Scout Reports

What FPL managers can expect from new Chelsea boss Frank Lampard

The appointment of Frank Lampard as the new Chelsea head coach is an interesting one for Blues’ fans and Fantasy managers alike.

The retired midfielder has had only one year in club management, having led Derby County to a Championship play-off final in 2018/19.

Maurizio Sarri’s 11-month stay in west London ended with his appointment as Juventus manager in June and there is palpable hope among the Stamford Bridge faithful that Sarri’s exit could be a positive one for the club’s many academy products.

Lampard has already hinted that he will give youth a chance next season and that prospect will seem even likelier if Chelsea’s two-window transfer ban is upheld.

The departure of Eden Hazard is a blow and, with the Blues currently unable to recruit, we are faced with a strange situation of no Chelsea player being available for more than £7.5m in Fantasy Premier League next season.

Bargains could be had among the Blues’ squad, then, with the likes of Willian (£7.0m) and Christian Pulisic (£7.5m) catching the eye in the mid-price midfield bracket and several academy graduates – such as Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount, who are still yet to be priced up – potentially making the step up to senior level in 2019/20.

To help us piece together a picture of Lampard the manager, we have enlisted the help of Derby County fan site/Twitter account 12th Ram for further insight on the Chelsea boss.

What Style of Football Does Lampard Use?

The attacking returns posted by Jayden Bogle last season may be a clue as to how Frank Lampard wants his Chelsea full-backs to play in 2019/20.

We have only one season’s worth of evidence to draw upon but there were plenty of clues at Derby for what type of football Lampard will try to play in west London.

Like Sarri, Lampard frequently used a 4-3-3 but there were differences within the two systems.

Lampard often opted for an additional midfield enforcer (i.e. Bradley Johnson) just in front of the back four, as opposed to only playing a Jorginho (£5.0m)-type of ‘regista’ there.

N’Golo Kante (£5.0m) may well be the man Lampard turns to in that position, should he stick to a 4-3-3.

In his first press conference, Lampard said:

I’ve said it before, Kante is one of the greatest midfield players in the world. In the last few years, his performances have been outstanding. My job will be to find the best position to get the best out of him. I know the qualities, the attributes he has.

The new Chelsea boss exacted a high press from the front at Derby and high energy levels were asked of County’s midfielders and forwards when both in and out of possession.

The youthful zest of Ross Barkley (£6.0m) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£6.5m) may nicely fit into a similar system, although where that would leave Jorginho is another question.

It’s not a given that Lampard will use a 4-3-3 at Chelsea, of course. The new Blues’ boss experimented with a similar 4-2-3-1, a 4-4-2 and a wing-back system during 2018/19.

The full-backs in Lampard’s Derby teams have been encouraged to get forward to provide width, with County’s wide midfielders having generally played as more narrow inside-forwards rather than out-and-out wingers.

Right-back Jayden Bogle, indeed, registered more assists than any of his team-mates last season.

One of the weaknesses of Lampard’s stewardship has been the spaces left behind his gallivanting full-backs when they bomb forward.

Similarly, the new Chelsea boss’s insistence on a high line and playing out from the back also caused a problem or two.

12th Ram said:

Lampard was very clear from the outset that he wanted to play a fast, aggressive, attacking game and at times we saw that in action.

However, his stubbornness to mix up the tactics often led to us being one-dimensional and predictable. Especially playing out from the back when we didn’t have the players to do so – it cost us a few goals!

Most Derby fans would agree that his tactical stubbornness – or being naive – cost us a few times last season.

Rotation is the Fantasy manager’s nemesis and 12th Ram said that Lampard is prone to making the odd change to his line-ups on a week-to-week basis. In particular, he referenced the flanks, which could slightly temper interest in Willian and Pedro (£7.0m) ahead of the pre-season matches.

He’s a bit of a rotator but this doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his favourites. Expect changes each game but usually on the flanks or up top, whereas he tends to keep a more settled defence.

For much more detailed analysis of Lampard’s debut season as manager, may we point you in the direction of Ram Srinivas’s superb in-depth piece that delves into the Derby data from 2018/19.

Will Lampard put his faith in youth?

Tammy Abraham has returned to Chelsea after hitting 26 goals for Aston Villa in the Championship last season.

Lampard made positive noises about Chelsea’s youth system in his first press conference and indeed he worked with two of the club’s academy products at Derby last season.

Midfielder Mason Mount and centre-back Fikayo Tomori, who joined on loan from Chelsea in the summer of 2018, made 44 and 35 Championship appearances respectively for the Rams, with both players playing a prominent part in the play-offs too.

Five of the six players who racked up the most minutes for Derby in the second tier were 24 or under at the start of the campaign, one of whom was 18-year-old full-back Jayden Bogle.

However, 32-year-old Richard Keogh was an ever-present at the heart of the defence and thirtysomethings Bradley Johnson, Craig Bryson, Scott Carson, and Tom Huddlestone all made at least 20 league starts.

Veteran Ashley Cole was also recruited in the January transfer window to add experience to the squad.

As a result, not one of Derby’s starting XIs featured in the top 50 youngest matchday line-ups of the 2018/19 Championship season.

To paraphrase Alan Partridge, it will probably be evolution and not revolution at the Bridge next year as Lampard looks to bed in a few young prospects with the future in mind while retaining a senior core of players in the first team.

Indeed, in his press conference, Lampard said:

On one hand, trying to develop young players, I think that’s really important, but at the same time, I want to work with the experienced players. I want players that, whether you’re 18 years of age or 32 years of age, you feel like Chelsea’s your club.

If we talk about losing Eden Hazard, yes we can understand that. But at the same time, we also have a very strong squad of players and I don’t want to talk down this squad because there is huge talent there. A team that managed to come third last year in the Premier League and managed to win the Europa League. We haven’t been decimated, we haven’t lost players from everywhere, we still have a very strong squad.

How Did Lampard’s Derby Compare With Sarri’s Chelsea?

Both Maurizio Sarri and Eden Hazard have departed Stamford Bridge this summer.

While any statistical comparison between a Championship club and a side in the top flight is to be taken with a pinch of salt, it is worth looking at various underlying statistics to see how Derby County and Chelsea fared in 2018/19 – particularly as both teams were somewhere towards the top of their respective divisions.

Attacking Stats
TeamGoalsShotsShots on targetShots in the boxBig chancesShot accuracyGoal conversionAvg possession
Derby1.5113.334.596.961.4546.58%11.33%55.1%
Chelsea1.6615.975.189.952.5332.45%10.38%63.6%

Above: Underlying attacking stats for Derby and Chelsea in 2018/19 (including play-offs). All figures given bar shot accuracy, goal conversion and average possession are per game.

Chelsea bettered Derby for most of the key performance indicators listed above, although the Rams were more clinical with their chances.

What is illustrated here is just how many times Derby’s players chanced their arm from distance: 47.9% of their shots were from outside the box, a higher percentage than any other Premiership or Championship club.

Derby’s midfielders and forwards seem to have been actively encouraged by Lampard to try long-range efforts. No Championship player registered more attempts or goals from outside the box than Harry Wilson last season.

That may lead to more shots for the likes of Willian, Barkley and Loftus-Cheek, should a similar mentality be adopted at Stamford Bridge. Only 37.7% of Chelsea’s attempts were from outside the box in 2018/19.

As a result of this shoot-on-sight approach, the quality of opportunities was a concern. Derby’s rate of 1.45 big chances per game was bettered by 16 Premier League clubs in 2018/19.

Reading were the only second-tier club to have fewer shots in the six-yard box than Derby (31) last season.

Defensive Stats
TeamGoals concededClean sheetsShots concededShots on target concededShots in the box concededBig chances conceded
Derby1.200.2212.713.618.371.51
Chelsea1.030.429.183.265.681.45

Above: Underlying defensive stats for Derby and Chelsea in 2018/19 (including play-offs). All figures given are per game.

Chelsea outperformed Derby on the defensive front, with the Rams only recording 11 clean sheets in their 49 league and play-off matches: the Blues managed five more shut-outs in ten fewer games.

There was a very similar number of big chances conceded by both sides on average per game, although Derby were more prone to allowing shots in the box.

Did Lampard Make an Improvement at Derby on 2017/18?

Clean sheets weren’t easy to come by for Derby in 2018/19.

In the season before Lampard’s appointment, Derby finished sixth in the Championship – exactly where they did in 2018/19.

The Rams gained one point fewer under Lampard than they did under Gary Rowett, with their rate of goals (1.51 v 1.48) almost identical across the league and play-off matches in both campaigns.

Rowett’s Derby conceded at a rate of 1.04 goals per game, compared to 1.20 under Lampard.

Interestingly, Derby kept almost double the number of clean sheets under Rowett (20) – who was criticised in some quarters for his dour tactics – than they managed under Lampard (11).

The new Chelsea boss showed more attacking ambition than his predecessor at Pride Park, with Derby averaging 13.33 shots per game under Lampard compared to 11.81 under Rowett.

Lampard’s Rams did average more shots in the box per match than Rowett’s rather less exciting side (6.96 v 6.65) although there wasn’t a great deal in it as County repeatedly let fly from distance in the season just gone.

How Does Lampard Handle The Press?

Frank Lampard in his first press conference as Chelsea manager.

Lampard has always come across as fairly intelligent and polite as a player and pundit and those traits are again evident as a manager.

12th Ram said:

If you had half an eye on the Championship last season you would have heard all about Bielsa, Leeds and Spygate! Lampard carried himself incredibly well throughout it and rarely lost face.

In post-match interviews when we’d lost he’d be visibly angry but that’s what you want to see from the boss.

One of his big positives is his levelheadedness and professionalism with the media, as you’d expect from someone who’s been in the limelight for so many years.

What we FPL managers really want from him as Chelsea boss is clear and unequivocal quotes on the Blues’ injury situation.

According to 12th Ram, the prospects look good on that front:

He’s pretty upfront regarding injury news which will be a boost to Fantasy players. Can’t remember too many times where he’s been tricky in this regard.

Final Thoughts

Christian Pulisic, Chelsea’s most expensive player in FPL, is still cheaper than 13 other midfielders.

There is understandable caution about Lampard’s appointment given his inexperience at managerial level and the weaknesses that were apparent at Derby last season.

Nevertheless, it should be stressed that 2018/19 was as much a transitional year for the Rams as it was a learning curve for Lampard himself.

The then-County boss had to move several senior high-earners on early in his tenure and instil a completely different footballing ethos to the one his players were used to under the dour Rowett.

Any defensive frailties of his preferred style and formation would, you’d think, be helped no end by having Kante – rather than Tom Huddlestone or Bradley Johnson – to call upon in front of the back four in 2019/20.

It may well be that next season is a similarly transitional one for Chelsea that 2018/19 was for Derby, as Lampard begins the long-term process of integrating academy products into the first-team set-up and trying to coach “Sarri-ball” out of the senior players already at his disposal.

Should Chelsea’s transfer ban be upheld, Lampard would also be unable to recruit the exact type of player he is looking for to prosper in his system.

Pre-season will be an interesting watch, then, while the matches against Manchester United and Leicester City in Gameweeks 1 and 2 might be decent auditions if many of us are still to be convinced that the cut-price FPL options in Chelsea’s squad are as good as they seem.

1,169 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    I can't wait to win FPL this season

    1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Congratulations!

    2. Lingard’s Shin Guards
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Same

  2. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    So Perez may be just a second fiddle to Madison according to some.
    That's underwhelming information, I was considering him.

    1. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      sometimes the second fiddle is better than the first. just saying

      1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Can't they play together? I'm not up on the Foxes stratagem.

        1. Bggz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          i dont think anyone is yet

    2. Andy Unsocial
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      That's just rubbish.
      They went early for him and directly paid out his release clause.
      If he was a backup option,they wouldn't have been so desperate.

      1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        There's an insight on page 5 that suggests otherwise and I've heard another poster suggesting the same.
        However, preseason will no doubt give more insight.

  3. Herman Toothrot
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Thoughts?

    532

    Ryan
    VVD // Trippier // Digne // Walker // 5.5 (PVA currently)
    Salah // Sterling // Sigurdsson
    Vardy // King

    4.0 // Jorginho ( May make 4.5 to upgrade PVA to 6.0) // Dendoncker // Greenwood

    1. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      not feeling the Walker love a lot of people have on here.

    2. Eze Really?
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Giving my thoughts on playtime over the year with injury and rotation best considered:
      100
      90 50 80 70 80
      90 65 90
      80 70

      50 50 10

      Not bad but nothing decent from the bench

  4. KUNingas
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Thoughts on this flexible team? I could rotate *marked players when necessary. Would enable me to use 3-5-2, 4-5-1, 4-4-2 and even 5-4-1 formations. I know I shouldn't bench 7.0 million player but example I would rather play Dunk (SOU) than Zaha (mun) in GW3.

    Ederson, 4.0
    Robbo, TAA, Digne, Mings*, Dunk*
    Salah, KDB, Siggy, Tielemans*, Zaha/7.0*
    King*, Deulofeu*, 4.5

    So for the first four weeks bench would be like this:
    GW1: Mings (tot), Dunk (wat), 4.5 (3-5-2)
    GW2: Tielemans (che), Deulofeu (eve), 4.5 (5-4-1)
    GW3: Zaha (mun), King (MCI), 4.5 (5-4-1)
    GW4: Dunk (mci), Mings (cry), 4.5 (3-5-2)

    1. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      looks good

    2. Brian Boitano
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      May as well play Zaha and King gwk 3 they’ll probably score more than your 2 budget defenders.

      1. KUNingas
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Yeah could be an option of course

    3. LangerznMash
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Wouldn't be happy benching Zaha and King for two 4.5s. As much as I like rotation to make use of full squad, you need to rethink to ensure your budget isn't sat on the bench.

      1. KUNingas
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Thanks!

  5. XabiAlonso
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Trying to keep my mini league pals interested this year, so looking at playing with a handicap.
    Shall I offer a choice of
    1)Only 1 player above £10m
    2)One player of their choice I can't have all season
    3) Max 2 players from top 4 teams
    Any ideas?
    Don't want to punish myself too much

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      2 looks like the biggest potential handicap but 3 could be the most interesting.

      1. XabiAlonso
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        2 is basically no Salah ha

    2. The 5% Team
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      no players with ownership above certain percentage...like 15%

    3. Eze Really?
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      When do you decide top 4 teams? Last year ? Or do you have to adjust accordingly?

      1. XabiAlonso
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Last year's top 4

    4. Arn De Gothia
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      you cannot have any of drafts top 5 (10?)

    5. CROCosta
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      3 is the best one - most interesting and a solid handicap while still alowing you for a good team, option 2 would just mean Mane over Salah or KDB/Aguero over Sterling and 1 is easy to play around with great value in defense this year and KDB and Son coming at 9.5

  6. Andy Unsocial
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Rmt please:

    Ederson/ Button
    Robertson TAA Zinchenko Digne Stacey
    Salah Sterling Perez /Dendoncker Stephens
    Vardy King / Wickham

    Thoughts ?

    1. Eytexi
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Not a fan of Bournemouth defence at all. Personally not backing Leicester attackers either from the start, certainly not double (although my opinion on this seems unpopular).

    2. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Stacey?

      1. Brian Boitano
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Just look what you’ve done.

      2. Andy_Social
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Sharon and Tracy - just signed by Bournemouth

      3. Andy Unsocial
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Jack Stacey is the new Bournemouth RB.

        1. Gnu
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Wuldn't say RB but he could be a decent punt. Played in midfield a lot I believe.
          All depends if he breaks into the team.

          1. Andy Unsocial
            • 11 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Him and Justin were the main fullbacks for Luton.Quite an attacking player.Luton fans think he is as good as Justin.
            Howe likes to give young players a go,and Adam Smith is clearly past the attractive age for a player.I think Stacey is the no 1 choice.Anyhow both are 4.5.

            1. Gnu
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 14 Years
              4 years, 8 months ago

              Worth a watch then.

  7. Eytexi
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    The core of my team is pretty settled:

    Ryan, (Button).
    TAA, VVD, xxx, Digne, (Reid).
    Salah, Sterling, xxx, Siggy, xxx.
    King, xxx, (Xande Silva).

    Thoughts on the final four?
    A) Coleman, KDB, Norwood, (Greenwood).
    B) Laporte, Zaha, (Dendoncker), Deulofeu.
    C) Other: 24.5m.

    1. theswallow1965
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      B for me but I also had Salah & Sterling initially but found it very hard to balance the squad with both.
      I would drop Sterling and used the funds for either Kane or Kun up front .
      Other than that I like it.

    2. UnluckyXI
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I'd be tempted with, spurs Def at 5.5, tielemens 6.5, Jota at 6.5 leaving you 6.0 for a mid

      Of those two I'd go B as I don't know enough about Norwood to have him starting in my first 11

      1. Eytexi
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Personally not interested in Wolves or Leicester to begin with, but I like the balance of something like that for sure. Cheers.

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      You want a 2nd Citizen. Laporte for security but you could be lucky if Zinky or Stones nails a spot.
      Zaha - depends on (a) if he moves to Arse and (b) if he gets to Afcon final and needs a rest.
      So whatever you decide today will change!

  8. theswallow1965
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Ok seem settled on this (for now!)

    EDERSON / BUTTON
    TAA / ROBBO / COLEMAN / TAYLOR / CHESTER
    SALAH / SIGGY / TIELEMANS / KANTE / DONCKER
    KUN / DEULOFEU/ KING

    How’s that looking guys?

    Cheers

    1. Lebowski85
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Good allocation of funds. Got the prime candidates in. All the mid priced options are a lottery anyway.

      If you change personel....keep the structure as it'll make you flexible

      1. theswallow1965
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Cheers, appreciated.

    2. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGeniusâ…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Well, it is an OK team. Not not my cup of tea. And no Sterling.

      1. theswallow1965
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Yeah had Sterling initially but couldn’t balance the team with Salah too.

        1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGeniusâ…
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          You might want to look at your spending in certain areas. 🙂

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      For a traditional 3-4-3 it's pretty hot.

      1. theswallow1965
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Cheers, I do want Sterling but not at the expense of Salah or a decent striker (Kane or Kun) didn’t like the compromises with both.

  9. No Salah
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    RMT please

    Ederson
    TAA Robbo Digne
    Salah Debruyne Sigurdsson Bilva Brooks
    King Deu

    Bench fodders

  10. Return Of Chamakh
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Pretty happy with this if Zaha moves which looks likely!

    Ederson - (4m)
    Azpi - Robertson - Vvd - Laporte - (Kelly)
    Salah (c) - Zaha - Mili - Siggy - (4.5)
    Giroud - Jimenez - (Long)

    1.5 ITB

  11. All For One
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Downgrade B Silva to Tielsman or Perez
    Brooks to Fraser

    1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I think young Silva may smash it this season.

      1. Lebowski85
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        I think he's going under the radar. Wasn't he City's player of the season?

        1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Not sure, but I was reticent that he could fill David's boots but he's proved me totally wrong.

  12. FPL ZB
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Ederson
    TAA Robbo Digne Taylor
    Salah Sterling Siggy Perez
    Jota King

    Button Jorginho Dend Rico

    First time experimenting with 4-4-2... how does she look?

    1. Christina.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I wont sleep with those front 2

    2. jg7u
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Good. Is Taylor nailed with Burnley signing Pieters?

    3. jg7u
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Nyt it appears you donde have a third striker.

      1. jg7u
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        But*

        1. FPL ZB
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Good point. No Jorginho, it’s Andone

    4. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I love it apart from Taylor - can't understand why he's popping up in RMTs all of a sudden. He'd be a perfect 5th def benchie, but not as a nailed starter. I'd just get VVD or Coleman and use the 0.5 to upgrade Taylor.

  13. Canary_Kid
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    How's this draft looking? Opinions?

    burnley / Button
    Trent Gomez Digne Coleman / Kelly
    Salah Fraser Zaha / Dendonker Leitner
    Aguero Vardy King

    One decision still considering:
    a) Fraser Zaha / Kelly
    b) Azpi Siggy / 4.5 mid

    1. Eze Really?
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Go large on defenders

  14. timPgoodwin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    How do I get in to a competitive draft league? Was in one last year but half the players ignored their teams. Any source for finding players?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Unless moolah is on the line, draft league teams don't tend to last too long. I tried the first season and got bored about GW3.

      1. The 5% Team
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        exactly...I like the process of doing the draft itself. But if half of the people stop playing after GW4 or so, it's kinda dead.

  15. Niko5
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    hello everybody....

    Ederson
    Digne_VVD_TAA_Laporte
    Maddison_Sigurdsson_Salah_De Bruyne
    KIng_Calvert Lewin

    Heaton,Chester,Dendoncker,Wickham subs

    how does this feel? :p 🙂

    1. CROCosta
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Like the team but not sharing the love for Laporte everyone has here, rest of team looking good

  16. Tommyg
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    The fodder problem:

    Highly owned fodder is more likely to be transferred out by higher numbers of people, for obvious reasons. Does it not therefore make sense to pick the lowest ownership fodder than the highest? This means that you are less likely to move into negative equity on that fodder when the high ownership fodder is inevitably transferred out.

    Hope that makes sense...

    1. Christina.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      ....lower owned fodder takes a lot less sales to force a price drop...

      Not?

      1. Tommyg
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        So this is true but then what is the best policy to try and avoid drops on players you can't really afford the price drop on. For e.g if you want to play your WC in gw12.

        1. SADIO SANÉ
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          depending on who you pick, it will be 0.1 lost, if you've still got a WC it's not a big deal

        2. Christina.
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          play your wc in first Int break.

          no use losing sleep over a 0.1m here and there. you should know...no 10...

          1. Tommyg
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Haha. Indeed I should. I just hate hate hate losing value I could have on the pitch.

            I mean how many times do you miss a player for the sake of .1.

    2. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Perfect sense.

    3. Alli 3',17',64�…
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Yes if u have a 4.0
      Sub and no 4.0 is playing you should pick the least owned player imo or the injured one

  17. Moxon
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Anyone else feeling the inevitable pull of the 3-back?

    1. Lebowski85
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      At the moment no....but when I start seeing goals in pre-season that'll probably change

    2. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I’m leaning to a big 3 and a nailed 4.5. Perhaps the worst of all possible worlds!

  18. FPL ZB
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Andone.. reckon he gets good minutes? 5.0 could be a good enabler who has to come into an FPL starting eleven rarely

    1. Flaming Flamingo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Wait and see, but fairly confident he'll be first choice. He offers a lot more than Murray imo.

      1. The 5% Team
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        yeah...been thinking that of Murray for the last 3 seasons though...keeps amazing me with his total points at the end

        1. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          From the write up he doesn’t sound a Potter type though - rotating front line positions and flexible formations.

  19. Lebowski85
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Hey guys! I've got a couple of questions...

    Is there an articles yet on rotating defenders?

    Is there an FFS podcast?

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Go to the Pre-Season list - there's an early one there.

      1. Lebowski85
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Got it. Thanks.

        Haven't heard much talk of it this year. Normally it's a fairly big thing

        1. nisag17
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Because almost everyone has at least 3 and maybe even 4 or 5 premium defenders which means no rotation.

          1. Lebowski85
            • 11 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Myself Included

  20. George Sillett
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Quite like this atm but will see what happens pre season

    Ryan , fodder
    TAA , Robertson, Digne , Cathcart , 4M fodder
    Salah , Sterling , Siggy , Perez/Tilemans , Dendoncker
    Vardy , Maupay ( if 6M , Sharp otherwise ) , 4.5M

    1. Christina.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      B

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Who the f is Maupay?

      1. Lebowski85
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Next big thing

      2. George Sillett
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Secret weapon from Brentford about to sign for The Blades.
        28 goals last season , 22 years old . Serious tool.

        1. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Yep - surprised more PL teams weren’t in for him. He’s been a regular suggestion on Palace boards for a year or more. Could be an exciting prospect.

          There goes any thought of McGoldrick!

  21. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    todays

    ederson

    trent / smith / robbo

    zaha / de bruyne / salah / yarmolenko

    deulofeu / king / vardy

    button / azpilicueta / kelly / dendonker

    1. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Yarmo is on my mind too - he squeezes that extra 0.5 out.

      The word on here seems to be he’s first choice but WH midfield looks really congested. I’m fearing he’s not nailed enough almost whatever happens in preseason- there was a lot of churn at WH last time around with fewer options there

  22. FOMFF
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    x2 Premium mids - Salah, Sterling, Mane
    OR
    1x Premimum Mid and 1x Premimum Fwd - Kane, Kun, Auba?

  23. otparpus
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    with a managerial style like this, then I think Willian, Pedro and Azpillicueta are Chelsea players who are most worthy of glancing