The Scout Squad – Gameweek 27

A double Gameweek for both Manchester City and Stoke City means that their players, unsurprisingly, dominate our thinking as we prepare the long list of those under consideration for tomorrow’s Scout Picks.

The Scout Squad article aims to give a greater insight into the decision-making process behind our final selection, as Mark, Paul and I reveal the 18 players we believe offer the best chance of success across the four positions, listing our nominations in rank order.

The discussions and disagreements taking place behind the scenes are also showcased, as each of us looks to back our players for a place in the Scout Picks, as well as Saturday morning’s Spot the Differential article.

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

With rotation fears surrounding the goalkeeper spot at Manchester City, we have all handed top place billing to Scout Picks regular Lee Grant (4.4) of Stoke.

His home tie against Middlesbrough offers us strong clean sheet potential, given that Aitor Karanka’s struggling goal-shy outfit have scored just once over their last six road trips.

While we don’t expect Grant to keep a shut-out when he travels to the Etihad Stadium for his second match of the Gameweek, he should offer us save points: he has collected these in four of his last five league run outs.

Back-up options put forward include Leicester’s Kasper Schmeichel (4.9), who is nominated by Mark and Paul, and Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski, who gains three votes.

Schmeichel’s seven saves during Leicester’s 3-1 victory over Liverpool on Monday have clearly caught the eye of my colleagues, as has a home encounter with a Hull City side with just six away goals all season.

Meanwhile, the Swans keeper also offers a strong chance of a shutout with his opponents Burnley boasting the same meagre tally of away goals.

I’ve also put forward Ben Foster as an alternative should we fail to find room for a West Brom defender for the visit of Crystal Palace; the Eagles have only found the net in two of their last six matches.

Defenders

The threat of rotation is never far away from Manchester City’s rearguard. Nevertheless, with three starts in as many league matches, we have all handed John Stones (4.7) our support for the double.

Still owned by 15.3%, Stones has picked up bonus points and clean sheets in two of his last three starts.

The Black Cats’ lowly tally of 14 home goals, with only Middlesbrough scoring fewer, strengthens his case for inclusion, as does Stoke’s failure to score in their last two road trips.

“I would always advocate backing the City attack with the three slots but, if the budget fails to stretch, then Stones is the option at the back for me. Aleks Kolarov is a temptation as always but I see Stones and his strong BPS potential providing some valuable extra points should City earn shut-outs over the two matches.” – Mark

Stoke’s own Erik Pieters (4.6) also earns universal support ahead of his two matches, with the home tie with Middlesbrough the big draw. The Teessiders boast poor attacking form on the road, while Pieters has gathered bonus points in three of his last four at the bet365 Stadium. The Dutchman’s two assists also suggest that we have a slender chance of earning attacking returns from his Etihad Stadium visit.

“Erik Pieters’ home form alone is worth mentioning ahead of Stoke’s double Gameweek. I don’t expect the Dutchman to get more than two appearance points away to Man City but, with 23 points in his last four at the bet365, he looks worth a flutter against a Middlesbrough outfit with one goal in six road trips.” – Paul

The consensus continues across our defender selections, with Swansea City’s Alfie Mawson (4.5) and Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia (5.6) also gaining three votes.

Mark marginally favours the Red Devils’ right-back by handing him second place billing. With a clean sheet or attacking returns in all but one of his last six league matches, the Ecuadorian certainly appears to be a strong supplementary asset to partner the double Gameweek defenders.

But with visitors Bournemouth scoring in all but one of their last six away matches, Valencia may just have to rely on his attacking potential: he has supplied more successful crosses than any other defender this season.

I’ve broken ranks this week regarding West Brom defenders and opted for the set piece goal threat of 31.6% owned Gareth McAuley (5.2), who along with Mawson, has two goals in his last four matches.

Mark and Paul are sticking with Chris Brunt (5.1), who has three double-digit scores at The Hawthorns and could be stationed in midfield should winger Matt Phillips fail to recover from a hamstring injury.

Midfielders

Manchester City’s form midfielders Raheem Sterling (7.8) and Leroy Sane (7.3), who have started on the wing in the last four league encounters, earn the top two spots across the board.

Raheem Sterling’s two goals and eight assists over his last ten league matches, plus two assists in the 5-1 FA Cup victory over Huddersfield on Wednesday, appear to make him a shoo-in for a Scout Picks berth.

Sterling’s underlying statistics are also impressive, with more shots on target than any other City player over the last four Gameweeks.

Sane’s recent form makes a City pairing in midfield a distinct possibility. The German got on the score sheet against the Terriers on Wednesday and has a goal and two assists from his last four Gameweek starts.

With more than 78,000 FPL transfers since the weekend, Sterling is out in front as the more popular option; Sane has so far been picked up by 22,000 over the same period.

“If your squad can cope with it, there’s a very strong argument for acquiring both Sterling and Sane for the double. Aguero, for me, has to be the captain yet Sane’s four goals and three assists in his last seven starts in all competitions suggest that he may rival his fellow wide man for returns. With 1% ownership, the German deserves a place in our Differentials article at the very least.” – Paul

Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.6) gains universal backing once again. He takes eight goals and nine assists into a meeting with Burnley at the Liberty Stadium, with the Clarets boasting just a single clean sheet in 12 road trips.

Christian Eriksen (8.7), who welcomes Everton to White Hart Lane, gains sponsorship from Mark and I following his eighth double-digit haul against Stoke on Sunday – a fifth in Spurs’ last seven home matches.

Mark and Paul feel that Alexis Sanchez (11.6) will shine at Anfield, no doubt encouraged by Liverpool’s lacklustre display against Leicester on Monday night. But with only one of his 17 goals coming against another top six side, I’m less convinced the Chilean will prosper.

“I believe that we have to acknowledge the return of Sanchez. Those who held him through the Gameweek 27 blank will be willing him to deliver and I think Arsenal score at least one at Anfield which, based on this season’s form, will likely result in a further return for the top scoring FPL asset.” – Mark

At least Paul is hedging his bets for the Gunners visit by also backing Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho (8.2) as his fifth-placed selection.

The Brazilian’s consolation strike at Leicester hinted at a return to the form that made him the most popular midfield asset on the back of five goals and six assists from his first 11 Gameweeks.

I’m on my own in nominating a Stoke midfield asset. But with five goals at home and a successful strike away to Manchester United, I feel that Joe Allen could provide a strong budget solution for the double Gameweek. His lowly price tag of 5.1 also makes him an enabler for what is likely to be an expensive forward line in tomorrow’s picks.

Forwards

It seems inconceivable that Sergio Aguero (12.7) will miss out on a Scout Picks berth tomorrow. Up against two suspect defences in Stoke and Sunderland, and with strong form on his side, it is no wonder the City also tops our captain poll and is handed first spot in all three of our selections.

A classy brace against Huddersfield on Wednesday, plus another against Monaco in the Champions League last time out, are obvious factors for his inclusion. But in terms of underlying statistics, he also makes a strong case, topping City’s goal attempt table over the last four matches, having started three of them from the bench.

Just two other “double Gameweekers” feature in our selection, with Paul handing a fourth spot to Peter Crouch (4.9), while I have given a tentative fifth place spot to Saido Berahino (6.0).

With both possibly competing for just one striker role, a Spot the Differential mention seems the likeliest destination for one of this Potters pair.

Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.5) appears destined for a Scout Picks spot given that he is handed second billing across the three selections.

The Swede will collide with Bournemouth defence that has conceded 30 goals on the road. Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic continues to produce superb underlying statistics and has maintained a rush of goals both in Europe and domestic cups of late.

Harry Kane (11.3)’s third hat-trick in nine matches wins him three votes, although squeezing the striker into the Scout Picks’ 84 million budget will prove a test ahead of Spurs’ clash with Everton.

This could see Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini (6.7) earn a third striker berth, having scored five goals in his three starts in all competitions since joining in January from Napoli. The Italian, who is backed by Mark and I, faces a Watford rearguard that has earned just two clean sheets at Vicarage Road.

Swansea’s Fernando Llorente (6.3) is another budget striker nominated by Mark’s selection. The Spaniard will be seeking to add to his eight-goal tally when Burnley ‘s aforementioned travel-sick defence visits South Wales.

Paul’s leftfield selection goes to Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy (9.6), having revived interest in his stock following Monday’s brace against Liverpool – his first return since Gameweek 15. A visit from a Hull side that has just one clean sheet in their last six away trips provides Vardy the opportunity to reward Paul’s faith.

The Community Champion

Representing the Community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 27 will be Holmes. He currently has an overall rank of 26,997 and is on course to achieve his highest position in four seasons of FPL management, with 2014/15’s finish of 64,075 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 Ruggles of Red Gap beat the Scout Picks 60-55.

The current champion to beat is Boris Bodega, who achieved a 33 point margin of victory over us in Gameweek 15.