The Manchester City star’s injury while on international duty has rocked many Fantasy managers’ plans. Coming on the back of a five-goal haul against Newcastle in Gameweek 8, the striker was set for a run as the default captaincy choice for a number of weeks. Now Fantasy managers are left attempting to fill the void. With this in mind we asked our team of contributors the Burning Question: how do we go about replacing Sergio Aguero?
Simon March (Fantasy Premier League 2014/15 Champion) says…
It’s fair to say there probably is no replacing Aguero. Who else can go from one goal in seven games to six goals in eight? No other forward in the league offers the same combination of top-quality service, overall involvement and individual ability that Aguero boasts.
That said, there are several big performers from previous seasons that are moving into a run of good fixtures, notably Diego Costa, Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku. With form and fixtures on his side, Southampton’s Graziano Pelle is, perhaps, the pick of the bunch at the moment.
However, the real opportunity that Aguero’s injury presents may not be in the forward line at all but, instead, in the upgrades that it might enable in midfield. The list of consistent budget forward options, most notably Jamie Vardy and Odion Ighalo, means our Aguero money will, perhaps, be most effectively spent on an extra heavy-hitter in midfield. Alexis Sanchez and Kevin De Bruyne, for example, are both bang in form and Eden Hazard is finally beginning to look dangerous ahead of a good run of fixtures.
The biggest hole that Aguero leaves is in his surety as a captaincy choice. I wouldn’t yet feel confident captaining any of the aforementioned forwards week in, week out whereas there are several good captaincy options among midfielders. Therefore, for me, the best way to replace Aguero will be to look for value up front combined with an extra heavy-hitter in midfield.
Jonty says….
Questions marks are all over so many strikers at the moment. Romelu Lukaku has a pair of tough fixtures, so too does Anthony Martial. Has Diego Costa got what it takes to turn around Chelsea’s fortunes? I’m not sure he can.
For me there is only one candidate to replace the Manchester City man who has form, fixtures and is also a viable captaincy candidate for Gameweek 9. That man is Graziano Pelle, who has home clashes with Leicester, Bournemouth and Stoke in his next six as well as a trip to Sunderland, who Southampton so fabulously humbled last year.
His form is fantastic too. Over the last four Gameweeks he has mustered 15 goal attempts, all in the box as well. Plus he has racked up three goals and three assists over that period – a great tally for those like me looking for a reliable captaincy option now Aguero is sidelined for a number of weeks.
Mark says…
Graziano Pelle is clearly the favoured route. While the Italian has proven a “streaky” asset based on his first season, his form and fixtures are strong enough for us to turn to him with some confidence that he’ll at least repay the mid-price fee involved.
Of course, as Simon rightly points out above, there is no real replacement for Aguero. The Argentine’s devastating 25-point Dear John letter underlines the fact that, aside from Alexis Sanchez, there is no single Fantasy asset who can match Aguero’s potential to explode points and provide a captain candidate who can truly transform a season, not just a Gameweek.
Again I have to agree with Simon – investment in midfield assets looks the way to go. This looks to be the ideal window to turn to a 3-5-2 setup. Having a full suite of big-hitters in midfield offers a wealth of candidates to compensate for the lack of the Aguero captaincy option.
So, having brought in Pelle this week, I’ve also used this opportunity to invest in Kevin de Bruyne to ensure that I have at least some cover of City’s attack.
Wilfried Bony was, of course, another route I could explored but, as I mentioned in this week’s ScoutCast, while I suspect he’ll step up and produce goals to maybe even surpass Pelle, I don’t want to be fidgeting and forced into another transfer the minute there’s a hint that Aguero is close to recovery. I want to have the option of retaining my Aguero replacement until I’m sure that the City man has fully recovered and moving through the gears.
Elsewhere, Romelu Lukaku was the other major temptation. From Gameweek 11, he and Everton embark on a run of fixtures that provide a steady platform for points but, of course, we’ve seen so often that we can hardly rely on Lukaku to stick to the formbook. It would be typical of him to provide points against United and Arsenal in his next two, only to embark on a run of blanks when the fixtures suggest otherwise.
For now, I’d endorse the obvious path to Pelle, with a view to reducing the frontline funds and exploring 3-5-2. That would open the way for a range of big-hitter midfield captaincies each Gameweek, until Aguero’s hamstring heals.
Paul says….
When the most expensive player in the game is ruled out for a month, you have to look at it as an opportunity to re-assess your squad. Aguero’s injury also comes just after Riyad Mahrez, the most popular player in the game, was benched for Leicester’s win at Norwich, as Claudio Ranieri lived up to his Tinkerman tendencies. Suddenly the Fantasy landscape could be changing and the substantial Aguero funds allows us to react quickly.
As we’ve mentioned above, it gives you a chance to look at both midfield and up front, assessing the form and fixtures of the main protagonists. I have to agree that Graziano Pelle looks the ideal striker in that respect, though this may now be the perfect time to draft in Romelu Lukaku ahead of Everton’s run from Gameweek 11 onwards.
If it’s just a short-term fix you are after, though, Wilfried Bony is surely in with a shout. In today’s press conference, Manuel Pellegrini admitted “I don’t think he will be back before one month”, which, if correct, means Aguero will miss the next four league matches, allowing the Ivorian to face Bournemouth, Norwich and Villa over that period.
This situation also comes at a time where, in the centre of the park, Alexis Sanchez and Kevin de Bruyne are justifying their big hitter status. The pair are firing on all cylinders and, crucially, offer viable captaincy alternatives in Aguero’s absence. Eden Hazard has now returned points in the last three and has the fixtures to continue delivering. Essentially, our choices are unlimited due to Aguero’s price tag.
Keeping the door open for an easy route back for Sergio is key, though, and loading up on too many premium midfielders could be obstructive. That promotes the appeal of players such as Sadio Mane (7.9) and Yaya Toure – now down to 8.6 – for our five-man midfields. Not only could their acquisition solve the Mahrez dilemma, their relatively friendly price tags make it easier to jump straight back onto the Aguero bandwagon once he’s restored to full fitness.
