The Scout Squad – Gameweek 12

As the dust settles on a long international break, we take some time this afternoon to continue our Gameweek 12 preparations with a look at the names in the frame for Friday’s Scout Picks.

This article aims to give a greater insight into the decision-making process behind our selection, as Mark, Paul and I list the 18 players we think have the best chance of success across the four positions, listed them in rank order.

The discussions and disagreements that will take place behind the scenes are then showcased as each of us looks to back our players for a place in the Scout Picks, as well as our Spot the Differential articles.

Finally, we will also reveal the Community Champion who has been selected by our lottery to represent the community and be in with a chance of winning a £100 Amazon voucher.

Goalkeepers

Mark and Paul are heavily backing a Stoke City clean sheet at home to Bournemouth this week, with 2.5% owned Lee Grant (4.1) their top choice.

With the Cherries in the bottom six teams for away goal attempts, they certainly have underlying statistics on their side. But with just one clean sheet and ten goals shipped in front of their own fans, I’m less convinced by the Potters’ resilience. In addition, regular stopper Jack Butland has returned to training and has an outside chance of ousting his deputy.

Instead, I’m backing West Brom’s 14.9% owned Ben Foster (4.7) to be the Gameweek’s top stopper when Burnley visit on Monday.

While the Baggies have also only kept one clean sheet at home, the Clarets are truly abysmal on their travels, scoring just once and having the worst away goal attempt tally by some distance. On the road, Sean Dyche’s troops have fired off just 26 shots, 18 less than the next worse side Hull City. Paul has also spotted these statistics, listing the former England stopper second on his list.

“It’s got to be Grant for me. I don’t see Butland making an immediate return and, while I like West Brom for a shut-out, I feel that their defenders is the route to take – particulary with their goal threat from set-pieces” – Mark

The Tigers poor away attack has also caught our attention ahead of their trip to Sunderland, with Jordan Pickford (4.1) featuring in all three selections. He looks unlikely to make the final cut, though, with no clean sheets this season and save points perhaps hard to come by against such travel-sick opponents.

With just one clean sheet in the last four Gameweeks, Spurs’ stock has taken a dent recently. I think that will change when a West Ham side with the joint lowest goal tally over that same period visit this weekend. With four clean sheets in nine starts, I’m backing Hugo Lloris (5.5) to reward the 7% of FPL managers who own him.

Meanwhile, Mark has nominated Everton’s Marteen Stekelenburg (5.1) ahead of Swansea City’s visit to Goodison Park, despite boasting just a single clean sheet at home. The Welsh side will be no pushovers, either, having scored in all but one of their five away games.

Defenders

West Brom’s strong clean sheet potential against Burnley has also inspired our defender selections.

All three of us endorse Gareth McAuley (4.7), with the hope of attacking returns a major factor. The Northern Irishman, who is the fourth most owned defender in FPL, is among six defenders to score twice already this season.

My confidence in the West Brom defence is so strong, I’ve opted for a second candidate. Chris Brunt (4.9) has already marked his return from injury with some impressive attacking statistics. Over his two substitute appearances and two starts since Gameweek 8, he has notched the second highest amount of crosses of any defender and has also had three goal attempts.

For the fourth week running I’m backing returns from Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso (6.0). Despite earning 33 FPL points over that time he has surprisingly failed to make the cut for the Scout Picks. That looks about to change for this weekend’s trip to Middlesbrough, with Mark belatedly joining the Alonso party and Paul handing him a recall to his selection.

Alonso’s attacking threat is now proven having already notched a goal and an assist since breaking into starting line-up; a clean sheet could also be on the cards at Middlesbrough. The Spaniard has been part of a Chelsea defence that’s kept five successive shut-outs, while Boro have scored just ten goals in 11 outings and only Hull City have registered fewer goal attempts.

Elsewhere, Danny Rose (5.9) has unanimously earned the nod over Kyle Walker (6.1) as our Spurs defender of choice. The price difference is a factor, as is his superior goal threat with Rose topping the goal attempt tally for defenders over the last four Gameweeks; he also betters Walker in terms of chances created during the same spell.

Despite Swansea City’s knack of scoring away from home, all three of us have selected an Everton defender within our five-man selection. Having already notched a Premier League goal, Mark and I have covered a lack of clean sheets by opting for the attacking promise offered by Seamus Coleman (5.5), while Paul has opted for Ashley Williams (5.1).

Further down our selections, Mark’s nomination of Sunderland’s forward-thinking defender Patrick Van Aanholt (5.0) presents us with a potential candidate for Friday’s Spot the Differential article. Like McAuley, the 4.1% owned Black Cats player has also scored twice this term.

“We always go calling for Van Aanholt when the fixture list smiles on Sunderland and I see no reason to overlook him against Hull City. Sunderland’s performance at Bournemouth was hugely encouraging and I think the Stadium of Light faithful will be pushing them forward. The Dutchman may well concede but the promise of attacking returns makes him a worth gamble” – Mark

Paul’s selection of Ryan Shawcross again considers goal threat as a factor – the Potters defender has come close to finding the back of the net, registering ten goal attempts so far in the campaign.

Midfielders

Crystal Palace have yet to keep a clean sheet this season and have conceded eight goals over five Selhurst Park encounters. It is, therefore, no surprise to see Paul and I backing Kevin De Bruyne (10.8) to be the week’s highest scoring midfielder.

The 10.3% owned Belgian has delivered attacking returns in every one of his away league matches this season to strengthen our case for his inclusion.

“I just can’t go for De Bruyne and Aguero in the same Picks XI. Clearly, there’s merit in the Belgian, but I think we have to go with the striker and see how our budget falls – for me and for a lot of FPL managers, De Bruyne is a stretch too far”. – Mark

Eden Hazard (10.1) earns the nod from all three of us, with top billing from Mark, despite concerns around his fitness after limping off during Belgium’s victory over Estonia at the weekend.

We remain optimistic that he will recover in time for Chelsea’s trip to Teesside to add to the 49 points accrued over the last four Gameweeks.

In our recent analysis of the Hall of Fame top ten’s template XI it emerged that the majority owned both Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino.

Mark and Paul are following suit in backing the 8.7 priced Liverpool duo, particularly as it emerged this week that Liverpool had chartered a private plane to get the Brazilians back from international duty in good time for the Reds’ trip to Southampton.

I’ve selected Coutinho but shunned the Liverpool double-up to make room for a Spurs midfielder for their West Ham clash.

While Christian Eriksen (8.1) was sent home from the Danish squad with a suspected hip problem, I think the 4.7% owned schemer – who has now been passed fit – could be a shrewd differential.

No player has had more goal attempts than Eriksen over the last four Gameweeks without finding the net. His first league goal of the season is, as they say, surely imminent.

Both Mark and I include West Brom’s Nacer Chadli (6.4) as a budget-friendly selection. However, the Belgian endured minor surgery over the international break and today’s press conference from Tony Pulis continued to cast doubt on his availability for Monday’s clash with Burnley.

If Chadli is fit, he looks a shoo-in, having scored or assisted three-quarters of the Baggies’ league goals this season but, with fitness doubts remaining, he seems unlikely to make Friday’s Scout Picks cut.

Hull City’s Robert Snodgrass (5.5) is another player renowned for his goal involvement at his respective club. Paul is making a case for his inclusion ahead of a trip to the Stadium of Light.

The 3.7% owned Scotland international has been instrumental in half of the Tiger’s league goals. He also returned from an injury lay-off in fine form last Gameweek, scoring and assisting at home to Southampton. Paul’s lobbying is further strengthened by the Black Cats’ lack of clean sheets over the campaign.

“Robert Snodgrass is my budget midfielder of choice this week. With Abel Hernandez ruled out, the Hull playmaker is likely to be on penalties away to Sunderland’s dire defence. Admittedly, I’d have gone for Nacer Chadli if he was definitely fit but there’s enough doubt to opt for his team-mate Salomon Rondon at home to Burnley on Monday evening instead.” – Paul

Mark has handed us a further thrifty option in Yannick Bolasie (6.1), who welcomes Swansea in confident mood, having delivered attacking returns in three of the last four Gameweeks.

Forwards

Romelu Lukaku (9.8) and Sergio Aguero (13.1) look the stand out options and take the top two spots in all three of our selections.

While Mark and I favour the 34.3% owned Everton forward to prosper for Swansea’s visit, Paul marginally prefers the City striker for his visit to Palace. But both look destined for Friday’s Picks.

The Swans have shipped nine goals in their last four matches, while Lukaku has scored in all but one of his league games at Goodison Park.

Meanwhile, Aguero has three goals in his last two Gameweeks and, with limited minutes while on international duty for Argentina this week, looks assured of a start despite City’s UEFA Champions League date in midweek.

“Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero are my number one picks for midfield and up front as City make their way to Palace. Like Snodgrass, they face a defence that have yet to keep a clean sheet this season – that’s reason enough to elevate them ahead of Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku in my list.” – Paul

Harry Kane (10.7) and Jermain Defoe (7.3) are set to compete for a third striker spot in the Scout Picks XI, having been earned nominations in all three squads.

With a far cheaper price tag, the Sunderland striker looks the likeliest to earn inclusion: Hull’s concession of 13 goals on their travels further strengthen Defoe’s case.

Kane’s lack of match fitness, which was a key reason he was sent home early from England international duty, is another slight concern.

Each of us has included a different budget-friendly forward for our final pick.

Mark favours the form of Southampton’s 14.9% owned Charlie Austin (6.8), who has five league goals and hosts a Liverpool side looking for its first away clean sheet.

Paul is continuing the Scout Squad love affair with West Brom by including the 4.5% owned Solomon Rondon (6.5) against a Burnley side that has conceded nine goals in their four away games.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended and Wayne Rooney an injury doubt, I’ve taken the opportunity to put forward  7.2% owned Marcus Rashford (6.8) as a differential when Manchester United host Arsenal.

A start as the Red Devils’ most central forward looks a strong possibility for the England starlet, who scored a brace against the Gunners on their last Old Trafford visit.

Community Champion

Representing the Community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek will be Ziro, who is in his eighth season, with last season’s finish of 20,349 his best to date.

The community champion who has the best lead over the Scouts during 2016/17 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).

Last Gameweek’s champion Ronhaars lost out to the Scouts 70 to 63. The current frontrunner is VS10_, who had a 32-point margin of victory over us in Gameweek 6