The Scout Squad – Gameweek 9

We step up our preview of Gameweek 9 by revealing the some of the names and the process involved in the selection of Friday’s Scout Picks.

Mark, Paul and myself list the latest 18 players we think have the best chance of success across the four positions, placing them in rank order. We will also highlight some of the “discussions” taking place behind the scenes, as the three of us bid to make a case four our choices.

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

Unusually, the three of us look set to clash over the goalkeeper selection this week.

At 4.0 Stoke’s Lee Grant is exceptional value, with Mark putting him top of his picks, while Paul ranks him as his second option.

But with eight of his 11 saves coming away against a relentless, but ultimately wasteful, Manchester United attack, he may not offer similar returns when he visits Hull City on Saturday. A second Potters clean sheet is certainly a possibility, though, with the Tigers boasting just three goals over their four encounters to this point.

The only other common ground is Kasper Schmeichel (5.0)’s inclusion as Paul’s top choice and Mark’s third pick. There’s certainly a strong argument to turn to the Dane when Crystal Palace visit the King Power Stadium: the Foxes have claimed five clean sheets in seven matches across all competitions at home.

I’ll be pushing for Liverpool’s Loris Karius (4.9) as an option, with Jurgen Klopp’s men welcoming West Brom to Anfield. The Baggies have scored just three goals on the road, offering the 0.8% FPL owned German stopper a great chance to earn his second clean sheet of the campaign following Monday’s shut-out.

Tom Heaton (4.6)’s mounting save count can’t be overlooked, according to Paul. With 40 stops this term, the 8.8% owned keeper offers the chance of a solid points return even if Everton breach Burnley’s resolute Turf Moor defence.

Elsewhere, Mark is clearly impressed enough with Swansea City under new manager Bob Bradley to select Lukasz Fabianski (5.4) as his second choice stopper. Although with no team conceding more than the Swans’ nine goals at home, he may face an uphill struggle to convince us the Polish international deserves Picks recognition.

Defenders

There’s far more agreement in defence ahead of the weekend.

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin (6.5) and Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne (5.5) claim top spots in all three of our selections. Money permitting both look like shoo-ins for Friday’s cut.

Everton right back Seamus Coleman (5.5) is also a popular option, sitting third in both Paul and Mark’s selection.

I can’t fault their choice considering Ronald Koeman’s men have conceded just three goals away from home, while hosts Burnley are without chief goal threat Andre Gray and injured playmaker Steven Defour.

Christian Fuchs (5.4) gets the nod for Mark and myself due to Leicester’s aforementioned defensive record at home. It is worth noting that last time we selected him in the Scout Picks, in Gameweek 5, the 7.7% owned Austrian scored 12 FPL points, including an assist and maximum bonus as the Foxes saw off Burnely 3-0.

Further down our selections, price and value becomes a major factor, with both Mark and I favouring Erik Pieters as an option away to Hull City.

The Stoke City full-back earned two bonus at home to Sunderland in Gameweek 8; at 4.4 he looks a superb enabler to ensure we have spare Scout Picks funds for attacking investment.

Paul has opted for his team-mate Ryan Shawcross, but at 4.9, his higher price point may prove prohibitive.

“I’m backing the aerial threat of Ryan Shawcross in and around the box against a Hull side that have conceded more attempts from set-pieces than any other over the last four. As a result, I’ll be pushing for Xherdan Shaqiri amongst this week’s Differentials due to his dead-ball duties – the Swiss international doesn’t quite make my top five midfielders due to a wealth of options in the centre of the park. “- Paul

Paul may have more success convincing us to select Kyle Naughton (4.5). Even though Swansea have failed to keep a clean sheet at home, the full back boasts nine goal attempts this season and has fired in more crosses than any other defender.

Marcos Alonso (5.9) has earned clean sheets in both his starts in Chelsea’s new-look formation. He made our Spot the Differential trio for Gameweek 8 and I will be pushing for him to gain promotion to the Scout Picks this time around. Chelsea welcome a Manchester United side that mustered just one shot on target against Liverpool on Monday.

Midfielders

Doubling up on Arsenal midfielders Alexis Sanchez (11.3) and 14.5% owned Theo Walcott (7.9) looks a very real possibility.

The duo, who have accrued seven league goals and four assists over the last four Gameweeks between them, claim the top two places in all three of our selections. Paul marginally favours Walcott, while Mark and I back the 23.7% owned Sanchez as the optimum Gunners asset if we decide against selecting both.

Dimitri Payet (9.4) is another point of agreement. The 13.2% owned playmaker is third choice across the board this week as he awaits the visit of a winless Sunderland outfit that has conceded 15 times already this campaign.

Liverpool’s midfield continues to vex us, with all three of us opting for a different player.

Mark favours the Reds all-round option in Roberto Firmino (8.5), Paul likes the look of Philippe Coutinho’s (8.3) long-range threat, while I’ve opted for the budget friendly Adam Lallana, who has three goals and as many assists for a 7.1 price tag.

Our fifth midfield selections offer a trio of options that will most likely go into the hat for the Spot the Differential selection.

Marko Arnautovic (7.2) gets the nod from Mark after topping Stoke City’s shots in the box tally and on the back of an assist against Sunderland last time out.

I’ve opted for another points scorer from Gameweek 8, Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.2), who fetched a goal for Swansea from a false nine role at Arsenal. With set-piece and penalties in his locker, the Icelandic international faces a Watford side that has just one clean sheet on the road.

Preserved ahead of Tottenham’s Champions League game with Bayer Leverkusen, Son Heung-min has almost become something of a forgotten man. Not so for Paul, who will be keen to remind us that the South Korean international has amassed 44 FPL points on the back of four goals in as many starts.

Forwards

Sergio Aguero (13.1) has attacking returns in three of his six league starts and faces a Southampton side that is arguably lucky to have conceded just four times on the road. Given that the Saints are giving up an average of nine shots in the box on their travels it is no surprise to see the 44% owned striker top ranked in the Scout Squad.

However, after failing to start the last two matches, including the midweek Champions league clash with Barcelona, our faith in the Manchester City forward may have dwindled ahead of tomorrow’s final reckoning.

Mark and Paul will be pushing for Romelu Lukaku (9.5) to earn a start, but I’m less convinced the 24.8% owned striker will prosper at Turf Moor and have placed him at the foot of my five choices.

The Clarets have been tough to score against in front of their own fans, earning two clean sheets out of five and conceding just three times. However, Burnley’s worrying tendency to allow shots in the box, serving up 8.6 on average during their Turf Moor encounters in the league, offers a strong counter argument.

Islam Slimani (8.5) is another popular option currently being discussed. The Algerian has claimed two goals in his two home starts and visitors Crystal Palace are still seeking their first clean sheet of the season.

“Islam Slimani could prove a deadly differential at home to a Palace side that have yet to collect a single clean sheet. The Foxes frontman bagged a King Power brace against Burnley recently and, having provided an assist for Riyad Mahrez’ winner on Tuesday night, earns the nod as my third striker in a Gameweek where the number of viable forwards seems in short supply.” – Paul

Mark will be singing the praises of Jermaine Defoe (7.3) for the Sunderland striker’s visit to his former club West Ham. Only Lukaku can boast more big chances away from home than the 13.7% owned Black Cats forward.

Form over fixture will drive Paul’s argument for including Southampton forward Charlie Austin (6.5), who travels to Manchester City on the back of a brace against Burnley in Gameweek 8.

Meanwhile, Swansea’s poor defensive record will be key to my argument in favour of Troy Deeney (7.1): the Watford striker has delivered attacking returns in three of his last five league games.

Community Champion

Representing the Community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 9 will be Jingles. He is in his eight season, with 2014/15’s overall finish of 4,668 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).

Gameweek 8’s champion Slamdog Mignolet narrowly beat the Scout Picks 38 to 34.