcoming weekend. The defence is largely unchanged, with David De Gea, the wonderfully mellifluous Angel Rangel, and Matthew Briggs (though John Arne Riise started and played an hour of Norway's 0-2 loss to Denmark yesterday). I have brought in Armand Traore after his move to QPR. Hopefully he's an attacking left-back or even a spot starter in midfield. We'll see.  Traore and Briggs are probably on the bubble.

In midfield I've added Samir Nasri to complement David Silva, who is playing like a season keeper.  Theo Walcott and Yossi Benayoun (cheap and probably starting in place of the still suspended Gervinho) host Swansea, and while the Swans aren't pushovers (see Rangel, Angel above) Arsenal will be looking to put a few past the newly promoted team.

That's why I've made room in my team for Robin van Persie.  He's more expensive, thanks to his consolation goal at Old Trattford but he is likely still value-for-money should things go Arsenal's way this weekend.  Edin Dzeko gets a barn door place after his amazing four goals against Spurs. The final spot was either Sergio Aguero or Juan Mata, but with doubts over Aguero's staring place (flying back from India) and Mata's role in the team I'm leaning towards Fulham's new boy, Bryan Ruiz.  They're playing Blackburn Rovers this weekend, which seems to be the recipe for fantasy success this season.  Well that or playing for a Manchester side.  

After the Window: Arsenal

Volumes and volumes have been written about Arsenal and their travails from February of 2011 through the close of the transfer window.  Since we're pretty sure you've read quite enough about "contending in 4 competitions to nothing in the blink of an eye" and "Nasri/Cesc/Clichy out" and "will anyone arrive?" that we won't cover that ground again.  Instead, we'll spend some time focusing on what we have learned from the first three matches of the season plus the final touches from the transfer window.

Season Preview - Chelsea

Quick Reminder, Real Life

Sort of an odd season at Stamford Bridge wasn’t it. Never REALLY in the race for first but never REALLY out of it either. The Blues big names down the spine of the formation - Drogba, Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien and Cech - were all less than their best for varying reasons but all were still above average Premier League players when they played. The names brought in to supplement that core also had their ups and downs. Florent Malouda had a great first half but only an adequate second half. Anelka and Kalou were effective in spells and invisible over other spells. Ramires wasn’t ready. Mikel may never be ready. Big winter signings Torres and Luiz cost a lot of money with mixed results at best. Luiz was by far the better of the two although he seemed to have a penchant for making one big mistake per match. Torres was an unmitigated disaster. Chelsea are clearly a team between “generations” of players with half a roster of players heading toward the downside of their careers a few decidedly on the upside and precious few healthy and at their prime. It just wasn’t enough to compete with United.

Quick Reminder, Fantasy

You expect a lot from Chelsea players when it comes to fantasy. Lots of goals, lots of clean sheets, and expensive prices. Of note, FloMal was one of the best players going for the first two months of the season. Drogba closed the season very well. Luiz scored some goals which will be a great addition to defending points if he can settle down a bit, hold on to a place in the starting line-up, and avoid the bad cards and fouls in the box. Anelka degraded throughout the course of the season leaving us to wonder what his fate will be this coming season.

Summer Changes

Barn Door Team

Here we go again.

My barn door team after the weekend looks like this:

Progressive changes (regressive possibly, I'll leave that to you) after the jump.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to miss start of season

UPDATE:  On the other hand...

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti expects Didier Drogba and Petr Cech to be fit for the start of the new season.

 ---

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to miss start of season - Telegraph

This is a week old now, but I had missed it. So maybe you did too.

Where were we?

Ah, yes...

It's hard to come back from international break. But re-focus we must. So to get us all up to speed - and yes, there are games today so no due dilligence can start in earnest until tomorrow - let's look at my O'Hara issue. ;-)

I have O'Hara at 4.23 and he's averaging 5 points per match. However, he's ineligible to play against Spurs this weekend and he's being played in a more withdrawn role in the midfield. So naturally I'm desperate to sell. But 4.23 doesn't get you very far. Good news then that Rooney is a doubt for the Bolton match. Well, maybe not as he's expected to train with United this week. But still, the door is open! So between Rooney and O'Hara I have 22.77 to spend. What are my options?

• Keep the both. Maybe not the worst idea ever. Take the hit this week but know that points are coming.
• Keep Rooney and sell O'Hara for Kightly.  I like this option because I feel like I would be buying low on Kightly.  Surely his playing time will only increase and last week's -2 will be seen as an anomoly.
• Blow them both up and replace them with two mid-priced players with good match-ups this week.  This is the fun option because of how wide open it is.  Who might those options be?  Let's take a look.
  
  At forward:
  
  • Saha  - home to a poor-traveling Wolves team.
  • Diamanti - West Ham aren't in good form, but Diamanti is taking kicks and getting points regardless.
  • Bellamy - Robinho not back yet, and Bellamy's form would probably keep him out of the side anyway.  At up-and-down Wigan.
    
  • Defoe - wait for word on his hand injury and thus his prospects to start, but playing at another of his old clubs he'll want to get on the scoresheet.
  • A.Johnson - home to Hull. 'nuff said.
    
  
  At middie:
  
  • Benayoun - If Gerrard is hurt, Benny is Liverpool's most creative player and even @Sunderland, there could be goals.
  • Giggs - bit of a reach in price, but rested he should star against Bolton.  Especially if Rooney is limited.
  • Geovanni - much like last season, he's at the heart of whatever Hull do (and yes, that's damning with faint praise).
  • Lennon - @Pompey
  • Osman or Cahill - @Wolves
  • Andy Reid - facing Liverpool, but taking kicks for Sunderland and averaging 10 points per match.
  • Dunn - home to Burnley, though this is a local derby so it takes a bit of the shine off
  • Gera or Duff - home to Hull. 'nuff said.  Well one more thing, Dempsey is injured so they're more assured spots.
    

Honestly, I'm at a loss right now. Anyone have any thoughts?

Yossi joins Reds

[Yossi Benayoun] completed his protracted transfer by committing himself to the club until 2011.

The two Premier League clubs spent several weeks haggling over the value of the 27-year-old, who had held off signing a new contract at Upton Park once he learned of Liverpool's interest.

However, a fee - believed to be �5million - was finally agreed on Wednesday and the formalities of the deal were completed with the player on Thursday.

Viva la Rafa-lution!