[sbu_large_image] Dugout Discussion
26 December 2014 5523 comments
Paul Paul
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After Chelsea strode six points clear at the summit with a 2-0 win over West Ham at Stamford Bridge this lunchtime, we now have a further nine matches on offer today.

Eight of those encounters take place at 3.00pm. Burnley slipped back into the bottom three last weekend and now face a Liverpool side that are hinting at shoots of recovery following a switch to 3-4-3. Raheem Sterling and co. face further scrutiny by Fantasy managers in light of the Merseysiders’ superb schedule.

Southampton have Dusan Tadic, Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama back for the trip to Palace, though of that trio, only the Frenchman starts, with Tadic and Wanyama amongst the subs. Graziano Pelle is edging back to form with two goals in his last three and, with some tough fixtures ahead, the Saints will be keen to kick on from last weekend’s convincing 3-0 win over Everton.

Speaking of the Toffees, Roberto Martinez will be desperate for a response after a disappointing display last time out. Leighton Baines has a chance to boost his stock after serving up five straight blanks, whilst Romelu Lukaku has four goals and an assist in his last five home starts ahead of the visit of Stoke. Kevin Mirallas shrugs off an ankle problem to return to the XI.

Tottenham head to Leicester looking for a third straight league win under Mauricio Pochettino. Harry Kane has earned plenty of new investors over the last few days after netting in each of his last three in all competitions, whilst in midfield, Christian Eriksen has returned 13 points in two of his previous three away appearances.

Man United have a host of attacking options all vying for our affections as Newcastle roll up to Old Trafford. Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao lead the line once again and Wayne Rooney is looking to score in front of his own fans for the third successive appearance. There’s no Angel di Maria for United, though, after he sustained another injury in training – Juan Mata retains his starting role once again.

Sunderland’s recent defensive displays have seen the likes of Costel Pantilimon and Santiago Vergini arrive on Fantasy radars. The Black Cats have four clean sheets in six and host a Hull side with a meagre two goals in their last nine, whilst further up the field, Adam Johnson’s goal and assist in the last two suggests he’s starting to find his form.

Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wilfried Bony both return as Swansea host Villa at the Liberty. With the Ivorian soon to depart for African Cup of Nations duties, Christian Benteke has the chance to step up as a potential replacement – the Belgian has two goals and an assist in his last four and has some excellent fixtures to follow.

Man City roll up to West Brom looking for a seventh straight win. As we saw last week against Palace, the champions still have the weaponry to cope without their first-team strikers, with David Silva, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri looking key for Manuel Pellegrini’s side. The City boss rotates his full-backs once again, though, as Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksander Kolarov are replaced by Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy.

In the 5.30pm kick-off, Arsenal will fancy their chances against a QPR side that have lost all eight of their road trips to date. There’s no doubt Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud are the form options for the Gunners, with Captain Poll favourite Alexis Sanchez notching just once in six appearances since a change of formation forced him onto the flank. Harry Redknapp’s side have scored a mere three goals on their travels, and for all his impressive home form, the odds are stacked against Charlie Austin grabbing the goals again.

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5,523 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Respect My Authoritah
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Who got motm for Arsenal game?

    1. CTID_
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Sanchez

    2. Alan The Llama
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Alexis

  2. mgilbert86
    11 years, 10 months ago

    What to do with ADM?

  3. chrisdale98
    11 years, 10 months ago

    so... 50 points, doubled up on city defence but got robbed of 8 points.
    chose to take a 4 point hit to get giroud and boyd instead of austin and mirallas.
    captained hazard over sanchez.
    could have brought in kane but chose giroud
    jagielka injured
    took out bony and siggy before the arsenal game so forced to take an 8 point hit to get rid of zidane, i mean giroud.

    fair to say this has been a fantastic week!!

  4. U-jin King™
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Giroud replacement?

    1. Leaf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Tekkers I guess

    2. BlzE_94
      11 years, 10 months ago

      i went for jove

  5. elwardio
    11 years, 10 months ago

    My best fantasy day ever! 87 in the nag and TWENTY BAPS ish incoming. Thank you Lord

    1. Delhidynamo
      11 years, 10 months ago

      congrats bro

  6. Baines on Toast...
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    11 years, 10 months ago

    So the question is - Yaya, Silva or Austin captain? Think it has to be one of the City
    boys for me, probably Yaya.

    1. mattyrobinson
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Charlieeee

    2. luke25
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Silva for me, he's showing so much more than Yaya for me when watching them

  7. Saint & Reevesy
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Wow, just woke up this morning, do I regret doing a last minute Rooney to Giroud (c) switch. What with taking the armband off Sanchez reckon I've cost myself 30+ points.....

    arse.

    1. Barry Woj
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Ditto. Add to that every other captain option scoring well and it's very damaging. I've never felt FPL pain like it.

  8. Vpan
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Baines, Bony -> Hutton, Rooney 2FT.

    Yes or No ?

    1. Steevo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Yep for sure

  9. 1314
    11 years, 10 months ago

    repost : is there gonna be presser before the next game ?

  10. RD
    11 years, 10 months ago

    As usual out in the first week of fantasy cup as usual with an awful score...Fellow RVP owners keeping or selling??

  11. alsybach
    11 years, 10 months ago

    I think I'm on for about 1 hundred and 8 bloody points!!!!!!

    1. Alan The Llama
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Fine work.

    2. Mull
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Finally know what your grav is!

      1. alsybach
        11 years, 10 months ago

        Bob and agent cooper.......damn fine coffee........

        1. Mull
          11 years, 10 months ago

          Thought it was Frodo Baggins for years 😆

  12. Yome
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Baines, Kane to Skrtel, Austin for free?

    1. Iwantmorepointsthanks
      11 years, 10 months ago

      any better options than Skrtel?
      still good transfers though

      1. Yome
        11 years, 10 months ago

        6.1 to spend on a defender? Clichy (I have zab)?

  13. Sánchez
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Captain?

    Austin (PALACE)
    Silva (BURNLEY)

    1. super zlatan
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Going Austin

    2. Baines on Toast...
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Palace aren't that bad at defending, despite today. I can see City hitting 4 or 5.

      1. Sánchez
        11 years, 10 months ago

        Probably true. And Silva got 60 mins today so is surely rested for it.

    3. BlzE_94
      11 years, 10 months ago

      i think its more safe to go with silva....city will always dominate possession

  14. Shifty
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Saylor Dzeko > Giroud(c) + Terry. Not sure how to feel.

    1. luke25
      11 years, 10 months ago

      a bad captaincy choice always leaves a cloud over my gameweek, I captained Bony today instead of Silva and Sanchez 🙁

      1. walkman666
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        11 years, 10 months ago

        Met, too. C on bony instead of costa, Sanchez, Yaya or haz. Bad choice!

  15. Syd.
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Imagine if you brought Giroud in for a hit and captained him 😆 😆

  16. marcus2704
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Giroud worth holding onto? Will miss the next one obviously, but beyond that his fixtures look reasonably decent.

    1. XhakaCan
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Could miss 3 though..

      1. UnderstandablyDistraught
        11 years, 10 months ago

        will miss 3

    2. Syd.
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Automatic 3 match ban

    3. COW
      11 years, 10 months ago

      He will miss next 3?

  17. luke25
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Is Lukaku and Boyd to Sterling and Bojan a wise idea? Obviously with a view to 3-5-2 and Bojan being on bench most weeks

    Thanks

  18. JK - Cønt ⭐
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Why no love for Benteke?

    Nailed-on, on pens

    3 home games in his next 4 and Leicester away

    1. Leaf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Boom , where do I sign

    2. pundit of punts
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Shhhhhhh...

    3. daveoafc77
      11 years, 10 months ago

      he plays for a team who dont score goals

  19. GuillermoDickero
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Who is the best defender for the next 3 / 4 gameweeks outside of Chelsea?
    I have 6.9m to spend and none look that appealing!

    1. Baines on Toast...
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Zabaleta, just make sure you have good cover.

    2. OLEgend
      11 years, 10 months ago

      zabaletta for next two

      1. GuillermoDickero
        11 years, 10 months ago

        Forgot to add that I already have Zabaleta

        1. GuillermoDickero
          11 years, 10 months ago

          Anyone else outside of him?
          Demi / Mangala?

  20. Just A Wooden Spoon
    11 years, 10 months ago

    How did bony look today? Wondering whether to take him out for Kane?

    1. Delhidynamo
      11 years, 10 months ago

      MUN is not that tough a fixture to remove Kane

      Just bench him in the Chelsea match, He's amazing value imo

    2. BabyB
      11 years, 10 months ago

      look at kanes fixtures

  21. MattysFantasyFooty
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Giroud to Rooney for free yay or nay?

    1. Alan The Llama
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Yay. Giroud to anyone is a yay.

  22. @ocprodigy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Sanchez increased the average of the top 10k by 14. Wow.

  23. Mak_Gold
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Team for Sunday:

    Pantilimon,
    Baines, Wisdom, N. Taylor,
    Hazard, Sanchez, Silva, Downing,
    Costa, Rooney, Austin.

    Subs: Krul, Boyd, Clyne, Chambers.

    2 FTs, £0.9m in the bank.

    What should my next move be?

    1. JK - Cønt ⭐
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Baines out and save the other or dump Chambers IMO

      1. Mak_Gold
        11 years, 10 months ago

        Cheers. Baines to Zab?

  24. Proggy
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Giroud ---> Benteke?

  25. A Defender's Nightmare
    11 years, 10 months ago

    My rival did Rooney, Costa, Siggy ➡ Giroud, Falcao, Silva for -8 this GW.

    1. Iwantmorepointsthanks
      11 years, 10 months ago

      so does that mean he will try and get Rooney & Costa back this week? lol

  26. Syd.
    11 years, 10 months ago

    A 92nd minute goal cost me my bet today.

    £602

    Ouch...

    1. Richd
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Reading ?

  27. DIegoCosta19
    11 years, 10 months ago

    team for next week

    Guzan
    Zab Hutton Azpi
    Siggy Hazard Yaya Sanchez
    Austin Costa Bony

    What transfers would you make..? 1FT

  28. Darth
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Do these sound like the right moves?

    Baines to Zabaleta and Eriksen to silva for a -4?

    Adrian
    Alderweireld, baines, wisdom, vergini, Moore
    Hazard, Sanchez, Eriksen, siggy, Boyd
    Austin, RVP, Costa

    Thanks for the previous replies but just want to ensure I'm not being silly 🙂

    1. Delhidynamo
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Just do the Zab without the hit

  29. Marty McFly
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Currently on 75pts pre-bonus, estimated 94pts post bonus.
    Top 10k average is 75.9pts (with projected bonus points).
    My current rank is 4,549.
    Is a top 2k spot too optimistic?

    1. UnderstandablyDistraught
      11 years, 10 months ago

      could go higher

    2. Leaf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Sailed into it

      Think it's all quite close there

    3. AH 🙂
      11 years, 10 months ago

      higher

    4. Snikii
      11 years, 10 months ago

      1,8k

    5. Solenya
      11 years, 10 months ago

      I'll likely join you there 😎

    6. Mull
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Just outside if I had to guess.

    7. the cromulent one
      11 years, 10 months ago

      You will have leapfrogged me, that much is certain.

    8. lespaul
      11 years, 10 months ago

      should do 2k ish

    9. Marty McFly
      11 years, 10 months ago

      Thanks everyone!