Dugout Discussion
14 January 2017 1780 comments
Mark Mark
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We return from an FA Cup hiatus with an opening fixture that could easily make or break Gameweek 21 for many Fantasy managers.

An in-form Spurs, off the back of five straight victories, will host an equally buoyant West Brom with a cast of major assets on show.

Dele Alli is unquestionably the headline act.

Subject to more than 560,000 transfers in ahead of today’s deadline, there is huge expectation on his shoulders as he bids to maintain form that has seen him fire seven goals in his last four Gameweeks.

Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane look capable of overshadowing even Alli from their supporting roles.

But Kane has been a source of major frustration of late, blanking in his last three White Hart Lane encounters, including plum fixtures with both Burnley and Hull City.

In contrast, Eriksen has been a consistent force by his previous standards. Five double-figure returns from his last eight Gameweeks suggests that he will again be major figure in today’s Baggies clash.

West Brom have their own major Fantasy asset.

Matt Phillips has emerged as a key value target for our five-man midfields, notching seven assists and four goals in his last ten outings; he has been subject to more than 450,000 transfers in since Gameweek 19.

It remains to be seen if he can continue such form against a Spurs backline that has shipped just five goals in 10 home matches.

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

  1. Flynniesta
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    Kane to Kun on New Years Day isn't looking like one of my better moves at the moment 🙁

    1. Manani
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      got aguero instead of kane for WC myself.

      I got kane for his dry spell as well lol

    2. Flynniesta
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Top of the page has cheered me up though 🙂

  2. Business Cat
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    If Spurs win @ City next week (and they should batter them in this form), they've gotta replace Chelsea as title favourites

    1. MarvelouSuccess
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      remember last season. look how well that went. XD

      1. Business Cat
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Leicester battering City about the same time last year was the moment they started looking like potential champions.

        Don't think Spurs will fall apart this year...they've got the experience now.

    2. Uppercut Panda - A legend i…
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      but they're 7 points behind a team that stitched 13 wins in a row. no replacing yet.

  3. Numb
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    Where is my Alli brace???

    1. Ridcully
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      On his teeth?

  4. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    Lucky ml rival has Kane c, walker and eriksen

    1. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      So lucky 😀

    2. CaptainObvious
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Maybe you are just crap at this game.

    3. Annie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Chadli score then?

    4. Kryten
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Omg he's in for a big rank rise

    5. Numb
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      What a stroke of luck!

    6. DLL18
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      "Lucky"

    7. S.Kuqi
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      link to his / her team. Want to see what monster score looks like

  5. Bellerinmondo
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    Fabio and friend wing backs for boro ?

    1. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Yes

      1. Bellerinmondo
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Nice

  6. GreenArrows
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    It hurts only having Eriksen, need to triple up on them, alonso out for walker/rose and kane in for lakaku for -4 seem a good idea? Or am I knee jerking?

    1. Hy liverpool
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      City next game ... calm down

      1. GreenArrows
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Shouldn't be worried about City, they concede

      2. Zebras
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        But City have a porous defense

    2. Crystal
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Seems sensible and not knee jerky at all. Anyone else played yet?

      1. GreenArrows
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Na only Eriksen

    3. evilfish
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Does it hurt as much as only having Alli?

      1. GreenArrows
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Not in that case no. But hurts when ML leaders have Kane, Alli and Walker or Rose and I was only 12 and 18 points behind them

        1. evilfish
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Similar in my ML. At the end of GW 20 was 4th. Used my FT to get Ake in. Was happy with my front line of Costa, Ibra, Defoe. What a difference a break makes!

      2. Cilly Bonnolly
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Does it hurt as much as having none of them?

  7. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    Enjoying the Kane and Eriksen differentials in the Mods League 😎

    1. Moin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Well Done TM!

      1. TorresMagic™
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Cheers

    2. Lawrø
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Getting worried about you in LAWR main now... think Defoe and Hazard could also score big 😀

      Good stuff

    3. Clump
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Nice

  8. Venom Snake
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    Eriksen gets a double figure haul and I'm still gutted

    1. XabiAlonso
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Same here :crying

    2. dcarlito
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Same 🙁

  9. Numb
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 17 days ago

    Ville Ronka sees Costa is out. Transfers to Kane. He just knows!

    1. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Yep - hopefully he knows Sanchez(c) too

    2. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Ronka stalkers should have their own thread

      1. tm245
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Ronkers

      2. Moin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Agree

    3. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Give the guy a rest. This place is obsessed with the guy.

      1. The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        It's bizarre

      2. rivercityransom
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        he is the best player in the game. why wouldn't people be interested in his moves?

        1. S.Kuqi
          • 13 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          This. And only TM knows his true ffs nickname. He is like batman to us

        2. BananaNose Maldonado
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          I guess you didn't read this week's articles.

          1. rivercityransom
            • 10 Years
            9 years, 17 days ago

            he'll bounce back

          2. Camp No No
            • 12 Years
            9 years, 17 days ago

            Why? What was in them? Because I didn't read them. Link to the one that had something interesting in it. There cannot be more than one.

    4. Old Schoolᴼˢ “disa…
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      On a plate... very lucky

      1. XabiAlonso
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        He could have chose giroud, Aguero, lukaku. He's pretty good at this

        1. Numb
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Look on here last night. Most were getting Giroud. OK Giroud could score the same or more yet.

          1. Old Schoolᴼˢ “disa…
            • 14 Years
            9 years, 17 days ago

            I don't look on here much these days Mr T 😉

            1. Numb
              • 11 Years
              9 years, 17 days ago

              Probably sensible

        2. Spg76
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Could he have chosen Aguero??? Funds???

      2. George Sillett
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Very lucky ? I think not.

        1. Old Schoolᴼˢ “disa…
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          If Costa issue hadn't of occurred he wouldn't have done the move, therefore lucky..

          Granted he could have chosen someone else

    5. Ayew Serious
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Lol at that new guy

    6. Pep bites Kun
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Not a lot of love on here for Ville Ronka I notice. Any particular reason?

      1. @persecuted_by_mods
          9 years, 17 days ago

          It's not about him it's about how people keep mentioning him and his every move

          1. Pep bites Kun
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 17 days ago

            You mean the media or ... ?

    7. Shultan
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Surely after that spurs game conte should get costa on uber to leicester!

      1. Scholes Balls
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        more like a private plane or helly

    8. Pep bites Kun
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Bit of time between games lads - If YOU were Costa what would you do?

      A. Stay and win the title
      B. Go to China

      I had a quick look at his bio -

      Despite regularly playing street football, Costa did not believe as a child that he would turn professional, in part due to the remote location of his hometown. He has since set up a football academy in his hometown, where he pays all the costs.

      At age 15, he left home and moved to São Paulo, to work in the store of his uncle.
      Although he was never a professional, his uncle had connections in football and recommended his nephew to Barcelona Esportiva Capela,
      a team from Ibiúna in the south of the city set up as an alternative to drugs and gangs for youth of the favelas. Before joining this team, he had
      never been coached in football. He turned professional at the club, earning around £100 per month.

      1. diesel001
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        B) for two years

      2. Numb
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Take the £30m honestly.

        1. Pep bites Kun
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Yeah, I'd love to say I would do the 'right' thing and stay to challenge for the title, but if someone was waving 30m at me ... well come on. If he doesn't take it someone else will and who's to say it will still be there is the summer? That's a gamble!

      3. Forza
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Obviously A, but the title is anything but guaranteed.

        1. Pep bites Kun
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          I agree - I should have said 'challenge'.

      4. Sz21
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        don't care..
        He wont be coming back into my side this season anyway.

      5. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        A because I will never be in this situation myself and I love to take the ''moral high ground'' over strangers .

    9. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      West Ham could swoop for Swansea city star Gylfi Sigurdsson as a replacement for Dimitri Payet - reports

      As if we did not see this coming
      West Ham=scoundrels

      http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-ham-could-swoop-swansea-12454074

      1. diesel001
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        West Ham have no intention of buying these players - just trying to unsettle them. If I was Defoe, Snodgrass or Siggy I would put them to the sword when I next play them.

      2. JAC THE CAT
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        4 Million bid?

        1. Ógie
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          £20m they might be serious this time

      3. Ayew Serious
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Time to make a Zaha and Gaston offer

      4. Business Cat
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Surely Snodgrass would be the drop-in replacement.

    10. ILOVEBAPS
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Still puzzled why Walker got so many nap points for an assist.
      Anyone got a clue?

      1. ILOVEBAPS
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        *bap

      2. Numb
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Plus CS

      3. S.Kuqi
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Succesfull crosses, take ons and chances created.

        1. ILOVEBAPS
          • 13 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Sure but they didn't exist before the assist. At least according to the Bap updates.

    11. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Ville ronka going back to the top of the hall of fame?

      1. S.Kuqi
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Did he cap Kane?

        1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
          • 15 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Not sure I don't have his team here but I'd imagine him or Sanchez

      2. Differentiator
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Hope so. I brought in Stanislas too 😉

      3. Kryten
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        He did th same transfers as me

      4. TorresMagic™
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Decent chance depending on the 2 above.

      5. XabiAlonso
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        By the end of the season at least

      6. XabiAlonso
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Giving a mid season hof rank is bizarre imho

    12. JAC THE CAT
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      2 played

      I'm on -5 with my hit 🙂

      1. DA Minnion (Former great)
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        That's shocking.

      2. XabiAlonso
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Ouch

      3. Deulofail
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        I'm on 0 with 3 played, if one of Cedric or Bertrand doesn't play

      4. Cilly Bonnolly
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Yeah my minileague leader's the same. Phillips and McAuley played.

    13. ElliotJHP
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Kane (C) Rose and Alli, dece start x

      1. JAC THE CAT
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Can't get much better than that

    14. Fred54
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Starting on -8.

      Had 5 players from this game.

      -3, 2, 11, 10, 6.

      18 up I think. Head hurts so much can't even do basic maths lol.

    15. Syd.
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      West Brom have had some hammerings this season

      Such an overrated bunch of Penguin Tossers

      1. Differentiator
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Brunt a nice differential going forward 🙂

      2. diesel001
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Next 5 GWs will determine WBA's season. Same with Arsenal starting today - need to get 12 pts from the next 5 games.

    16. Shultan
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Jakus back!!!!!

      1. Bellerinmondo
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Just saw this too. Brilliant!

    17. TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Chances of Eriksen knicking 2 bonus? Walker's bps seem high

      1. Syd.
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Zero

        CS & Assist for Walker

      2. Uppercut Panda - A legend i…
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Dont hold your breath

      3. George Sillett
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Zero .

    18. JJJ
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Only 8 saves? I swear I saw 5 in 5 minutes...... poor 2 points for foster, deserved more.

      1. Team Cruel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Yeah deserved 10 points for conceding 4

        1. XabiAlonso
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Haha

    19. Bellerinmondo
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      0 from 1 here, not a great start

      1. XabiAlonso
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Get some spurs

      2. Fred54
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Brunt I assume. Its all relati e though. McCauley would have got you -3.

    20. Ziro
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Just for reference. Earlier lineups had two teams missing 😳

      Full 3PM KOs:

      Burnley: Heaton, Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward, Hendrick, Marney, Defour, Boyd, Barnes, Gray,
      Subs: Tarkowski (26), Darikwa (27), Flanagan (4), Robinson (17), Kightly (11), Barton (19), Vokes (9)

      Southampton: Forster, Alves Soares, Yoshida, van Dijk, Bertrand, Ward-Prowse, Romeu Vidal, Højbjerg, Tadic, Long, Redmond,
      Subs: Sims (39), Taylor (28), Stephens (24), Clasie (4), Rodriguez (9), Reed (18), Martina (15)

      Hull City: Jakupovic, Maguire, Dawson, Davies, Clucas, Mason, Huddlestone, Robertson, Snodgrass, Hernández, Diomande,
      Subs: Tymon (28), Marshall (23), Livermore (14), Goebel (40), Bowen (29), Niasse (24), Weir (17)

      AFC Bournemouth: Boruc, Smith, Cook, Mings, Daniels, Arter, Surman, Stanislas, Wilshere, Fraser, Afobe,
      Subs: Wilson (13), Federici (23), Gosling (4), King (17), Smith (14), Pugh (7), Ibe (33)

      Sunderland: Mannone, Denayer, O'Shea, Djilobodji, Love, Larsson, Rodwell, van Aanholt, Borini, Defoe, Januzaj,
      Subs: Honeyman (39), Simões Domingues (12), Embleton (40), Maja (35), Asoro (29), Jones (2), Manquillo (21)

      Stoke City: Grant, Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Whelan, Adam, Shaqiri, Allen, Arnautovic, Crouch,
      Subs: Given (24), Afellay (14), Imbula (21), Ngoy (45), Muniesa (5), Taylor (42), Bardsley (2)

      Swansea City: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Kingsley, Ki, Cork, Dyer, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Llorente,
      Subs: Fer (8), McBurnie (62), Rangel (22), Nordfeldt (13), Fulton (56), van der Hoorn (5), González Tomás (10)

      Arsenal: Cech, de Abreu, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Ramsey, Xhaka, Sánchez, Özil, Iwobi, Giroud,
      Subs: Maitland-Niles (55), Ospina (13), Holding (16), Reine-Adelaide (31), Pérez Martínez (9), Oxlade-Chamberlain (15), Welbeck (23)

      Watford: Gomes, Kaboul, Prödl, Britos, Kabasele, Capoue, Behrami, Holebas, Doucouré, Deeney, Okaka,
      Subs: Zuniga Mosquera (18), Watson (23), Pantilimon (30), Sinclair (19), Cathcart (15), Ighalo (24), Cleverley (8)

      Middlesbrough: Valdés, Chambers, Espinosa Zúñiga, Gibson, Friend, da Silva, de Roon, Leadbitter, Forshaw, Stuani, Negredo,
      Subs: Traoré (37), Clayton (8), Gestede (29), Guzan (12), Downing (19), Fry (22), Fischer (11)

      West Ham United: Randolph, Collins, Reid, Ogbonna, Antonio, Noble, Obiang, Cresswell, Lanzini, Feghouli, Carroll,
      Subs: Fletcher (24), Quina (36), Calleri (28), San Miguel del Castillo (13), Byram (22), Oxford (35), Fernandes (31)

      Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Tomkins, Dann, Delaney, McArthur, Ledley, Townsend, Cabaye, Puncheon, Benteke,
      Subs: Kelly (34), Fryers (19), Lee (14), Remy (8), Speroni (1), Schlupp (31), Flamini (4)

      1. S.Kuqi
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Thanks Parm

        1. Ziro
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Thanks Jafooli. Always a pleasure.

      2. tm245
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Cheers.

      3. rivercityransom
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        high time to bring me some points cedric

    21. Hurricane Gilbert
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Kane back to his best again? Didn't watch the game

      1. Epic Fail
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Scored a hat trick.

      2. Cocky Spaniel Alves
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Could've had about 6 first half alone.

      3. S.Kuqi
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Could have had 5

      4. Hurricane Gilbert
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        So unlike other games Spurs looked to set him up?

      5. Business Cat
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        A lot better than a month ago...looking ominous

    22. Fred54
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      I couldn't get Kane in because I tripled up on Spurs before it was cool.

    23. davies
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Valencia > Walker a no brainer?

      1. Epic Fail
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Rose

    24. Cocky Spaniel Alves
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Had Kane c until this morning. Well s'pose having him is good enough.

      1. Epic Fail
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Having him as captain after the deadline is what counts.

        1. Cocky Spaniel Alves
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Cheers!

      2. Lizard Lips
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        In the exact same boat. Why did you change? I tend to bottle it whenever there is a runaway poll leader, so I switched to Alexis last minute (literally 🙁 ).

        1. Cocky Spaniel Alves
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          Pretty much the same. Just hadn't thought about it really before and left it on Kane.

          Asked who to go for here this morning. People said Alexis. I thought fair enough.

    25. Ziro
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Kane, Eriksen and Walker triplers group-hug? 😎

      1. S.Kuqi
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Rose,Walker, Eriksen owner here standing aside watching you guys hugging 🙁

        1. Ziro
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 17 days ago

          You did ok. Spurs triple up is looking good atm. So attacking and lots of goals.

          1. Ziro
            • 11 Years
            9 years, 17 days ago

            Not to mention the defence being water-tight as usual.

            1. Camp No No
              • 12 Years
              9 years, 17 days ago

              And neither CL nor cup fixtures.

    26. Syd.
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      I only have 1 player tomorrow

      1. diesel001
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 17 days ago

        Big day for you today then. 7 for me tomorrow.

    27. The Overthinker
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 17 days ago

      Costa to Kane bandwagon let it roll !!