EPL, England, Europe, Leagues, Regions POSTS

Can Hart take the pain?

Published by Andrew Reilly on March 26, 2009

With no Premier League fixtures this weekend because of the international fixtures, fantasy football managers can take a big breath and relax for a while. Some may be turning their attention to the road to South Africa 2010 and cheering on their heroes but others may be taking the opportunity to review their selections and see if there are any changes that can be taken to propel them forward in the league.

One of the best buys in the January transfer window was Manchester City’s buy of Shay Given but whilst its been great to see Given continue his excellent form at a bigger club, what about Joe Hart? Hart, although young, made the City number one slot his own and was in and around the England squad for a spell. The unpredictable nature of City this season meant there was a risk of losing goals when picking Hart but at home, City had a great record. Hart was by no means the poorest points grabbing goalkeeper in the league but it is unlikely he will feature again this season. This means that if you still have Hart in your team or squad, it may be best to look elsewhere. An injury could always occur to Given to push the English youngster back into the spotlight but without that, the goalkeeping jersey at Eastland’s looks to belong to Shay Given for the foreseeable future.
Joe Hart
Whilst the thought of goalkeepers and foreseeable future is on the agenda, it is maybe worth noting that Brad Friedel had his red card against Liverpool overturned. This means the goalkeeper is available for Villa when they travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on the 5th of April. Whether you want to stick with a goalkeeper up against a United team who need to return to winning ways is one thing but at least managers with Friedel in their line-up don’t need to alter their team unnecessarily.

Similarly, George McCartney of Sunderland was sent off in the Black Cats defeat against Manchester City but this too has been overturned. This allows McCartney to face West Ham United in the teams’ next league fixture and with Sunderland still desperate for points, this let off may inspire the player to give a performance that will keep his team away from danger. These rescindments ensure that the pain of having a player sent off is not compounded by them missing games so at least there is some bonus to teams and fantasy football players although the damage has already been done.

In addition to players being able to avoid suspensions, some top names are returning from injury with Tottenhams Alan Hutton being a name some managers wish to add to their squad. In recent weeks Hutton has sown a lot of fight but unfortunately this came from an altercation with his father in a busy street so it would possibly be wise for the Scottish defender to channel his emotions and aggression on the football park. If he can get forward in attack like he did in Scotland, Hutton may be worth a few assists but many managers may be wary of the points he will cost with booking and suspensions through reckless challenging and an inability to keep his mouth shut. Hutton is likely to feature at some point in the international break for Scotland so should have some level of match fitness before the Premier League resumes.

** Photo courtesy of Rude & Reckless**

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