Funny Feeling Friday: Bryan Ruiz

The Costa Rica star has yet to find form at Fulham

Fulham were scoreless last weekend at Swansea – losing 2-0 to the newly promoted side, and have just been knocked out of the Europa League in midweek. Not the best of times…

The lack of goalscoring form is clear, and despite weapons like Dempsey and Zamora, Fulham have yet to produce a superb attacking game in the Premier League since their home victory over QPR a few months ago. But that won’t stop us from selecting 6.0M rated striker Bryan Ruiz as our Funny Feeling Friday selection this weekend as Fulham take on Bolton at home.

First, as usual, the bad news: Ruiz has just 1 goal and 0 assists in 400 minutes of league football for Fulham. Fulham have only scored 1 goal in each of their last 3 home games. Yup. 3 goals in 3 games. Certainly not prolific. And furthermore, strikers like Yakubu, Fletcher, Klasnic, and Morison have proved more reliable than Ruiz over the course of the season in a similar 6M or so price range.

But what about the good news? Though Ruiz hasn’t scored, he has started Fulham’s last 2 league matches and played all 90 minutes in both. The playing time is certainly there… It took 4 months as Ruiz had not completed 90 minutes in a game for Fulham until just 10 days ago, but now he’s done it two times in a  row. Can he turn those minutes into shots on target and goals? I think so: Ruiz came close to grabbing an equalizer for Fulham at Swansea but was denied by the superb Vorm.

The former Twente man was lively and more impressive than Andy Johnson and Dembele last weekend. Lastly, the 26 year old scored 35 goals in 65 appearances in Holland, so you know once he gets one or two, a streak could be on the cards…

Ruiz is owned by virtually zero fantasy managers. 0.1%. He doesn’t have a fantasy bonus point to his name this season. But Fulham are at home to Bolton this weekend and I think they break their poor streak of just scoring 1 goal per game at Craven Cottage, and deliver a rare 2-3 goals against Owen Coyle’s strugglers. That could mean a goal or an assist for the nonexistent thus far Ruiz.

Is it Ruiz’s turn to shine? Let’s take a punt and say, “yes.” There it is, Bryan Ruiz, your shaggy haired, beanpole 6 ft 2, misfiring, barely playing but with massive potential Funny Feeling Friday. You heard it here first.

Good luck to all fantasy managers.

Related posts:

1. Funny Feeling Friday: Michael Turner
2. Funny Feeling Friday: Louis Saha
3. Funny Feeling Friday: Theo Walcott
4. Funny Feeling Friday: Andy Johnson
5. Funny Feeling Friday: Gabriel Agbonlahor