Here we go. The “end of the season” summary post. The controversial “Why didn’t you include Joe Hart?” post.
Below are my picks for the Fantasy Premier League 2010-2011 Team of the Season. I took a few factors into account, including value for the cost, consistency, but most of all – gut instinct – to put together my preferred 3-5-2 formation. Do you agree?
GK: Ben Foster - Birmingham’s keeper started the season priced at just 4.5M and though he wasn’t able to keep Birmingham in the Premier League, he was certainly able to keep fantasy managers happy. Joe Hart will be particularly disappointed that he wasn’t able to gain top spot – and it was a close race, but I’ll go with Foster. Rumors around the league point to Foster replacing Gomes at Tottenham or Friedel at Aston Villa next season.
LB: Leighton Baines – 5 goals and 11 assists, Everton’s main man was very fortunate to take over penalty kick duty when Mikel Arteta was injured to inflate his goal tally (should return to 2-3 next season) but still added an amazing 11 assists from left back. He started the season at an expensive 7M and as Everton struggled, he didn’t look a consistent option in 2010 – dropping in value to 6.8M, but he picked it back up in 2011 and played well in the spring. With no goals and five assists Ashley Cole never really had a chance at the LB spot in this column, though I was leaning towards Sunderland’s Phil Bardsley who deserves an honorable mention for a great season at a cheap price point, 4.5M.
CB: Brede Hangeland – Lescott and Luiz didn’t play the whole season, though would certainly have been in the running for the CB slot if they had, and Robert Huth was superb for Stoke – just absolutely massive, but I’ll go with the big Fulham American born Norwegian. Hangeland scored 6 goals this campaign and with Fulham playing in the Europa League next season – will continue to showcase his rising star in European and world football. Mark Hughes has a real stud in Brede. Vidic of course should not be overlooked as an honorable mention.
RB: Branislav Ivanovic – Chelsea may have disappointed their supporters (and ownership) this season but Ivanovic did not. He moved seamlessly from CB to RB and back, kept the oft-injured Jose Bosingwa out of the starting lineup, and came in at 7M a reasonably priced option in the former Champions’ defense. 4 goals, 5 assists, and a regular spot in the starting lineup later, he deserves the nod at RB. I was tempted to include Everton’s cheap youngster Seamus Coleman here – though his inconsistency in 2011 compared to 2010 gave Ivanovic the nod despite Coleman’s out of position status as a midfielder.
M: Charlie Adam – This has to be the easiest pick in Fantasy Premier League Team of the Season history. So, so easy. No Cesc Fabregas. No Frank Lampard. No Steven Gerrard. No Mikel Arteta. Who needs them? Charlie Adam was the best CM in the game this season and began the season priced at 5M! 5 MILLION. Next year he’ll be plying his trade at Aston Villa or Liverpool and surely priced at 7.5M or so from the start…
M: Nani – Say what you will about Nani, but he was an absolute fantasy legend this season. Antonio Valencia broke his leg in the fall and that secured his starting role on United’s flank. He did not disappoint. Explosive at Old Trafford and decent on the road, Nani became a must-Captain option at home. He scored 9 goals and picked up 18 assists and did it in just about 2,600 minutes. Great season for the United winger. Amazingly, he started the season priced at just 8M. He led the entire game in scoring.
M: Rafael Van der Vaart – VDV only played 2,200 minutes this season but picked up 13 goals and 9 assists and became Tottenham’s main man. He came into the league with a great reputation, and did not fail to disappoint. The one knock of course – were his constant injury struggles – and I almost left him out of this list for that reason – but when he played, he produced. Honorable mention to his teammate Gareth Bale who did not make the final 11 but started off the season well.
M: Joey Barton – I’m sure you all will jump on this one but hear me out. Barton began the season priced at 4.5 million. Let me repeat that – 4.5 million. He scored 4 goals, picked up 9 assists, and a whopping 20 bonus points. A 4.5M starting midfielder in the Fantasy Premier League who puts up those kind of numbers frees up cash to bring in the likes of Nani, VDV, or others. That’s the beauty in a Barton. He’s not a bench player, he’s a legitimate starter at just 4.5M. Worth at least 6M – 7M, he puts up the numbers on the cheap. Don’t say we didn’t tell you to buy him back in August. We did.
M: Charles N’Zogbia – Singlehandedly saved Wigan from relegation. His season started off on a sour note with transfer speculation and a poor attitude, but like Barton and Adam before him – on the pitch he was a sublime, cheap option. N’Zogbia scored 9 goals, picked up 7 assists, and picked up a whopping 33 bonus points. Wow-a-wee-wa. The likes of Dirk Kuyt, Florent Malouda, and Clint Dempsey will be disappointed they didn’t crack the Season Best 11 but Charlie kept them out due to his cheap acquisition cost and bonus point magnetized qualities. Finally, the one player I am really disappointed in leaving out is SAMIR NASRI – who scored 10 goals but did not stay fit enough the entire season to make a final spot in the team.
F: Robin van Persie – Arsenal’s main man picked up more points per game this season than any other player, despite his early injury problems. I love RVP. His consistency and set piece duties are sublime. Berbatov will be disappointed not to have taken this spot, and the likes of Odemwingie and others (who will appear as substitutes) also deserve a shout, but in 2011 at least RVP was an absolute stud. In 2009 we called him the next Ronaldo (from a fantasy perspective) and he did not disappoint.
F: Carlos Tevez: Consistency personified for the City captain. Didier Drogba will be disappointed not to have made the Final 11, but Tevez’s points per game, goals, and bonus points were all far superior. A whopping 32 BPs for Carlos and that shows just how vital he was to City’s superb FA Cup title and 3rd place finish. Wayne Rooney had a patch of games where he excelled, as did Darren Bent and a few other high priced strikers (Luis Suarez to end the season, for example) worth mentioning, but Tevez was THE MAN.
Subs: GK- Begovic F – Odemwingie (Carroll just misses out) D – Djourou and Zabaleta
Not a bad Fantasy Premier League roster, that. There you have it. The 2010-2011 Fantasy Premier League Best Eleven.
Related posts:
What about Fernando Torres?
I think Carrol did much more than Odemwingie, much more.
Nolan instead of Barton…
where is javier hernandez and nemanja vidic
Great selection. I thought Dempsey deserves a mention as well, 12 goals from midfield for an initial 7mil midfielder is a decent return, though he did go through some lean patches.
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Good selection! What do you think of ours? http://www.equipio.com/blog/equipios-team-season