With 10 weeks of the season done and dusted, I once again look at my overall rank and realize I’m not the brightest at this game. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s to never spend more than 8.5 on goalkeepers before the January transfer window again.
Over the course of a season, goalkeepers who play full minutes will typically wind up with fewer than 25 points separating them, as was the case last season. There really is little to be gained in getting better keepers, particularly early in the season. This research aims to show how investing in a 4.5 keeper and his 4.0 deputy from the same team can still offer strong points potential and free up cash for more explosive assets in outfield positions.
Here are the top 8.5 goalkeeper combinations.
Ben Foster and Boaz Myhill
Team: West Brom
Total Points: 37
Ten games in and my gambit on the 8.5 combination of West Brom’s number one and two stoppers Ben Foster and Boaz Myhill has worked ridiculously well.
The points tally for my budget combination shows its potency. Foster and Myhill are currently tied fourth in goalkeeper scoring with Manchester City’s Joe Hart. And the Foster-Myhill axis is just eight points behind the top-placed keeper, Southampton’s Frazer Forster.
The combination also stacks up well against those opting for a more expensive rotating combination of Foster and another 4.5 goalkeeper. Arguably those favouring this rotating option would have missed out on Foster’s surprise away clean sheet points against Southampton and Tottenham.
Tom Heaton and Matt Gilks
Team: Burnley
Total Points: 33
So far Gilks has not been called into action, with all 33 points from this combination coming from Heaton. He is another who has benefited from a shaky defence, gaining eight points from his 32 saves so far this season. But early on he also earned surprise clean sheets. Of his three shut-outs, one was against Manchester United and another was against Crystal Palace away. With a kind run of games from Gameweek 11 there is every chance further clean sheet points could be forthcoming.
Rob Green and Alex McCarthy
Team: QPR
Total Points: 32
Another factor in the argument for a cheap goalkeeping combination is that cheaper keepers tend to be in front of weaker defences and are called on to make more saves. Rob Green (4.5), for example, sits on 30 points. He has gained just eight points from clean sheets, but an impressive 10 from saves. A combination of Green and his deputy Alex McCarthy (4.0) is another worth considering.
Tim Krul and Rob Elliot
Team: Newcastle
Total Points: 31
Newcastle are another team with a good run of fixtures after the international break in November. After a tricky start Newcastle’s defence has settled down offering strong clean sheet potential for Krul and his deputy Elliot, who has yet to be called in Premier League action this season. So far Newcastle have three clean sheets, including one against Liverpool in Gameweek 10. What lets this combination down, though, is save points compared to shakier defences. Krul has managed five save points so far, but with just 22 stops, is far behind the likes of Green.
Conclusion
The benefits of the 8.5 combination are:
- No rotation angst trying to decide which keeper to start
- You get all the away clean sheets and surprise clean sheets against good teams you would otherwise miss if rotating home-away and/or based on fixtures
- No injury angst as if your starting keeper is injured, the backup steps in seamlessly (instead of having a non-playing 4.0 from another team, for example)
- More money in the bank for the rest of your team
- Most likely, at least average points from your goalkeepers compared to other goalkeepers’ points
- No wasting transfers on keepers until the January wildcard.
The pitfalls of the 8.5m combination are:
- It is worth pointing out there is a risk that both the starting goalkeeper and his deputy will be injured (as in Hull this season and Southampton last season). This is rare but a risk to consider.
- The potency of a cheap goalkeeping pair compared to heavy-hitting stoppers can change markedly in the second half of the season. This tactic is best utilised before the January transfer window. Later in the season top teams tend to get more clean sheets. Plus missing and double Gameweeks come into play and it is advisable to have two playing keepers from different teams to take advantage.
9 years, 6 months agoHope you don't mind my bit of editing jiggery pokery.
Really good article. Those with a 8.5m combo can feel justifiably smug after reading this. I've oddly ended up with Krul and Gilks (long story involving DDG early on) so am halfway there. 😉