Dugout Discussion
7 August 2016 3899 comments
Mark Mark
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The first competitive game of the domestic season warrants our first Dugout Discussion.

There is just so much on show to interest Fantasy Football managers, as Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City clash with Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United under the baking sun of Wembley.

The form of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will inevitably come under the closest scrutiny – the latter begins on the bench but Ibrahimovic starts; his display will surely be crucial to his burgeoning ownership levels over the next 24-hours.

But it’s dangerous to ignore Leicester.

Both Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy are on Ranieri’s teamsheet as they bid to play their way into our day one thinking for the potentially profitable trip to Hull City. Again, their performances could change everything, forcing us back to the drawing board in a matter of hours.

It’s a fascinating scenario and a fitting taster to the season kick-off next weekend.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

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  1. Evasivo
    • 16 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Looking at this team, should it have Ibra or Kane in there?

    Mannone Pickford 
    Evans Wolls Friend FMori Amat 
    Mahrez Haz Redmond Tadic Capoue 
    Ibra/Kane Kun Wickham

    1. twoplustwo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Good team

      I've gone Lamela to get some Spurs in, with Vardy up top

      1. Evasivo
        • 16 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks 2+2! Would probably favour some Spurs cover over Man Utd tbh, but Ibra cover is the issue and not too willing to change midfield

    2. gemmalmr92
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Both Redmond and Tadic? Interesting, I'd replace one of them

      1. Evasivo
        • 16 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Sorry my fault. Tadic is actually Firmino

        1. gemmalmr92
          • 11 Years
          10 years, 1 month ago

          In that case I like it.. I'd start with Ibra as Kane starts off slow then be prepared to transfer him in

          1. Evasivo
            • 16 Years
            10 years, 1 month ago

            Thanks mate!

  2. sageypoo
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Which 4m defenders are most likely to start?

    1. Keno
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Same question, I don't think there are any though?

      1. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        None

    2. Evasivo
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Lenihan or Amat

  3. internal error
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Cabellero is rubbish

    1. El-Kloppico
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Was doing a Reina there

  4. Squires FC
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    At the risk of being mobbed on here I'm gonna say that hazard is looking near essential. Thoughts?

    1. Henryyy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Second player in my team after Kun

    2. Bubz
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I'll be having him

    3. Celt Abroad
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I've noticed his appearances in rmts have gone through the roof.

    4. Total Slotball
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      agree

  5. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Best player on the pitch was Bailly, he was rock solid and very composed.

  6. andy85wsm
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Watching Aguero pass the ball to Fabian Delph just doesn't look right

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Well his other choices were Navas or Sterling, so it's understandable why he choose Fabian.

    2. Spike ⚽️
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Wrong foot was it?

  7. The Man Pastore
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Please RMT :

    Mandanda l Jaku
    Valencia l Gabriel l McAulay l Friend l Lenihan
    Eriksen l Tadic l Hazard l Deulofeu l Capoue
    Kun l Ibra l Gray

    Thanks!

    1. Evasivo
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Looking good from here

  8. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    What was all that nonsense with Mata? On then off, no handshakes, bit rough on the lad.

    1. Davido989
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Haters will say he's injured.

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Was he? Didn't look it and he looked more than a wee bit peeved by the whole affair.

    2. Celt Abroad
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Not classy.

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Really wasn't, if not injury related.

        Seems like a nice guy as well.

    3. Gazpilicueta
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Mata has never got on with Jose, Mata was amazing at Chelsea, had one the best seasons of his career, then he got chucked out. - from a chelsea fan.

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Yeah I know all that, but did Jose really just mock him at Wembley in the first game of the season?

    4. ★Kuntheman★
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Don't know what he's done to piss off Mourinho so much

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Shat in his soup? Or maybe worse?

  9. Total Slotball
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Best 3 rotating 4.5 defenders? Currently on McAuley, Friend and Fernandez

    1. andymck
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Taylor Souare and Friend.

    2. Hotdogs for Tea
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Friend, Evans and Naughton

  10. fiveyears
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Think Vardy could have a field day next week, but the Ibra effect means I suspect I'll go without. Mahrez has looked nowhere near as convincing but he'll have to do.

    1. andymck
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Fwiw Vardy was pretty lucky to score today imo.

    2. DeathoftheParty
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I've swapped out mahrez to vardy... ditched hazard to Oscar. I'm going mad at the minute trying to restore balance!!!

  11. JIM BOB
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    So does Batshuayi look set for a role on the bench do we think?

    1. st4rt__
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      For time being. We're likely to go into WH game playing a 4-1-4-1 system.

      Tbo
      Ivan - JT - Cahill - Azpi
      Kante
      Willian - Oscar/Cesc - Matic - Haz
      Costa

      1. DeathoftheParty
        • 10 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Oscar not nailed? Even on this form?

    2. talarfon
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Likely, though hard to tell - Depends on the system. Reckon conte will shuffle the system regularly depending on the opposition so it will be hard to find nailed players except hazard/kante/azpi/courtois

      1. JIM BOB
        • 10 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        Surely Costa is nailed?

  12. talarfon
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Any comments - feedback appreciated

    Foster/jak
    Baines Coleman Valencia friend smith
    Hazard tadic sigurdsson bolasie capoue
    Aguero Ibra Gray

    3 premium defenders and Double Everton defence are the main differences compared to most teams on here. Just feel that with excellent defensive fixtures and koeman coming in will mean Everton prove good value at the back. Baines and Coleman both capable of baps and attacking returns

  13. Bleach †
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Willian vs Oscar
    Firmino vs Mane

    I just don't know

    1. twoplustwo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Haz and Mane for me

      I think Mane is pretty expensive, but only expensive if he continues his streaky form - if he can do that more often than not he;'s a great bet

    2. talarfon
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Oscar firm

    3. aehii
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I'd have Oscar and Firmino. Both central.

  14. DV8R
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    How's this for a first draft?

    Foster, Jak
    Pieters, Azpi, Shaw, Friend, Taylor
    Hazard, Tadic, Lamela, Deulofeu, Capoue
    Kun, Ibra, Gray

    1. Whazza
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      template

    2. denial
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 17 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Very nice

  15. ★Kuntheman★
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Musa to start vs Hull?

    1. Arctic_Orangutans
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Not a clue

  16. reason17
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    A) Costa - Mahrez - Mkhitaryan (no spurs attack)
    B) Vardy - Hazard - Eriksen (no man utd attack)

    Thanks for the help 🙂 - Community has helped a lot

  17. Ohhh Shola Ameobi
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    City still don't look great defensively, not sure how Arsenal aren't 2 up by now.

    1. ★Kuntheman★
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I'm not a fan of Kolarov at CB. Fernando I can kinda understand but Kolarov can't play defense.

      1. Ohhh Shola Ameobi
        • 10 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        He doesn't look comfortable there at all,

        I'm not a massive fan of KDB-less City on the attack either (Aguero scores from a Sterling cross as I type this...)

  18. aehii
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Ramsey looks good. Expensive though.

    1. reason17
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Not that great. Any half decent player in that position against this defence would look good.

      Czorla will take his position

    2. twoplustwo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Never trust in Wenger

  19. Lateriser 12
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Who is your second defender?

    1. Gazpilicueta
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Valencia, but could change to Baily or Shaw

    2. andy85wsm
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Coleman

    3. Spike ⚽️
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Toby

    4. Jazz!
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Fuchs atm

    5. andymck
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Shaw, Azpi is first.

    6. The Man Pastore
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Gabriel

  20. BrockLanders
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Vardy looking fairly essential again

    1. devils advocate
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Why is he essential?

      Because he was gifted a goal by a stupid United player?

      Some of the comments here are hilarious. Everyone coming up with awesome assessments based on nothing in particular, lol.

      Vardy will be a good option because he's a good player who proved last season that he is well suited to his team's counter attacking game plan.

      He's also a good option because he has decent early fixtures.

      He is definitely NOT essential because he was just gifted an easy goal in his first preseason game where both teams looked more than a little rusty with many players just returning to their respective squads.

      Let's state facts here. 😉

  21. FPL Maldini
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Ibrahimovic: "Manchester United is the biggest club I've played for, probably only Milan can compare."

    Lol at Barca, Inter, Juve and PSG

    1. Davido989
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Just being silly and provocative.

    2. twoplustwo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Naughty, but to be fair they'll fill 70k+ per week and are known the world over (Barca a weird one)

  22. LFC4EVER
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    So. I'd love your thoughts:

    Mandanda - B.Foster
    Walker - Shaw - Friend - McAuley - Souaré
    Mahrez - Kante -Eriksen - Deulofeu - Redmond
    Zlatan - Agüero - Negredo

    What do you say?

  23. TheBusDriver
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Mourinho says his squad have been caught out by the attitude of Ibrahimovic in particular, a player whom he insists is far from the arrogant star some have perceived him to be.

    "The other players are surprised," he said. "Not me, because I know him. He's a good guy. He says the words he does for fun. He can go to the kit man and say 'please, give a towel to God', and then laugh, laugh, laugh.

    "The image he sells is not him. He's a good guy."

    1. TheBusDriver
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      'please, give a towel to God' LOL

    2. ★Kuntheman★
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Lol jokes with Ibra top banter amirite

  24. El-Kloppico
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Alexis gonna get injured before the half time imo.

  25. Henryyy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    How is the Arsenal defense looking with Gabriel?

    1. Danstoke82
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Gabriel looking quite solid in fairness. I'm considering bringing him in

    2. Leaf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Any defence is better without Gabriel

    3. OLLY G
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Considering Arsenal decent run of games for the first 12 weeks, if Gabriel is gonna play he looks a steal at 5m imo.

  26. Danstoke82
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Really don't understand Wenger's logic regarding not signing a top class striker.

    If he had one they would pretty much be the finished article.

    1. internal error
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      He's trying to sign a world class forward. Trying to convince him to sign for Arsenal. Lacazette is plan B

      1. Emp
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        whos this then?

    2. aehii
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I suggested lacazette to some arsenal fans, one thought he was more an out an out forward, like bent, Defoe, lacking the skills required to play for them. Which sounds defeatist and elitist. What's wrong with just as striker that can do nothing but score? Having one that can build might mean they're slow and heavy and can't run in behind. Hard to get both. Benzema would be perfect.

  27. Dynamic Duos
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    A or B?

    A) Mane and Deulofeu
    B) Firmino and Lamela

    1. Trae44
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      B

    2. LFC4EVER
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      b in my books too

      A or B:
      A. Lamela - any 7.5 mid (Ayew, Tadic, Barkley etc...)
      B. Eriksen - Redmond

  28. Bleach †
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    So Stones heading to City or nah?

  29. KingoftheRunts
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    If i ditch aguero, i could start with ibra, kane and vardy up top

    thoughts?

    1. Sly Fly
      • 17 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Timing! 🙂

      1. KingoftheRunts
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 1 month ago

        couldnt have planned it better

    2. twoplustwo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      I've scored 50 points in 1 week from Kun last season

      No

    3. KingoftheRunts
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      ha aguero just scored... dont think so

  30. Fred the Red
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 1 month ago

    Pick one:

    A) Mkhitaryan
    B) Mane
    C) Ozil
    D) Alli
    E) Eriksen

    1. LFC4EVER
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 1 month ago

      Mane or Erikson, IMO.
      Miki will be in risk becouse of rotation. Mane seems like a safer bet. And Erikson puts up numbers.