Scout Scribbles – International Round Up

Kevin de Bruyne guides Belgium to victory with a goal and assist against Bosnia. Eden Hazard and Marouane Fellaini also find the net for the Red Devils. Graziano Pelle and Gylfi Sigurdsson clinch wins for Italy and Iceland, whilst Tottenham new boy Son Heung-min scores three times as South Korea hammer rank outsiders Laos.

Son Bags hat-trick

Son Heung-min struck three times as South Korea pummelled minnows Laos (FIFA ranking: 174) in an 8-0 victory. Tottenham Hotspur’s big-money signing hopes that yesterday’s showing will afford him a confidence boost ahead of a potential league debut next Gameweek:

“Even against underdogs like Laos, it’s never easy to score even one goal. I am happy I helped the team win. It’s good to build my confidence back up before joining Spurs.”

The Scout Says: Considering that Tottenham are sitting on just three points after four matches – with only three goals to their name – Son has a great chance of being inserted into their starting XI for a trip to Sunderland. The north London club have fashioned their fair share of shooting opportunities – ranking joint-first for big chances (nine) and fourth for shots on target (23) – yet lack that clinical touch in the final third. Classified as a forward in the Fantasy Premier League, Son (8.0) proved to be a lethal finisher in the previous campaign – tallying 17 in all competitions – and could serve as the perfect foil to Harry Kane, though given that he’s likely to be fielded in the attacking midfield three slots, his domestic appeal looks limited.

Saints Duo in the Goals

Italy edged past Malta 1-0 in their Euro 2016 qualifier courtesy of a close-range header from Southampton frontman Graziano Pelle. Elsewhere in the Saints camp, centre-half Maya Yoshida rifled home his fifth goal for Japan in a 3-0 win over Cambodia, executing a driven 20-yard strike to double the hosts’ advantage in the first half.

The Scout Says: Over 110,000 Fantasy managers shipped out Pelle prior to the last two Gameweeks, yet his remaining 12.6% ownership will be quietly confident in their decision to retain the Italian’s services. Pelle rewarded their patience with a nine-point haul (one goal and assist) in the 3-0 win over Norwich and looks to be building some momentum ahead of a road tie against West Bromwich Albion. Yoshida, meanwhile, has started all four Gameweeks so far for the St Mary’s side and helped them register back-to-back clean sheets in the last couple of fixtures. Despite having seen off the competition from Steven Caulker, it seems likely that new signing Virgil van Dijk (5.5) will displace the Japan international from the starting line-up sooner rather than later. The £13 million centre-back amassed a staggering 10 goals in 58 appearances last term, displaying an aerial and free-kick prowess that makes him an exciting Fantasy prospect. Van Dijk is expected to partner Jose Fonte in the back-four, though Yoshida could remain in the picture if Koeman opts for the three-man backline he rolled out at Watford in Gameweek 3.

Fellaini Sparks Comeback

Following Edin Dzeko’s headed goal, Marouane Fellaini restored parity just eight minutes later as Belgium went on to record a 3-1 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Scout Says: Having served out his three-match domestic suspension, Fellaini was afforded a 14-minute cameo against Swansea City last Gameweek. Ander Herrera was given the nod in the number ten berth at the Liberty though it remains to be seen if he’ll remain ahead of Fellaini next time out now that the Belgian is closer to peak fitness – manager Louis van Gaal previously revealed that he prefers a second striker in “the hole”, asserting that Herrera is more suited to a deep-lying midfield role. The arrival of new boy Anthony Martial increases Van Gaal’s dilemma, though. Much depends on whether the United boss feels the youngster is ready to start – having admitted the new signing needs time to settle – but the Frenchman’s introduction would surely mean bench-warming duties for Fellaini, with either Wayne Rooney or Juan Mata fielded in the central support berth, depending on where Martial is utilised.

Sigurdsson Spot-Kick Seals it for Iceland

Gylfi Sigurdsson converted from the penalty spot to steer Iceland to a shock 1-0 victory over a floundering Netherlands outfit.

The Scout Says: The prime route into the Swans’ midfield last term, Sigurdsson (one assist) has been surpassed by new recruit Andre Ayew (three goals and one assist) in these early stages, with the latter coming in 0.2 cheaper than the Icelandic talisman. Nonetheless, Sigurdsson’s underlying stats suggest that further attacking returns are right around the corner – he ranks joint-fourth for goal attempts (13) among all midfielders this season and has also produced eight key passes. Ultimately, though, the fact that Ayew boasts six more shots inside the box (10) than Sigurdsson (four) and has totted up nearly double the volume of penalty-box touches (17 compared to nine) illustrates his superior goal threat at present, rendering him a stronger pick at that price bracket.

De Bruyne Sparkles in Belgium Victory

Kevin de Bruyne gave Fantasy managers food for thought with a goal and assist in his latest run-out for Belgium.

The Scout Says: Weighing in at 10.0, De Bruyne returns to the Premier League as the fourth-priciest midfielder, just 0.2 below teammate David Silva (10.2). The former Chelsea player faces a tough task trying to match the supreme attacking potential of Silva this term; yet as the most prolific assist-maker (21) across the top five European leagues in the previous campaign, De Bruyne certainly harbours the potential to be a big-hitter. Those Fantasy managers already in possession of Sky Blues midfielders will be content with their acquisition at present, but there’s certainly scope for De Bruyne to showcase his talents during an excellent quintet of upcoming fixtures (cry, WHU, tot, NEW, BOU), presenting us with a very viable route into Man City’s flourishing attack. 

Hazard Opens Account for Season

Eden Hazard ensured that Belgium claimed all three points in their Euro 2016 qualifier with a penalty 12 minutes from time.

The Scout Says: Priced at 11.5 from the outset, Hazard has failed to justify his hefty valuation over the opening four Gameweeks. Consequently, over 450,000 managers cashed in on the 2014/15 PFA Player of the Year leading up to Gameweek 4, leaving him at a relatively modest 36% ownership. That’s hardly surprising given that Hazard has notched just four shots at goal in as many starts, which is on par with the deep-lying Nemanja Matic and three fewer than Pedro – who’s only been at the club for two weeks. On a more positive note, the Chelsea wide man places third among the league’s full roster of midfielders for key passes (13), yet he may struggle to exert that same influence as the Blues embark on a testing pair of fixtures (eve, ARS) after the international break. Another blank at Goodison and the exodus is bound to pick up, particularly with the likes of league leaders Man City furnishing us with so many strong premium midfield options ahead of their kind schedule.