Five changes to watch as RSL Fantasy returns | OneFootball

As RSL Fantasy resumes for Matchweek 14, changes over the course of the December break will have in impact on how managers make their selections.

New-look Al Shabab

Following the departure of head coach Vitor Pereira to take charge of English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, Al Shabab moved quickly to replace him with Turkish legend Fatih Terim for the remainder of the season.

The arrival of the 71-year-old ushers some tactical changes that RSL managers ought to pay attention to. Terim’s debut in charge of the Riyadh club came in Monday's King’s Cup quarter-final against Al Fayha, with Al Shabab emerging 2-1 winners to reach the last four.

Notably, Terim ditched his predecessor’s preferred formation of 3-5-2, opting for a 4-3-3 set-up. Winger Mohammed Al Thani (FW, 6.5M) was deployed at right-back, while Robert Renan (DF, 5.1M) moved from a left centre-back position to play at left-back, enhancing his potential for attacking returns.

Another beneficiary of the Terim shake-up was Haroune Camara (FW, 5.4M), who had hitherto played second fiddle up front to Abderrazak Hamdallah. The Saudi international started alongside Daniel Podence, either side of club captain Hamdallah.

Coming out on the losing end, though, is midfielder Majed Kanabah (MF, 4.5M) who had started each of Al Shabab’s past six RSL matches. Relegated to a substitute role in Terim’s first selection, perhaps it's time for his 7.7 percent owners to sell.

More minutes for Medran

Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq have had to abruptly wave goodbye to Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana, who was recalled by his parent club Al Nassr to finalise a big-money move to Ligue 1 side Rennes.

Fofana had started 11 of Al Ettifaq’s 13 RSL matches this season, returning a total of 30 points - third amongst the club’s midfielders. His departure opens the door for more involvement and higher returns for another important RSL Fantasy asset: Alvaro Medran (MF, 8.3M) is currently owned by a meagre 1.7% of managers, having started only seven matches this term.

With a midfield spot now opening, Medran could benefit from more starts to try to recapture the form that made him a key midfielder in the game last season. Playing for Al Taawoun at the time, Medran ended the 2023-24 season with 107 points from one goal and six assists. Any new owners are set to reap the rewards as he aims to better that goal-and-assist output.

New manager bounce

Al Shabab’s Terim was not the only new manager to be appointed over the course of the break. In fact, four clubs will go into Matchweek 14 with debut coaches at the helm, while Al Wehda’s Jose Daniel Carreno has been in charge for only one RSL match following his arrival at the start of December.

Bottom of the table, Al Fateh have recruited Jose Gomes from Egypt’s Zamalek, and the Portuguese will look to mount a great escape to prevent the relegation of the 2012-13 RSL winners.

An RSL veteran, Pedro Emanuel, was appointed as new Al Fayha boss having previously managed Al Nassr, Al Taawoun and Al Khaleej. The 49-year-old will be keen to lift the Al Majma’ah-based club out of the drop zone and into calmer waters.

Meanwhile, Damac have parted ways with long-serving manager Cosmin Contra and brought in Nuno Almeida, with the club sitting 10th in the table. With new managerial appointments come potential tactical shifts and the morale boost for players, which could well have an impact on results and RSL Fantasy returns.

Ney or Nay?

One of the most discussed topics over the course of the past few weeks has been the return from injury of Brazil legend Neymar; Al Hilal’s No.10 has barely featured in the RSL since his 2023 move from Paris Saint-Germain.

With the 32-year-old now back to fitness, the question running through the mind of Al Hilal boss Jorge Jesus will be whether to re-register Neymar in the squad. In order for the forward to be included, Al Hilal will have to vacate one of the eight foreigner spots in their ranks in keeping with the SPL regulations.

Kalidou Koulibaly and Renan Lodi have been touted as possible departures in case the decision was made to re-register Neymar, with implications for RSL Fantasy managers. Al Hilal have until the end of the registration window on January 30th to make the decision and, either way, it will be one closely watched by managers.

Haji at Al Riyadh

The loan deal seeing 17-year-old Talal Haji swap Al Ittihad for Al Riyadh could be one that unlocks the RSL Fantasy potential of one of the most exciting young talents in the country.

Haji (FW, 4.8M) amassed 32 points last season from five attacking returns as he played a bit-part role at Al Ittihad in the absence of injured Karim Benzema. This term, however, with Al Ittihad bolstering their ranks with Saleh Al Shehri and the return to form of club captain Benzema, Haji has found playing time difficult to come by, with his season debut yet to come.

Al Riyadh recognised therefore the opportunity and snatched the starlet on loan. In the capital, Haji will have to compete with Faiz Selemani (FW, 6.6M) and Mohamed Konate (FW, 5.7M) for minutes in attack, with the latter in a particularly vulnerable position having produced one goal and no assists in six starts.

And with his ownership currently standing at a lowly 0.2%, Haji could be an interesting differential prospect.