RECOVERED YET? OUR collective international football-induced hangovers have barely settled, and already we are back into the cut and thrust of the Premier League.
Thankfully there have been few key injuries to report back to key FF stars, bar the wounded pride of Leon Best, who Trapattoni continues to ignore at will.
Seasoned FF players, many of whom consider it wise to have Best in their team, will be keeping their fingers crossed in the hope that the star is not affected by this latest setback.
Either way, Newcastle are bound to lose this weekend, as they’re playing City…
Two players to pick this week
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham): Defoe has been out of favour at Tottenham of late, despite making an impact from the bench in matches on more than one occasion. However, Rafael van der Vaart’s injury picked up with Holland in midweek means he is likely to be absent for a considerable period, so expect Defoe to be hungry to prove himself in the Dutchman’s absence.
Joleon Lescott (Man City): The defender faced criticism after he moved to City, as he seemingly failed to live up to his exorbitant price tag. However, he has steadily improved in recent months, and has delivered a series of excellent performances for City this campaign, culminating in his display for England last week, when even the likes of Xavi and Iniesta could not find a way past the big defender.
Two players to avoid this week
Michel Vorm (Swansea): Vorm is currently the top-ranked FF goalkeeper. Few would have predicted that the Swansea man would have scored so many FF points at this stage of the season. The goalkeeper would often be recommended as an astute pick, however the Welsh side come up against Man United this weekend – so expect Vorm to ship a few goals for once.
Stephen Ireland (Aston Villa): It’s interesting to see how Stephen Ireland’s fortunes have contrasted almost directly in conjunction with those of his country’s football side. Ireland was enjoying his best form, as his country were in the Steven Staunton-inspired depths of despair. Now, the roles have been reversed full circle, and those hoping Ireland will recapture his past form are likely to be disappointed, as Alex McLeish continues to favour others ahead of him in the Villa first team.
Predictions for the week:
Norwich 1-3 ArsenalEverton 2-1 Wolves
Man City 2-0 Newcastle
Stoke 2-1 QPR
Sunderland 2-2 Fulham
West Brom 2-2 Bolton
Wigan 1-1 Blackburn
Swansea 1-3 Man United
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
Tottenham 2-0 Aston Villa
How my team got on last gameweek: Very poorly. My steady decline continued as Wayne Rooney failed to deliver once more, despite United having a seemingly easy tie at home to Sunderland.
Who’s leading TheScore.ie’s league? Pa Morrissey’s ‘Bullcelona’ have finally been replaced at the top of the table by Paudie O’Neill’s ‘Deceptively Slow’.
