Dugout Discussion
31 December 2016 2216 comments
Mark Mark
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Six afternoon kick-offs get Gameweek 19 back underway, with our attention fixated on a cast of key assets.

More than 27% of FPL managers go into these matches with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as their captain.

The Swede needs two goals to surpass Lionel Messi as Europe’s top goalscorer in 2016 across the top flight leagues, with the Middlesbrough defence in his way at Old Trafford.

Diego Costa ranks next in terms of armband popularity, claiming the support of 15% of FPL managers ahead of a meeting with Stoke City at Stamford Bridge.

The striker is recalled following a one-match suspension and is part of a reassuringly familiar Blues line-up that also includes Eden Hazard, backed by 6.7% of FPL managers.

There are teamsheet changes elsewhere, however, with Southampton innevitably shuffling the pack for their St Mary’s meeting with West Brom. Jay Rodriguez, Cedric Soares, Jose Fonte and Ryan Bertrand are among the notable names omitted from today’s Saints line-up.

Tony Pulis also makes a key change to his Baggies starting XI for the south coast clash – Salomon Rondon is benched with Hal Robson-Kanu earning a first Premier League start for West Brom.

Meanwhile, Alan Curtis takes the temporary reins for Swansea City against Bournemouth and makes no less than seven changes, recalling Fantasy favourites Jordi Amat and Leroy Fer, along with Fernando Llorente up front.

Elsewhere, Burnley host Sunderland and Leicester City take on West Ham at the King Power Stadium, as they attempt to end the visitors run of three successive wins.

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

  1. fatherted
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 11 months ago

    Dear Tony,

    Solomon looks very tired. Please can he please be excused for the 2nd half.

    Thanks

    Richard

    1. AA33
        8 years, 11 months ago

        🙂

        1. fatherted
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          50 50 choice Rondon/Phillips starting (well first sub). Went Rondon. 🙁

      • Forza
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Don't worry, Pulis doesn't know that strikers exist.

        1. fatherted
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          Hope so....Haha.

    2. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 11 months ago

      Siggys 13 vs Sunderland feels soooooooooooo long ago 🙁 time to say goodbye!

      1. fatherted
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        +1

      2. Harper_
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Good player, crap team, shame really.

      3. fatherted
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        In fact, to help other owners I'll sell him. He will get a Hattie next gw.!!

      4. Vlad
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        i let him last night for sterling... swansea is hopeless..

    3. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 11 months ago

      anichebe injured

      1. Rains of Castamere
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Coming off?

        1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          he signalled to the bench. Might go off

    4. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 11 months ago

      Blankety Blank.....

    5. Les Bleus
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 11 months ago

      Swansea are terrible.

    6. JJO
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 11 months ago

      Fak dgw
      Its wc time
      Had to clean this mess

      1. sminkypinky
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        I'm thinking a fair few will feel similar...

        Still the wrong way to go imo.

      2. *sigh*
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        What's ya team looking like?

    7. Kaneyonero
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 11 months ago

      Still no Ake ffs

      1. MTPockets
          8 years, 11 months ago

          ?

      2. Rains of Castamere
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        That Lee Mason decision really was horrific. Astonishingly bad.

      3. Niemi
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        So Stanislas involved in another goal. On my watch list, it's either him or Cabaye/Townsend if I go for Aguero. Already got Phillips.

      4. Greenbackbøøg…
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Any chance Coutinho's back for GW20?

        1. Les Bleus
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          Doubt it according to Klopp.

      5. Team Cruel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        7/7 blanks today

      6. Somalion
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Swansea are thundering out of the PL.

        I won't miss them.

      7. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Anichibe looks like his hamstring has gone!

        1. Garlana
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          He's dead?

      8. greghammer95
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Phillips will be rested next gw possibly. I look forward to everyone bringing his price up though.

        Leko is the differential you need next week.

      9. Lav
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Anichebe goal
        Friend clean sheet
        Costa brace

        Please football and fantasy gods.

        1. greghammer95
          • 16 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          I'd take that even as an ibra owner. Need to abloish that Burnley cleanie

          1. Lav
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            Ibra owner here to but Costa(c) Friend off bench for Cedric

        2. boc610
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          anichibes hammy just popped

          1. Lav
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            Damn well thank god I saved my FT this week

      10. The Royal Robin
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        7 goals and not a single player involved in one of them 😐

      11. Team Cruel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Considered both Stan and Phillips. Went with Allen. Lol.

        1. Whats the Huth
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          That's cruel

          1. O Fenomeno
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            Snap 🙂

        2. O Fenomeno
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          That's.. Cruel

        3. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          Why

      12. rivercityransom
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        yay stanislas

      13. Numb
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Normal FPL service is resumed

      14. UnitednationsXI
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        shocking first half for the team...
        - naylor sub coming on
        - zlat goal disallowed
        - carroll and siggy stinking up my team

      15. Forza Papac
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Snoddy and Phillips are making a mockery of those playing the team value game.

        Me included.

        1. rivercityransom
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          it's not mockery if nobody has them in their team

          1. Camp No No
            • 12 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            Snoddy ownership 5.5%, Phillips 8.8%. And the Phillips teams at least are mostly alive and kicking. He was owned by 4800 teams back in GW11, now by 375000.

      16. andy85wsm
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        I can see why this was given out but what a finish - https://twitter.com/sema_nare/status/815222461235101697

        1. Eden ACCOUNT CLOSED
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          Yeah valdes did us proud cheating lol

        2. Wilshere Knowledge
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          6ft5 with the agility of a panther, at 35. Superhuman. 😀

          1. boc610
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            the agility of a man with a black belt. its still a high foot as nice a finish as it was

        3. Somalion
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          They need to start disallowing overhead kicks for high feet as well. If you think about it, had that exact same situation occurred but Ibra overhead kicked it, that goal would have stood. Either both are dangerous or neither are...

          1. andy85wsm
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 15 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            Good point

          2. boc610
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            yup, its as clear as mud. one difference might be that ibras stud are showing with a kick like that and could cause more damage than top of a boot

            1. Somalion
              • 15 Years
              8 years, 11 months ago

              Possibly the stud argument is fair, but the counter might be that an overhead would have more force behind it, therefore more likely to cause a concussion?

              It just seems entirely inconsistent that a certain type of high foot is allowed because it looks cool.

          3. Camp No No
            • 12 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            Wouldn't have necessarily. I've seen overhead kick goals refused for the same reason.

            You can use them, if you have clear space. If it comes so close that other players must avoid competing for the ball with head because of you kicking it, then it's disallowed and possible yellow/red card.

            In this case, the rationale would have to be that my dear boy Victor Valdes would have dived for and got the ball, if not for threatened by Zlatan's kick. That is an acceptable interpretation, although imo wrong: Zlatan didn't risk to kick him. If it was refused basically because of the way he kicked the ball as such, it means that this would be a "illegal" way to kick the ball in general, which imo is a dead wrong interpretation. Zlatan has had finishes like this accepted everywhere else with no complaints.

            1. Somalion
              • 15 Years
              8 years, 11 months ago

              Interesting point, taken on board. Your last part on Zlatan having them accepted elsewhere, I've seen him score some like that before as well and they've stood no problem. Just seems like a rule that is inconsistent in its application.

      17. O Fenomeno
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Pogba has hit the post 5 times this season

        1. Wilshere Knowledge
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          KDB has managed 8. 🙂

          1. O Fenomeno
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            And a miss from a yard out !

      18. Godot - Fashanu Zealand
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Jeff keeps making mistakes today

        1. The 12th Man
          • 12 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          Hartlepool win gone to his head.

      19. thep025
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        TIme to sell Siggy?

        1. WVA
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          100%

        2. Business Cat
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          ...has already elapsed

        3. dhamphiir
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          If he doesn't get points in second half. I am planning to sell Siggy

      20. Eden ACCOUNT CLOSED
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        5 points from 7 players including captain OH MY

        1. Ha.
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          It's a game of two halves

      21. Kaneyonero
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Gw fail none of my players scored and all cs gone

        1. Conk
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          Good

      22. Ha.
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Come on Hazard, don't make me transfer you out for Phillips.

        1. Fred54
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          Ha.

          1. Ha.
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 11 months ago

            Deadly serious!

        2. boc610
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 11 months ago

          who has more points this season?

      23. Speédy
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        8 blanks with a -4,perfect week

      24. Whats the Huth
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 11 months ago

        Gutted smith isn't playing.

        Likely to be rotated due to Stan's return? Seeing as Ake is on form