Saturday Dugout Discussion – Gameweek 1
Filed under: Dugout Discussion - Posted by: Akers
It’s back. The 2012/13 Premier League season kicks off to the delight of millions of fantasy managers around the world. We’ve agonised over our squad selection for weeks and weeks, but now is the time to see who we should have picked. There’s seven games on the bill today, six of which kick-off on the hour. Follow the action as it unfolds in our Dugout Discussion chatroom, which can be accessed right here.
All the team news has been released, so it’s moment of truth time for our predicted line-ups…
Arsenal XI: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Diaby, Arteta, Cazorla, Walcott, Gervinho, Podolski.
Sunderland XI: Mignolet, Gardner, Richardson, O’Shea, Cuellar, Larsson, McClean, Cattermole, Colback, Sessegnon, Campbell.
Alex Song is the glaring omission from Arsene Wenger’s side, with speculation about his future perhaps explaining his absence. Elsewhere there are league debuts for Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski.
Fulham XI: Schwarzer, Riise, Hangeland, Petric, Ruiz, Duff, Hughes, Diarra, Riether, Dembele, Kacaniklic.
Norwich XI: Ruddy, R. Martin, R. Bennett, Turner, Tierney, Johnson, Surman, Pilkington, Howson, Snodgrass, Holt.
Michael Turner and Robert Snodgrass make their debuts for the visitors at Craven Cottage, whilst the absence of Clint Dempsey for the home side puts the pressure on Bryan Ruiz and Mladen Petric to provide the goals up front.
QPR XI: Green, Fabio, Hill, Ferdinand, Onuoha, Hoilett, Park, Diakite, Mackie, Taarabt, Cisse.
Swansea XI: Vorm, Rangel, Williams, Chico, Taylor, Britton, De Guzman, Dyer, Routledge, Michu, Graham.
Ryan Nelsen does not start (we predicted he would), so Clint Hill gets the nod ahead of the Kiwi. As for the Swan’s, Michael Laudrup hands out debuts to a whole host of players, including the much-fancied Michu, who will play behind Danny Graham.
Reading XI: Federici, Gunter, Harte, Gorkss, Pearce, Guthrie, Leigertwood, McAnuff, Robson-Kanu, Le Fondre, Pogrebnyak.
Stoke XI: Begovic, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson, Kightly, Whelan, Whitehead, Etherington, Crouch, Walters.
Last year’s Championship winners, Reading, kick-off their double gameweek at home to Stoke, who can call upon the services of Robert Huth despite him being ill for most of the week.
West Brom XI: Foster, Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Mulumbu, Yacob, Morrison, Gera, Long, Odemwingie.
Liverpool XI: Reina, Johnson, Kelly, Agger, Skrtel, Lucas, Allen, Gerrard, Downing, Borini, Suarez.
Claudio Yacob, Joe Allen and Fabio Borini all make their first league starts for their respective clubs at the Hawthorns today. The visitors naming Martin Kelly ahead of Jose Enrique is the surprise here.
West Ham XI: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, McCartney, Diame, Noble, Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Cole.
Aston Villa XI: Given, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Baker, Holman, Delph, El Ahmadi, N’Zogbia, Ireland, Bent.
No major shocks in either line-up at Upton Park, as West Ham are welcomed back into the top division by the visit of Paul Lambert’s Aston Villa.
Then there’s a tasty evening clash at the Sports Direct Arena, with Andre Villas Boas taking charge of his first Premier League game with Tottenham Hotspur. Follow all the action as it unfolds in the Dugout Discussion chatroom, which can be accessed right here.
About The Author
“Richard or Akers, as he is known, has been regularly haunting this site since July 2008. He is young and foolish, take what he says with a pinch of salt.”
Akers @FFScout_Akers
2,944 Responses to “Saturday Dugout Discussion – Gameweek 1”
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Recent Comments
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF4pwTwOiBA » -
Hum there are 6 players equal in 4th place » -
Hah, no chance of Azpi getting near peno's for next season ;) Lamps, Haz and Luiz all off the pitch at the time. » -
It's a great game actually, players look really free to let the creativity flow and it's resulting in some fantastic… »
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Make that 5 »
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Who are the four smallest premier league players? »
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Azpi playing right wing, and taking the pen ahead of mata who earned it... all interesting stuff for new season. azpi… » -
Oscar goal! Ramires assist »
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yeah especially for you guys with that massive fixture pileup you had. darn :(. might've turned it on if you knew… » -
Hah, I'm not that mad, yet ;) »
“I love to attack and I love to go up front...It is a little more difficult than when you are playing centre-back. If you play the way that I want to play, I think my influence is better as a left-back. For the team, it is best that I play as a centre-back. I like to bring the ball out. You need to move the game quickly, and that is one of my qualities as well.”
Jan Vertonghen outlines what he feels is his best position for Andre Villas-Boas
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August 18 at 6:25 pm
Gr3g says:
I want to see penalty for Newcastle today
August 18 at 6:26 pm
freshy says:
QPR this years Wolves?
August 18 at 6:27 pm
Reinhold says:
Looking like it. dreadful at the back today. Weird that Swansea, the team that started last year basically never scoring at home, put five behind QPR at Loftus
August 18 at 6:46 pm
Pinturicchio says:
Weird unless you took into account Laudrup manages them now.
Still have no idea why everyone was so down on them.
August 18 at 7:56 pm
Gaz Downright says:
What do you mean *still*? Swansea was largely regarded as overachieving last year, therefore after losing the best manager their club has ever had, alongside with their two best players, it was pretty obvious.
All credit to the scout who said Mark Hughes will bite the bullet first. I assure you the Air Aisa owners started looking for a new manager just some hours ago.
August 18 at 6:31 pm
Specialist says:
Didn’t they lose 4-0 at home to Bolton last opening day? Far too early to speculate.
August 18 at 6:26 pm
Benimar says:
Is FISO crack the code working properly for anyone?
August 18 at 6:26 pm
fitzy says:
Nope but heres the simple way to calc rises while its not yet up. 1% of total players = x. Total numbers of transfers in minus total number of transfers out must be higher than x.
August 18 at 6:41 pm
Benimar says:
Good stuff. Thanks!
August 18 at 6:34 pm
Billy Gilmore - Nuevo Gerente del Betis says:
Yes it is for me.
August 18 at 6:27 pm
Chazza says:
I’m not knee-jerking with Michu + Petric, the only problem with my team is VDV- why isn’t he starting?
August 18 at 6:26 pm
beric says:
Yes! I might win ONE of my H2Hs this week
August 18 at 6:26 pm
beric says:
*two, we are playing in two different leagues, I think
August 18 at 6:27 pm
Chazza says:
Haha, it’s been pretty awful so far. At least you don’t have Michu and/or Petric either!
August 18 at 6:28 pm
beric says:
I have nothing
August 18 at 6:31 pm
Chazza says:
It’s alright mate, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Petric has poor fixtures to come and Graham will be involved in Swansea’s next 5 goals!
August 18 at 6:26 pm
Reinhold says:
Good reason to look at forums; a few of the Spurs ones predicted Sandro + Livermore pushing VDV out when away.
August 18 at 6:30 pm
Chazza says:
Does that mean VDV will start at home? That’d save me a transfer this week.
August 18 at 6:33 pm
Reinhold says:
Personally I think he will start the next, and the one after if he delivers something GW2.
August 18 at 6:31 pm
freshy says:
never been quality out wide
August 18 at 6:28 pm
freshy says:
Siggy
and he dosent get back
Watch to see if he comes in for Defoe at 70min
August 18 at 6:27 pm
Smurf says:
Anyone seen the reports recent reports about Man Utd. I will be gutted if this happens
August 18 at 6:30 pm
Yossi: The Jewish Iniesta-Real Sociedad. "Quotation is a servicable substitute for wit" - W Somerset Maugham says:
What?
August 18 at 6:30 pm
redunited says:
??
August 18 at 6:30 pm
romac6 says:
:O
August 18 at 6:33 pm
Smurf says:
http://www.espn.co.uk/football.....65651.html
August 18 at 6:39 pm
JohnOC91 says:
That is the LAST thing I need as an Everton fan.
August 18 at 6:28 pm
FiveStar says:
Chelsea DGW is gonna have to save me! Please get subbed on soon VDV
August 18 at 6:28 pm
JKisthe1 - The return of Los Colchenoros says:
so VdV and Siggy the way to go. Siggy nailed on, VdV likely to play at home. Pity I can’t afford Bale.
August 18 at 6:34 pm
pbthevet says:
Fabio to demel vdv to bale
Easy
August 18 at 6:31 pm
Chazza says:
Good thing I already have VDV, no-one will get him in now. The next 4 fixtures are easy- he’ll come good as long as he starts them!
August 18 at 6:32 pm
Specialist says:
The last part is the problem though.
August 18 at 6:34 pm
Chazza says:
Yeah, but apparently he’ll start at home. 3 of the next 4 are at home and the away fixture is easy- here’s hoping anyway.
August 18 at 6:32 pm
Maximerized-You'll Be Sorely Missed - Feel Free To Join These FPL Leagues @ 401-764 & 401-854. Contact Me For Deadzone Leagues. Indian Posters Join These Leagues- 401-53820 & 401-53838 says:
New Post
August 18 at 6:32 pm
Optimus says:
new post