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Happy New Year from Fantasy Football Scout

A very, very happy New Year to all of our readers and site users.

There’ll be plenty of us seeing in 2019 with one eye on the Gameweek 21 deadline, which passes at 11:30 GMT tomorrow.

I’ll personally be glad to see the back of this festive fixture period and the brutal turnaround time between Gameweeks, which leaves precious little time for meaningful analysis as both a writer and Fantasy manager.

And let’s not get started on those Yuletide pressers, which are variously embargoed, delayed until after a deadline or simply not held at all.

Bah, humbug.

As a long-term frequenter of these pages (the badge might say “1” but I’ve been a loiterer since the days of Puffinboy) I never quite understood the levels of work that Mark, Paul, Joe and the legions of freelance writers put into Fantasy Football Scout before I came on board and I have a new-found appreciation for the toil and time it must have taken to get this site to where it is now.

And where would be we without the mods (insert your own gag here) and tireless tech guys (Ed and Mat) who keep these pages working and swear word-free, round the clock, 365 days a year. I thank you all for your fantastic contributions and for making my life so much easier.

It’s been a mad old first seven months in the job and a steep learning curve but it’s an absolute thrill to be on board, doing something I enjoy and hopefully not completely undoing a decade of graft put in by Mark and co.

Most of all, I thank you the site users for first making myself and David feel welcome upon joining in May and for your suggestions and feedback (mostly constructive) ever since.

Without you, there is no Fantasy Football Scout, and there is no deputy editor’s job. I am massively privileged and fortunate to have ended up doing this as a vocation but I never forget that without someone to read the drivel I put out on a daily basis, I’m out of employment.

One of the things I’ve been most frustrated with so far is simply not having the time to be more hands-on with the community and responding to you more directly, due to the hours required to take care of the bread and butter of the site. Other than retweets and the odd Simpsons reference, I am not particularly active on Twitter either and both things are something I’m hoping to address in 2019.

I don’t want you to feel that any complaints and concerns about the site are falling on deaf ears (hopefully Geoff catches most of them – top work, that man) and I’m hoping that in the pre-season of 2019/20, if not before, we can really give a lot more attention to whatever irks you.

Here’s to a year of green arrows and top 1k finishes.

All the best, folks.

Neale

 

1,773 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Forza Papac
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    How bad do we expect rotation to be this GW? Wing-backs like Digne and Doherty have played every minute of the festive fixtures so far. That's a lot of minutes given the physical demands of their position. Bracing myself for benchings.

    1. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Bracing myself for braces

    2. Stockport Hatter
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Nah they’re young athletes. No reason at all not to be able to play tomorrow. They can be tested in the FA Cup. Made out to be right softies these days. I think it’s all this dressing like girls with skinny jeans and no socks these young ones do these days which makes the managers think they’re soft and can’t handle it - plus the pathetic diving when someone breathes on their neck!!!

      1. Stockport Hatter
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Rested not tested.

      2. Forza Papac
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Okay dad.

      3. piquiblanco
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Love the sarkazm mate - that's what it was, right?

        1. Stockport Hatter
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Apart from it’s all true! None of this from the likes of Souness back in the day. Get out and play especially for the ridiculous pay. You guys are obviously young and think blokes being soft is normal - I can’t blame you for being born when you were.

          Happy New Year nonetheless. It goes on cycles. Within 10 years we’ll have tough men playing the game again 😉

      4. J T
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Have you ever played sports at a competitive level?

        1. Stockport Hatter
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          😀

        2. Stockport Hatter
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Yes and without perfect snooker table esque pitches.

          1. J T
            • 6 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            Lol. Surely you must know that playing at such a level with such little time to recouperate will effect the level of performance you can physically provide? Unless you played..err.. snooker 😀

            1. Richd
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 5 months ago

              Affect

            2. tm370
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 9 Years
              5 years, 5 months ago

              Football is miles quicker than it was - the old pace was a joke. Put most players through too much strain and they will get injured, either now or in the near future.

              There is a squad for a reason.

            3. Forza Papac
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 5 months ago

              Reminds me of when Rangers got the UEFA cup final in 2008 and the SPL/SFA refused to reschedule league/cup fixtures so they had to play something insane like 5 games in 12 days. A woman called up Radio Clyde football phone in claiming she didn't know what all the fuss was about because "they're big strapping lads"

  2. FF Dirtbag
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Really want to get a captain decision correct for once:

    Kane or Hazard??

    1. michudagawd
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Hazard

    2. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I'm on Auba at the minute but thinking on Salah

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Helpful 😛

        1. FF Dirtbag
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          I thought that too

        2. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          So I'm saying I prefer them over his two.

    3. FPLGeezer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I'm going Hazard over Kane

    4. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Because asking us will ensure you get it right? 😉 Kane

      1. FF Dirtbag
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        I usually go on my own Judgement and that has been a major fail. But agree it won't be a guarantee ha!

    5. ★Kuntheman★
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I think the real captain choice will end up coming out of the MCI v LIV game but I don’t have the balls to captain anyone in that game

      I say Kane

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        I had it on Sane earlier but chickened out

        1. ★Kuntheman★
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Expecting City to go all out for the win. Either means we haul or Liverpool owns us on the counter. I think Salah vs Zinchenko and Sane vs TAA are prime captains

          1. ★Kuntheman★
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            Also Aguero has a 100% goal scoring home record against Liverpool, would be worth a sneaky cap punt if anyone had him. I remember capping him against LIV a lot over the past few years

            1. michudagawd
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 5 months ago

              Has he faced VVD in that Liverpool defence though?

              1. ★Kuntheman★
                • 8 Years
                5 years, 5 months ago

                VVD has not faced Aguero at home, no 😉

    6. Schafsalat
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I'm on Hazard at the moment. Might change for Kane. Or maybe Auba. But I might be wrong in any case ;-). Probably gonna stay with Hazard.

  3. michudagawd
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Hazard and Pogba will terrify me this week as I don't own them.

    1. ★Kuntheman★
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      A drunk -16 can remedy that

      1. michudagawd
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Could do Sané to Pogba for a -4 as I don't have any FTs remaining but I don't want to go without City coverage and I have Martial.

  4. ooooo
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Which one this week for free?
    A) Alonso + Auba to Digne + Kane
    B) Alonso + Sterling to Holebas + Salah.

    1. dbeck
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I did Kane to auba, don’t like any of those

  5. Shultan
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Is sane/martial/mitro > ings/haz (C) & pobga a good idea for -4?

    Fab/Hamer
    Alonso/perira/Shaw/Diop/AWB
    Salah/Sane/martial/rich/gendouzi
    Kane/Jimi/mitro

    1. Slitherene
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Alonso + Martial - > Digne + Pogba

  6. No Salah
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Happy new year everyone!
    Captain choices:
    A) Auba
    B) Kane
    C) Hazard
    D) Pogba

    First three votes gets the captaincy.

    1. michudagawd
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      A or C take your pick.

    2. FPL Forward Thinker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      D) Pogba

    3. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      B

    4. the snazzy viking
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      A

    5. V-2 Schneiderlin
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      A

    6. No Salah
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Auba wins it!

  7. Pacer.
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Sanchez ready to be involved according to Olly S.

    Interesting to watch how this pans out.

  8. LSK
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Gtg?

    Fab

    Digne Doherty Kola

    Salah Hazard (c) Sane Pogba Lingard

    Auba (v) Jimenez

    Hamer AWB Robertson Kamara

  9. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Approaching price moves deadline hour

  10. ooooo
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    What to do with 2ft?
    Fabianski
    Alonso VVD Robbo
    Haz Sterling Felipe Richarlison
    Auba Rashford Jiminez

    Button WB Bennett Hojberg

    1. piquiblanco
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I would upgrade Sterling to Salah and finance it by downgrading Alonso.

      Or straight Sterling to Pogba and then get Salah next week with two FTs.

  11. pjomara
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    I own Son but not Pogba.
    I think Son will outscore Pogba over next 2 games, any anyone else agree?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Possibly, possibly not, but I wouldn't ship Son for Pogba at the moment if that was my only feasible route to him.

  12. white heart pain
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    GTG?

    Fab
    Doherty Digne AWB
    Salah Haz(c) ogba Richalson Anderson
    Kane Jimenez

    Speroni Robbo Bennett Kamara

    Robbo or AWB?

  13. HonestBlatter
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Any news about Balbuena. Has been horrific transfer but still keeping and hoping

  14. Carcetti
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Why aare people getting rid of F.Anderson?

    1. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I'm keeping only one from Irons to produce magic

    2. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Pogba...straight swap money-wise

      1. Business Cat
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        I'm not getting rid of FAnderson (yet) incidentally

    3. The 5% Team
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      who are getting rid...he's still one of the most transferred in players this week and also rising on fplstatistics

  15. FPL Forward Thinker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Happy New Year to all from Scotland

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Hoots Mon! HNY! 🙂

      1. FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        As a Yorkshire boy originally I had to look that one up.

  16. Kuzser
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Who to bench:
    1) Schindler (BUR)
    2) Pereira (Eve)

    Defence will be Trippier, Digne, XXX

    1. ooooo
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      1

  17. smix
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Get Jimenez in for Ings for a hit. Or play Deulofeu?

    1. Pep's Money Laundry
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Deulofeu

  18. Paddyb1982
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Arnie for mitro or luiz for laporte

    1. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Puntiness of A

  19. FPLEL
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Bavies -> Doherty or Luiz?

    1. J T
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Luiz

    2. Paddyb1982
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Luiz

  20. Now I'm Panicking
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    A) drunk transfers
    B) hungover transfers

    1. J T
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      B fix’s A

    2. Fantasy Gold
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      A

    3. FPL Forward Thinker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Neither. Made sure they were done and dusted by 30 Dec.

    4. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      B and hope you oversleep

  21. 007 [RoboKlopp]
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Wilson -> Jimenez
    For free, good move or not?

    1. FPL Forward Thinker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Thumbs up

      1. FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Good move

    2. ooooo
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      yes

  22. ooooo
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    sorry for rp
    Fabianski
    Alonso VVD Robbo
    Haz Sterling Felipe Richarlison
    Auba Rashford Jiminez

    Button WB Bennett Hojberg

    Sterling + Alonso to salah + Holebas for free?

    1. ooooo
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      anyone able to help only a few mins left

    2. Macam Dave
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I've dropped sterling for Salah next window and I dropped Alonso ages ago as just don't think worth it tho I know many others rate him. Good moves for me tho cohldnu not get digne instead of holebas.

    3. tm370
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I'd just worry about it this week - Sterling and Alonso outscore Salah and Holebas this week imo. I would wait one week.

    4. Kuzser
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Next week yes

  23. Pep's Money Laundry
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Chilwell (eve) is currently first on my bench, would you start him over any of:

    Ings(che)
    Robbo (mci)
    Snodgrass (BHA)

    1. Fantasy Gold
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Nope

    2. ooooo
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      no

  24. GXNG
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Lingard to Pogba? Have 2FT. I know it could backfire but in the long term I think it will pay off

    1. Macam Dave
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I've got both as added pog recently tho I'm in transition as ling out v soon unless starts scoring. Pogba Def better long term tho ling could easy haul if you swap 1:1. Coin flip for me

    2. Schafsalat
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I've just watched one ManU match this season (the last one), Pogba seemed like the better choice this game at least. So yes, I'd do it.

  25. Scratch
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    So hope City do Liverpool this week. No City players mind, but we really don't need a team practically out of sight by the start of January.

  26. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    I really have no idea how to use my 2FTs this week. Or even one of them. What would you do here? Have 3.4m in the bank to spend.

    Fab
    Doherty, Digne, Robertson
    Hazard, Sane, Pogba, Anderson, Snoddy
    Kane, Mitro

    Hamer, Schindler, AWB, Kamara

    1. The Polymath
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Go ahead, flaunt it about. 😀

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        I don't think my team is that great to be honest, just no particular xfer is popping out at me

        1. The Polymath
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Auba for Mitro, could do really well

    2. tm370
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      I'm not keen on Snoddy - I'd prefer Rich.
      But I'd look at Mitro or Kamara to Jiminez. Wolves' fixtures are fantastic apart from City away

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Yeah the one im most tempted by is Mitro to Jiminez. Just worried as Mitro's stats are decent

    3. Scratch
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Robertson -> TAA perhaps. Would allow you wind up Sane -> Salah next week, or this week.

      Would probably consider ditching Snodgrass. Nasri in the mix now.I suppose Kamara -> Jimenez is another option.

      Loads of things you could do

      Hamer -> Button if you really don't want to change anything.

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Some good suggestions there, cheers

    4. Schafsalat
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Snoddy to Rich/Siggy?

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Yep, thats another one I'm tempted by!

    5. mysteryDave
      • 15 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      You have a nice squad.

      I'd look to upgrade one of Anderson, Snotgrass or one of your bench players.

      Snotgrass to Martial?
      Schindler to Luiz?
      Hamer to Button?
      Anderson to Mane?

  27. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Small possibility of no rises me thinks.

  28. tm370
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Guys which of these would you do?
    A) Laporte for Luiz (Have Alonso, but will shift him in a later week)
    B) Martial for Anderson (Have Pogba and Rashford)

    1. The Polymath
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Neither

      A) Man City can't keep CS
      B)Too many United players

      1. Les Bleus
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        This

    2. ooooo
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      b but save , able to help above?

      1. tm370
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Sorry guys I was unclear - I'm bringing either Luiz or Anderson in

  29. FPL Forward Thinker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Hazard to Barkley

    I am not as think as you drunk I am.

  30. Les Bleus
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Would you guys downgrade Robbo to TAA to use those funds to get Pogba in the very near future? Or find a different way?