Scout Notes
6 August 2017 2986 comments
davidwardale davidwardale
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Spurs win at Wembley, only for a Kieran Trippier injury to ring the Fantasy alarm bells, while Crystal Palace conclude a solid summer with a draw.

Elsewhere, Watford’s uninspiring pre-season finishes with another goalless affair and an equally lacklustre West Brom lose in Spain.

Here’s the second instalment of notes from Saturday’s action.

Spurs 2 Juventus 0

Fantasy ups and downs were in abundance at Wembley as Spurs completed their pre-season with a fine win over European A-listers Juventus.

The ups were many: Harry Kane delighted his 35.3% Fantasy Premier League ownership base with a goal; Christian Eriksen (13.8%) also scored and Spurs won at their new home to begin the long campaign to convince us all that Wembley won’t be a graveyard for their ambitions.

But the downside was an injury to right-back Kieran Trippier that has the potential to throw the defensive plans of 19.4% of FPL managers – he’s the most popular Spurs backline asset in the game – into some disarray.

Speaking post-match, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino didn’t offer many clues as to the extent of Trippier’s issue.

“Kieran twisted his ankle, and we need to wait until Monday to assess him…Until we assess him and do a scan, we need to wait. You never know. The feeling now is better than at half-time. But still we need to wait and we cannot saying anything today and wait until Monday.”

Kyle Walker-Peters replaced Trippier. If the ex-Burnley man’s injury rules him out for a spell, then Walker-Peters – yet to be added to the FPL game – could emerge as a bargain route. However, quotes post-match from the Spurs boss suggested that the 20-year-old would not be considered for starts as yet.

He’s [Walkers-Peters] very young. It’s true that to think and to give the big responsibility like Kieran; it’s too much today for him. He’s a player that needs to work with us and maybe start to play in different games, but we cannot think that, in the case of Kieran’s weeks away from the team, only he can replace him.

Instead, Pochettino is likely to field a back four at Newcastle United in Gameweek 1 and turn to Eric Dier at right-back.

A four-man defence was used against Juventus, with Kane a lone striker supported by Eriksen, Dele Alli and Moussa Sissoko.

Kane headed home from a Trippier cross to open the scoring. Eriksen’s second-half goal was set up by Alli.

Spurs’ first four matches of the campaign are a mix of the good – Newcastle away, Burnley at home – and the tricky – a visit from Chelsea and a trip to Everton.

In fact, the first 12 Gameweeks are a combination of sweet and potentially sour, but that hasn’t stopped FPL managers including plenty of Spurs players in their squads.

No fewer than six of them have double-digit ownership figures, with Jan Vertonghen (9.7%) close to being a seventh. Trippier’s potential loss could have an impact on that, of course, but worries over Wembley might just be beginning to subside.

Pochettino was certainly happy with their new home, and more besides.

“It was good to play at Wembley before the start of the season, good to believe in the way we play and recover the feeling in the way we play and for me, that’s most important, not the result. Okay, the result gives you more belief, but it was about the performance, not the result.”

With Dier poised to replace Trippier at right-back should he be sidelined, Sissoko could be retained in midfield against his former club.

However, Pochettino also indicated that Heung-Min Son has not been ruled out of contention for the Tyneside trip.

“He [Son] is working hard. It’s true that he’s still recovering from his problem. Then next week we need to assess him if he’s available to be selected for next week.”

Spurs XI: Lloris; Trippier (Walker-Peters 41), Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele (Wimmer 90); Sissoko (Georgiou 65), Alli (Winks 65), Eriksen (Oakley-Boothe 90); Kane (Janssen 78).

Crystal Palace 1 Schalke 04 1

Palace boss Frank de Boer seems to have settled on a back three as his side again went with wing-backs and made it three straight matches without defeat.

Julian Speroni – a 4.0 option in FPL – started in goal behind a defence that once more included midfielder Luka Milivojevic as a centre-back.

That continues to blunt his Fantasy appeal, although he is the side’s dead ball specialist, but does mean Ruben Loftus-Cheek – a 4.5-priced 14.2%-owned budget enabler – continues to be handed a starting role in the Eagles midfield.

Andros Townsend now seems nailed-on as a wing-back, which doesn’t do his Fantasy prospects much good, but Patrick van Aanholt’s second consecutive start on the opposite flank certainly boosts his stock.

A modest 4.0% of managers agree although that makes him the team’s most popular defensive pick.

Christian Benteke got his first goal of the summer against the Germans, with Wilfried Zaha providing the assist. The pair are owned by 10.0% and 22.9% respectively – testament to their genuine attacking threat in a side with a relatively favourable first five fixtures.

The one joker in the pack could be striker Jason Lokilo. The youngster also started against FC Metz over the summer – de Boer clearly sees something in the 18-year-old – although he is yet to be added into the FPL game.

De Boer had this to say on Lokilo in his post-match comments…

“I didn’t know him when I came in as he was an under-23 player but Mark Bright mentioned that he is one of the talented players in that group. We were a man or two short in training so we picked him to participate in them and he made a great impression of his qualities, and that’s why he deserved to play today.”

As for Speroni, we still feel that Wayne Hennessey will get the nod for the visit of Huddersfield Town in Gameweek 1, though this is far from certain.

Should the Palace veteran get the nod, he would join Newcastle United’s Rob Elliot as a second active 4.0 option to change the landscape of our keeper selection policy.

Crystal Palace XI: Speroni; Milivojevic, Dann, Reidewald (Tomkins 81); Townsend (Ward 70), Puncheon, Loftus-Cheek, Van Aanholt; Zaha, Lokilo (Lee 79), Benteke.

Watford 0 Real Sociedad 0

A second consecutive goalless stalemate drew the curtains on Watford’s rather drab summer.

Or, to put a more positive spin on it, that was the Hornets’ fourth clean sheet in six pre-season matches.

Either way, FPL interest in Watford assets remains appropriately underwhelming, with the side’s most popular player – the 8.0%-owned midfielder Etienne Capoue – only given a cameo role against Sociedad.

Boss Marco Silva, however, devoted some of his post-match comments to denying reports of a rift with the player.

“I don’t want to talk about what newspapers said. Normally I don’t have many problems with players in my career. The player worked hard. Today in his cameo he worked hard as well, and that’s what I want from my players.”

One of the few noteworthy aspects of yesterday’s match was new signing Nathaniel Chalobah featuring in the holding midfield role alongside Abdoulaye Doucoure, while Jerome Sinclair was preferred up front to Stefano Okaka as Troy Deeney continues to recover from injury.

Deeney is very unlikely to make the season opener with Liverpool, with Silva delivering his update on his fitness post-match…

“With Troy, he progressed well and we expect him to start to work with the team next week, with some precautions.”

Watford XI: Gomes; Janmaat (Femenia 70), Kaboul (Mariappa 79), Britos (Prodl 71), Holebas (Mason 79); Doucouré (Watson 72), Chalobah (Capoue 70); Amrabat, Cleverley (Hughes 71), Pereyra (Success 70); Sinclair (Okaka 46).

Deportivo La Coruna 2 West Brom 0

West Brom’s excellent set of opening fixtures has prompted many FPL managers to take the Baggies bait.

Bournemouth, Stoke City and West Ham at home and trips to Burnley and Brighton in the first five Gameweeks have rightly attracted attention.

But their summer form has been the wrong side of lacklustre, with five defeats and a draw in eight matches.

The latest setback arrived at the hands of Deportivo, with Jake Livermore receiving a straight red card.

Livermore had earlier taken on the armband after Jonny Evans was withdrawn late from the Baggies line-up. No explanation has been given for that decision, with the centre-back named in the original starting XI. Indeed, as of yet, there is absolutely no post-match reaction from the club in the local press, on social media or via their official site.

The pre-season is all about fitness rather than results, but a single clean sheet doesn’t bode well for a side that currently offers so little going forward.

Goalkeeper Ben Foster is, by some distance, the Baggies’ most popular FPL pick, with a 16.5% ownership base. In fact, no other West Brom player gets anywhere near double-digit ownership.

Their schedule remains inviting, their form anything but, and Fantasy apathy towards the rest of the side is entirely understandable.

West Brom XI: Foster (Myhill 46); Wilson, Dawson (O’Shea 46), Hegazi, Nyom (Roberts 67); Livermore, Yacob (Field 62), McClean, Rodriguez (Harper 46), Phillips (Leko 58); Rondon (Robson-Kanu 46).

Be sure to check out all the summer action in our Pre-Season Guide.

2,986 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Sánchez
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    I hope all my ML rivals think the free hit chip is just a FT too

  2. :
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Is Morata just a slower Giroud?

    1. Lord Flashheart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      is it even possible?

    2. Respect My Authoritah
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Pretty skillful and can dribble. Probably faster than Giroud

    3. FlockofSeagulls
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Similar player but Morata is much more technically sound than Giroud.

  3. ludaslol
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    A. willian + tadic

    B. salah + TC

    352

    1. Silva’s Left Nut
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      B

  4. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    A. Mane+Atsu
    B. Salah/Coutinho+JWP

  5. how now brown cow
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Not sure I've learned anything from watching this.

    1. HamezMace
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Did you Kolasinac?

      1. HamezMace
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        Did you have*

  6. Waxys
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    walcott legit needs to be subbed off

  7. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Pens 🙂

  8. Sepp Blattered
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Foster
    Danilo Trippier Delaney
    KDB Eriksen Willian Zaha
    Lukaku Lacazette Firmino

    Thoughts on GW 1 team?

    1. Smoky Johnson
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      *whispers* Get Kane.

    2. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Laca looked like he needs some adjusting to PL today...

      1. Annie
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        Based on what? (don't own)

        1. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 12 months ago

          Not many deliberate runs... seemed to be reacting rather than dictating the game

    3. Andy_Social
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Doesn't look like Delaney will start.

  9. Art Vandelay
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Ok. With the impending ABBA format penalty shootout, who would you pick to take a penalty? I would go with Sadie Mane Mane Mane and Fernando Torres. Who is in your squad? 😆

    1. Waxys
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Rooney, Milner, and Lacazette

      best pen takers in the league atm

      1. Deeney-is-a-god
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        Rooney isn't that good at penalties though... Baines is better

        1. Waxys
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 1 hour ago

          no

    2. Banana Shaqiri - HMD, PUP
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Underrated joke there. Good job!

    3. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Agnetha, Benny, Anna-Frid, then Bjorn

      1. Art Vandelay
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        Surely Bjorn before Anna-Frid?

    4. Reuser
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Wimmer takes them all.

      1. Art Vandelay
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        Nice.

        Won't score past Walterloo Zenga though.

  10. I Member
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Martin Tyler said two yellows would not result in a suspension but a straight red would.

    1. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Martin Tyler isn't commentating.

      1. Agger
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        He is on Fox Sports.
        Has it ever occured to you that this game is being broadcasted all over the world on all sorts of stations?

      2. FlockofSeagulls
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        😆

    2. Marstar
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Unless it changed agian.

      "It was reported that Ivanovic would be banned for three matches, starting with Chelsea's opening Barclays Premier League fixture at Wigan next Sunday.

      However, a change in FA ruling in August 2009 means that red cards in pre-season fixtures do not result in suspensions from competitive games.

      As the rule change covered all non-competitive pre-season fixtures, including the Community Shield, it means Ivanovic will be free to play at the DW Stadium."

  11. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Here comes ABBA apparently

    1. ᶠᶦˡᵗʰʸLucre $$$
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Going to be confusing for those in the stadium if there isn't a video scoreboard

  12. H-SF
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Wooo penos

  13. SilkySkills
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Moses over Alonso?

    1. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Misses GW1.

      1. SilkySkills
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        How do you know that?

        1. Rainer
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 1 hour ago

          Red flag.

          1. SilkySkills
            • 12 Years
            9 years, 1 hour ago

            He played today and scored, seems ready to start

          2. SilkySkills
            • 12 Years
            9 years, 1 hour ago

            Ahh, I see.

        2. Chris_White
          • 15 Years
          9 years, 1 hour ago

          Suspended

          1. SilkySkills
            • 12 Years
            9 years, 1 hour ago

            Ahh, I see

  14. internal error
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Will the goals scored in the penalty shoot out count towards goal difference in the league?

    1. FlockofSeagulls
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Only saved penalties count towards goals against in the league proper.

      MARTIN TYLER SAID SO!

  15. Jay_
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    2 x Wing backs with the goals (assuming Kola will mostly be a LWB). Makes the 4 or 5 at the back formations even more appealing.

  16. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 16 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Abba penalty shootout incoming

  17. Waxys
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Pens

    1. Annie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Are you watching on a potato? Lag is horrendous

  18. French Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Kolasinac bandwagon leaving the station soon ?

    1. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Only a few seats left.

      1. Smoky Johnson
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        *hiding inside luggage*

  19. Piggs Boson
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Here come the Abba puns...

    1. Art Vandelay
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      See above, although seems to gone above. few heads...

  20. Wilshere Knowledge
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Xhaka was exceptional again today. Love him so much. 😀

    1. Debauchy
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Aye , turned the corner

  21. Waxys
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    ill bet any money lacazette will score his pen

    1. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      😆

    2. TheDogTor
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Do it then, put your house on skybet quick

      1. Simon69
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        * laptop... please.....

    3. Simon69
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Well worth a comment, that.

  22. jmcclory123
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    no extra time?

  23. FPL Emu
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    How many clean sheets will Arsenal get with their current defensive setup, though?

    1. Sleep Talk
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Save Kola for gw 4 I say

  24. filip747
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Will Pep play with 2 up Front ?

  25. Sánchez
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    One of my MLs is a work H2H league of about 10 players that I have always won. Guy I work with has told me there's an organised plan with the rest of them being arranged whereby whoever faces me each week will use a chip so I'm against a BB TC or FH almost every week. Not sure if he's winding me up but I sort of find it really funny if he isn't.

    1. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Mind games being played...impossible

    2. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      My mates are creating a mini league called No Ogie and no Denis referring to me and another friend that dominate all the local mini leagues.

      The price of success 😉

  26. Ógie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    What is this new penalty format all about?

    1. Davido989
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      A
      BB
      A

    2. Sánchez
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      I know. Pathetic. Is this just an English football thing?

      1. how now brown cow
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 1 hour ago

        60% teams going first win the old format.

    3. Waxys
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      it's really good

    4. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Don't know the format but the winner still takes it all.

  27. Waxys
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Xhaka i feel we may have overlooked him.
    He's no sanchez but sanchez doesn't cost 5.5

    1. Simon69
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      He's 5.5 because he's a defensive midfielder, lad.

    2. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 hour ago

      Brilliant match for Xhaka

  28. stachman
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Well... I had only Kola before today from both teams and can't say that anything made me reconsider...

  29. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Did anyone notice how high up the field Bellerin played all game???

  30. evilfish
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 hour ago

    Schrodinger's Pedro?