Season Predictions 2012/13 – View From The Scouts

Over the last week or so the Fantasy Football Scout fold have been sharing our innermost thoughts with regards to some of the most “Burning Questions” ahead of the new campaign. To accompany our views there, here’s our annual quick-fire round of predictions, where we let you know the players each of us are tipping to shine in a new season…

As our entry from last year will show you we’re prone to making the odd mistake (or seven). Steve Kean, eh? Who would have thought he would still be in a job. Even after he got Blackburn relegated, as half of us rightly predicted.

Here follows our thoughts on the year ahead. Soak it in and then join the discussion and offer your thoughts and counter-comments down below.

Andy, that’s my good self, kicks things off for 2012/13 with what is no doubt a bit of a fancy for one player in particular. And it’s not even Gylfi Sigurdsson. This is almost partisan from our resident all-rounder.

The Premier League

Top Five (1-5): Man City, Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham
Bottom Four (17-20): Norwich, QPR, Wigan, Reading
This year’s Overachievers: Aston Villa
This Year’s Underachievers: Fulham
Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero
Most Assists: Seb Larsson
Team with Most Clean Sheets: Man United
Most Yellow Cards: Samba Diakite
First Boss to Bite the Bullet: Mark Hughes
Worst Signing: Marcus Rosenburg

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Top Points Scorers

Overall Top Points Scorer: Sergio Aguero
Top Bonus Point Darling: Sergio Aguero
Best Differential: Robert Snodgrass
Top Scoring Budget Goalkeeper (5.0 and under): Mark Schwarzer
Top Scoring Budget Defender (5.0 and under): Ryan Shawcross
Top Scoring Budget Midfielder (6.5 and under): Seb Larsson
Top Scoring Budget Forward (6.5 and under): Danny Graham

Second out of the traps is Big Dunc. One of two Everton fans on the Scout payroll our resident toffee can’t help but get a little bit excited at the prospects of his club. Is he mad? We’ll find out by May.

The Premier League

Top Five (1-5): Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton
Bottom Four (17-20): Fulham, Wigan, Reading, Southampton
This year’s Overachievers: Aston Villa
This Year’s Underachievers: Fulham
Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero
Most Assists: David Silva
Team with Most Clean Sheets: Man City
Most Yellow Cards: Lucas Leiva
First Boss to Bite the Bullet: Martin Jol
Worst Signing: Hugo Rodallega

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Top Points Scorers

Overall Top Points Scorer: Sergio Aguero
Top Bonus Point Darling: Sergio Aguero
Best Differential: Charles N’Zogbia
Top Scoring Budget Goalkeeper (5.0 and under): Shay Given
Top Scoring Budget Defender (5.0 and under): Fabio Da Silva
Top Scoring Budget Midfielder (6.5 and under): Steven Pienaar
Top Scoring Budget Forward (6.5 and under): Danny Graham

Having signed mid-way through last Stilicho gets his first Scout attempt to show everyone just how prophetic he is. His opinions on Norwich pretty much separate this gent from everyone else involved so he’s either a mad heretic or the one we should all be looking to in the future.

The Premier League

Top Five (1-5): United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs
Bottom Four (17-20): Southampton, Swansea, West Ham, Reading
This year’s Overachievers: Norwich
This Year’s Underachievers: Swansea
Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero
Most Assists: Antonio Valencia
Team with Most Clean Sheets: City
Most Yellow Cards: Samba Diakite
First Boss to Bite the Bullet: Michael Laudrup
Worst Signing: Fabio Borini

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Top Points Scorers

Overall Top Points Scorer: Gareth Bale
Top Bonus Point Darling: Sergio Aguero
Best Differential: —–
Top Scoring Budget Goalkeeper (5.0 and under): Simon Mignolet
Top Scoring Budget Defender (5.0 and under): Steven Taylor
Top Scoring Budget Midfielder (6.5 and under): Steven Pienaar
Top Scoring Budget Forward (6.5 and under): Danny Graham

Granville gets a weekly platform on the Scoutcast to discuss and debate with Mark on all things Fantasy Football related. In this post he has, perhaps unsurprisingly, decided to pick some answers from the red side of Manchester. What’s more surprising is that we can see some light blue too.

The Premier League

Top five (1-5): Man United, Man City, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea
Bottom four (17-20): Wigan, Southampton, Norwich, Stoke
This year’s Overachievers: Aston Villa
This Year’s Underachievers: Stoke
Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero
Most Assists: Shinji Kagawa
Team with Most Clean Sheets: Man City
Most Yellow Cards: Samba Diakite
First Boss to Bite the Bullet: Sam Allardyce
Worst Signing: Fabio Borini

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Top Points Scorers

Overall Top Points Scorer: Sergio Aguero
Top Bonus Point Darling: Wayne Rooney
Best Differential: Jan Vertonghen
Top Scoring Budget Goalkeeper (5.0 and under): Adam Federici
Top Scoring Budget Defender (5.0 and under): Liam Ridgewell
Top Scoring Budget Midfielder (6.5 and under): Stephen Pienaar
Top Scoring Budget Forward (6.5 and under): Djibril Cisse

Also having his first dabble at infamy is Jonty. With no Premier League allegiances for this Brighton fan, his picks can come untainted by any frivolous behaviour. He wisely agreed with me about a certain West Brom player.

The Premier League

Top Five (1-5): Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool
Bottom Four (17-20): West Brom, Reading, Norwich, Southampton
This year’s Overachievers: Sunderland
This Year’s Underachievers: Spurs
Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero
Most Assists: Juan Mata
Team with Most Clean Sheets: Man City
Most Yellow Cards: Cheikh Tiote
First Boss to Bite the Bullet: Steve Clarke
Worst Signing: Marcus Rosenberg

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Top Points Scorers

Overall Top Points Scorer: Sergio Aguero
Top Bonus Point Darling: Wayne Rooney
Best Differential: Charles N’Zogbia
Top Scoring Budget Goalkeeper (5.0 and under): Jussi Jaaskelainen
Top Scoring Budget Defender (5.0 and under): Steven Taylor
Top Scoring Budget Midfielder (6.5 and under): Steven Pienaar
Top Scoring Budget Forward (6.5 and under): Danny Graham

Anorak may be our resident specialist when it comes to the men in black but he also likes to think he can be a dab hand at Fantasy football too. As far as top goalscorer predictions, he marks himself out as the black sheep of the Scout fraternity by being the only one not to tow the party line.

The Premier League

Top five (1-5): City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs
Bottom four (17-20): Wigan, Southampton, Norwich, Reading
This year’s Overachievers: West Brom
This Year’s Underachievers: Sunderland
Top Goalscorer: Wayne Rooney
Most Assists: David Silva
Team with Most Clean Sheets: City
Most Yellow Cards: Kevin Nolan
First Boss to Bite the Bullet: Chris Hughton
Worst Signing: Modibo Maiga

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Top Points Scorers

Overall Top Points Scorer: Wayne Rooney
Top Bonus Point Darling: Wayne Rooney
Best Differential: Gervinho
Top Scoring Budget Goalkeeper (5.0 and under): Ben Foster
Top Scoring Budget Defender (5.0 and under): Steven Taylor
Top Scoring Budget Midfielder (6.5 and under): Michu
Top Scoring Budget Forward (6.5 and under): Djibril Cisse

Having churned out more top quality articles than Anchor have butter, Paul is well versed on all things Premier League and as such we expect him to score 100% when we mark his results in May. Even if one of his answers is Emmerson Boyce, who are we to second guess?

The Premier League

Top five (1-5): City, United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs
Bottom four (17-20): Southampton, Norwich, West Brom, Reading
This year’s Overachievers: Villa
This Year’s Underachievers: West Brom
Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero
Most Assists: Santi Cazorla
Team with Most Clean Sheets: Man City
Most Yellow Cards: Cheick Tiote
First Boss to Bite the Bullet: Steve Clarke
Worst Signing: Oscar

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Top Points Scorers

Overall Top Points Scorer: Sergio Aguero
Top Bonus Point Darling: Sergio Aguero
Best Differential: Steven Gerrard
Top Scoring Budget Goalkeeper (5.0 and under): Simon Mignolet
Top Scoring Budget Defender (5.0 and under): Emmerson Boyce
Top Scoring Budget Midfielder (6.5 and under): Steven Pienaar
Top Scoring Budget Forward (6.5 and under): Djibril Cisse

Mark The guv’nor brings up the rear and clearly has a problem with Swansea’s prospects, whilst talking up that Southampton mob. Mark backed Grant Holt last season and, similarly, he’s going with Rickie Lambert to turn up with a similar goal spree. Oh, and he still fancies Leighton Baines. Must be the haircut or the record collection.

The Premier League

Top five (1-5): United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs
Bottom four (17-20): Southampton, Swansea, West Ham, Reading
This year’s Overachievers: Aston Villa
This Year’s Underachievers: Swansea
Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero
Most Assists: Juan Mata
Team with Most Clean Sheets: Man United
Most Yellow Cards: Cheick Tiote
First Boss to Bite the Bullet: Chris Hughton
Worst Signing: Oscar

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Top Points Scorers

Overall Top Points Scorer: Sergio Aguero
Top Bonus Point Darling: Sergio Aguero
Best Differential: Leighton Baines
Top Scoring Budget Goalkeeper (5.0 and under): Mark Schwarzer
Top Scoring Budget Defender (5.0 and under): Brede Hangeland
Top Scoring Budget Midfielder (6.5 and under): James McClean
Top Scoring Budget Forward (6.5 and under): Rickie Lambert