In recent weeks, Sports Mole has compared its fantasy football advice to the work that David Moyes has done at Manchester United. Worryingly, while United have won their last two Premier League matches, we are still struggling!
Last weekend the players that we told you to pick were not in the best of form. Neither Adnan Januzaj nor Darren Bent troubled the scorers or claimed an assist, while Norwich City defender Sebastien Bassong conceded a penalty against Stoke City.
Our players to avoid selection brought with it some solace, but we're saving points rather than gaining them right now.
Nevertheless, with a full programme of fixtures this weekend after League Cup and FA Cup action, we're confident of clawing back some respectability. Below are three players that we expect to produce the goods and a further trio that could end up proving to be costly investments.
Who to pick
1. Romelu Lukaku: Since suffering an ankle injury during the Merseyside derby, Everton's Belgian striker has scored two goals in as many outings. It means that he will go into the weekend's match with struggling Cardiff City at Goodison Park full of confidence. The visiting Bluebirds have shipped 50 goals this season, so it would not be a surprise if Lukaku were able to add to his tally of 11 this term.
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2. Jay Rodriguez: After his international debut with England in November, which perhaps didn't go to plan, Rodriguez has gone from strength to strength in a Southampton shirt. Last time out against Crystal Palace he showed great pace and bravery to score, while his movement was a constant threat to the opposition. On Saturday, the Saints play host to a Norwich side that may have only shipped 12 goals at home, but on the road it's been a different story. Chris Hughton's team have let in 32 goals away from Carrow Road and with Rodriguez in good form, he could well add to their travel woes.
3. James Collins: If West Ham United could score goals on a regular basis, they would be much higher than 10th. After all, the Hammers have kept 13 clean sheets this season, which is the same number as leaders Chelsea. A large reason behind that statistic has been the form of Collins, who has produced a number of positive performances for the East Londoners. He will come up against a Stoke City attack this weekend that has scored just 29 goals this season - only four teams have converted fewer chances. Peter Crouch is likely to lead the home side's attack and the England international is the type of physical player that rarely troubles Collins.
Who to avoid
1. Edin Dzeko: At the turn of the year, Manchester City's Bosnian international was in a rich run of form. However, he has not scored since the end of January against Tottenham Hotspur - a game in which he also missed a host of opportunities. Numerous chances have come and gone since then, which came to a head on Sunday as he failed to bury a number of openings against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup. In such form, he could well be lucky to even start against Hull City.
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2. Martin Demichelis: Meanwhile, up the other end as far as Man City are concerned, Demichelis is fast becoming a figure of fun among other clubs. Far be it from us to tell Manuel Pellegrini how to do his job, but his consistent selection of the Argentine is baffling. The 33-year-old has a distinct lack of pace that every side City come up against now look to exploit. While he could well handle the physicality of Nikica Jelavic, the speed of Shane Long is likely to cause problems. Bookings and perhaps the conceding of a penalty are a real possibility.
3. Ron Vlaar: For reasons largely unknown, Aston Villa have struggled to win matches at Villa Park this season. Defensively they have not been good enough, having kept just two clean sheets in 14 outings in front of their own supporters this term. What's more, they have won just four of those encounters. Next up for skipper Vlaar's side is a home clash with Chelsea, who appear to be hitting top form at just the right time. In years gone by trips to Villa have often been viewed as difficult, but it would be a major shock if the Blues do not pick up a relatively comfortable three points this time around.
Liam Apicella
