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The Technical Area – Pogba and Mkhitaryan

Successive 4-0 routs of West Ham United and Swansea City suggests the spirit of attacking football looks to have finally returned to Old Trafford.

Bolstered by the summer acquisitions of Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku, Manchester United’s attacking output has generated a huge amount of buzz within Fantasy circles.

Having written in the pre-season that the Red Devils were my top pick to improve their goalscoring numbers in 2017/18 (after underperforming their projected output by over 10 goals last term), my own projection system was bullish on their potential to produce early returns.

Yet even I didn’t expect the goals to flow so freely over the opening weeks. With the fixtures continuing to align in their favour (at least over the next five Gameweeks), the case for us to increase our investment in United’s attack is strong. Indeed, though many managers have coverage already in the form of Romelu Lukaku – FPL’s most selected player with 55% ownership – the prospect of doubling up is a significant temptation.

This week’s Technical Area will be digging into the performances of two in-vogue midfield assets – Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – in an attempt to tease out the optimal Fantasy prospect.

Two Gameweeks in, Pogba and Mkhitaryan currently occupy first and second place respectively for FPL midfielders.

Pogba followed up an eight-point opener with an explosive 15-point performance in Gameweek 2, while Mkhitaryan has returned 10 and 11 points in impressively consistent fashion. Yet despite the similarity of their totals, the manner in which the pair have produced their points has been very different.

1,928 Comments Post a Comment
  1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    Well that's 2 transfers wasted in Sky. #

    Danilogate* I want a full public enquiry.

    1. Arctic_Orangutans
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 7 months ago

      Why did you get him?

  2. arifv
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    Who yo replace Danilo with,favorable fixtures?

    1. Blue&White85
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 7 months ago

      Trippier

      1. Dieux
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 7 months ago

        Same, Trippier was on my A list before his injury.

  3. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    So looking st the current market...do we agree that Lacazette could be the bargain of the season??

    1. Harper (No more Penandes)
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 7 months ago

      Nah, Eriksen for sure.

      1. Harper (No more Penandes)
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        6 years, 7 months ago

        Oh do you mean irl? £40mil was he, hmm not sure.

    2. el polako
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 7 months ago

      Didnt he go AWOL against Stoke ?

    3. Rjandor
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 7 months ago

      hernandez

      1. Arctic_Orangutans
        • 8 Years
        6 years, 7 months ago

        Could be

  4. New Post
  5. PDM TOP 1,000 any Season Le…
    • 14 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    @ someone random 😉

    A Dictator of Sport can come in handy sometimes on a weekend or Mondays

  6. Albrightondknight
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    Listening to commentary only. All I hear is KDB to kun

    Hope Jesus is playing better than is sounds?

  7. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    omg fatso

  8. migas2k7
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    i got ince but i'm tempted to swap for mooy should i?

  9. ZakyJ
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    Any changes you would make to my WC?

    Foster / Elliot
    Jones / Trippier / 4.5 / Hegazi / Mbemba
    Erikson / Willian / D.Silva / Pogba / 4.5m
    Kane / Lukaku / Hernandez

    thinking Lowe and Carrol but open to other suggestions?

    1. ComeonChelsea
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 7 months ago

      Looks solid. Just not sure I'd WC. I'm at least waiting till the intl break.

  10. E25
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    KDB -> Eriksen
    Willian -> Mkhit

    Have Kane and Luka

    1. E25
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 7 months ago

      Forgot the A) or B) - Close to deadline 😉

  11. Legomane
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    Already on a (-4), but is KDB > Eriksen (c) a good or crazy plan?
    Getting hammered by Eriksen owners in my ML, but none of them have doubled with Kane yet... good way to serve it right back to them?

    Foster
    Davies Bertrand Jones
    KDB Pogba Ramsey Carroll
    Kane Lukaku Firmino

  12. mfcphil
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    got Luka and Aggy up front with a million in the bank - when do I swap Aggy for Kane hmmmmm?

  13. GoodFella93
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    I transfered in Mkhitaryan for Pogba after the first gameweek. Two assists for Mkhitaryan in the first game in the number 10 role, with Pogba lucky to get on the scoresheet late on. Essentially the same happened in GW2 with Pogba again profiting from a team falling apart towards the end of the game.

    Difference with the Eriksen Alli debate is that Eriksen's an assist king and Alli's a goalscoring number 10. Whilst Mkhitaryan hopefully turns out to be an assist king, he's been compared with a goalscoring number 8, who certainly won't have the same license to get forward in the more fiercely contested games.

    1. DJ1000
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 7 months ago

      Not sure I completely agree. Pogba has an X factor. Can see him scoring from a free kick or corner in a big game. Think Mkhi is the safer way to go. Will get in the box more often and create things. Bringing Matic in though was clearly to give Pogba licence to roam, so I expect Pogba to continue to rack up the points.

      1. Captain Roberto
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 7 months ago

        What is an X-factor?

  14. FFScout
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    Are you guys able to rate my team please?
    Davies, Hegazi, Alonso
    David Silva, Pogba, Mane, Eriksen, Mikhitarian
    Lukaku, Chicharito

    Thanks

  15. Captain Roberto
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 7 months ago

    After accidentally (intoxicatedly) ruining my team and needing to activate my wildcard Ive been going through several mid-range midfield options Jese or Richarlison to rotate with Vokes coupled with a more price player such as Antonio, Wijnaldum, Ramsey, Sterling, Son, etc and I've hit upon a solution.

    Bernardo Silva.

    Pep is portrayed as an unfathomable football visionary. Dare I say; luminary... and adds to this persona by giving interviews one might expect from a person damaged by acid trips in the 70s. We might well be inclined to believe the vision that we cant understand simply because arguing against it is way harder than anyone has time for. Or perhaps he is not the visionary lauded in the press and is possessed of a hubris that fails to see the tiki-taka pass pass pass vision was really down to the La Masia teaching of the great Johan Cruyff and was enabled by Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi and really cant be recreated with Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker. Either way we now witness Pep's quest for pass pass pass perfection and have a new player to watch; a player of his choosing in the mould of La Masia.

    In the diminutive Bernardo I see the shadow of Messi. Granted he's not really been used but even a glimpse of him against Everton showed his combination of speed, balance, and control when on the ball are far in excess of anything else City possess and it may well be the time that Pep turns to his new blood to show everyone exactly what it is he is talking about when he's waving his arms about in exasperation on the touchline.