Dugout Discussion

Rodríguez returns on Everton bench as West Ham recall Coufal

Everton and West Ham’s matchday squads are beginning to edge closer to full-strength as of their Gameweek 17 teamsheets.

James Rodríguez (£7.7m) returns for the first time since Gameweek 11 although is only fit enough for a place on the Toffees’ bench.

For now, Bernard (£5.8m) occupies his slot on the right-hand side of Everton’s attacking midfield, joined there by Gylfi Sigurdsson (£6.8m) and Richarlison (£7.8m).

How long until Rodríguez will be ready to start games regularly again remains unclear but Fantasy managers will certainly have him on their radars.

However, anyone invested in Michael Keane (£5.1m) will be disappointed by Carlo Ancelotti’s team selection in Gameweek 17, with the centre-back named on the bench for the first time this season.

Mason Holgate (£4.8m) tucks inside from his recent right-back role to staff the heart of the defence with Yerry Mina (£5.6m) with Seamus Coleman (£4.8m) making his first start since Gameweek 8.

It is a similar story with West Ham who, once again, feature Michail Antonio (£6.2m) on the bench, which makes for a seventh successive start for Sebastien Haller (£6.1m), but suggests they could be back to full-strength soon.

Fantasy managers will certainly have their eye on that situation, especially with West Ham’s appealing fixtures in Double Gameweek 19, where they host Burnley and West Bromwich Albion.

David Moyes has recalled Vladimir Coufal (£4.7m) to the line-up, having rested him against Southampton but Issa Diop (£4.3m) and Fabian Balbuena (£4.4m) remain out of the starting XI, Craig Dawson (£4.5m) impressing enough in his Gameweek 16 audition to keep his place.

Everton XI: Pickford; Godfrey, Mina, Holgate, Coleman; Doucouré, T Davies; Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Bernard; Calvert-Lewin.

West Ham United XI: Fabianski; Cresswell, Ogbonna, Dawson, Coufal; Rice, Soucek; Benrahma, Fornals, Bowen; Haller.

1,770 Comments Post a Comment
  1. UKG
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    3 seconds to deadline I had Soucek first sub, swapped for Adams and saved. Very lucky....

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Keep us updated

    2. World XI
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Unless Adam gets two...

      1. UKG
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Hope so!

  2. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Why is that Creswell assist? Major deflection, no SoT, no intended pass on target?

    1. BenDavies
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      may be removed

    2. World XI
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Will be removed

    3. Predator
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      It was a shot

    4. I Must Break You
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      It's not an assist, but it is an FPL assist

      1. BobbyDoesNotLook
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Yes, but why? Not sure about the rule on this.

        Imo the rule should be that only SoT rebound is an FPL assist or if the shot deflects from block only a little which would be equal to "pass to intended target".

    5. Bram
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Blocked shot not a cross

  3. Ginola14
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Chances of Mitchell starting, might have benched cresswell for him....

    1. Jones Town
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Ha I did the same! Let's hope for a no show tomorrow 🙂

  4. BenDavies
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    I don't think I can express my love for Tomas Soucek in words

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      I can. TROLL

  5. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Cresswell getting that assist is hilarious

    Mark own him?

    1. The Wanton Trader
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      I don’t know, but he’s laughing at me on my bench. 🙁

  6. tafrère
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Burnley-Fulham cancelled so my ML rival can get his Soucek pts from the bench.

    Typical.

    1. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Is this confirmed?

      1. tafrère
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Rumors.

        Everytime we had rumors of a game being cancelled, it was being cancelled so...

    2. Well you know, Triffic
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      It won't be cancelled imo

  7. Garlana
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Gonna be so many jammy bench points this week.

  8. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Everton title bid still on?

    1. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Never was

    2. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Ermmmm don’t own Soucek and Cresswell is first on my bench. Please don’t play Taylor.

      1. Colonel Shoe 肝池
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        he wont, lucky you

        1. Paqueta Rice
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          You sure Colonel?

    3. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Cresswell 21 points over last 3
      Coufal 7 🙁

      1. Old Man
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        You get what you pay for.

    4. estheblessed
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Playing my freehit this game week.

      Is it best to activate it now before price rises etc? Can I tinker all week like it was a wild card?

      1. jimmyabs1987
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Yes but you lose the value of your players once you transfer them out

    5. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Soucek can score against anyone, benching him is always a risk

    6. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      All those who always bench Soucek for his hauls and plan to use BB in 19, please remember to put him on your bench that week.

    7. matiakez
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Going Lookman over Soucek a few weeks back was such a poor call.

      1. World XI
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Ouch

      2. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Did the same 🙁

        1. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Have just downgraded to Bissouma now

        2. pavlev
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Ditto. Happy though, I prefer having eff all points left on the bench personally!

    8. jimmyabs1987
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Well that’s me out the cup

      1. Bram
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        1 round more than my 3 City 2 Spurs

    9. Bury94
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Planned transfer of Creswell to Dias just became a lot harder, still think it's worth it though

      1. Rinseboy
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        taking out Cressy for his double?

        1. Bury94
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Getting Dias for the blank and Dias has a double too

        2. FPL_Motty
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Yeah this is a bad move. Find someone else for dias

    10. denial
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Soucek is basically Fellaini circa Moyes era Everton

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

      WTF Soucek

    12. Kane and Ablett
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      I’m a little bit in love with Soucek and Dallas, but who should I love more?

      Dallas is first sub this week, he deserved a rest after last weeks heroics when Soucek came off the bench

    13. Chalobah's Witness
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      DCL in the line up and Cresswell on 3rd bench. What a sh*t start to 2021.

    14. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      There's no chance my front seven get benched this week.

      RIP Soucek bench points.

      1. Gandalf
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Never know, there's something called Covid circulating around

    15. All Hail K
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Unbelievable. Was mulling over who to bring in, Soucek, Cresswell or Fabianski. You can guess who I transferred in.

    16. lordkippe
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      New big red incoming. DCL blank, Coufal bench and offcourse Soucek goal.

    17. Gandalf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Wonder how long Fabianski out for. Randolph at 4.4 for the double gameweek would be very nice

    18. FPLtfs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      I guess this week I wont need my bench at all.. Coufal and Soucek staring at me.

    19. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Soucek is unreal, wow

      1. WVA
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        He actually doesn't do anything except foul and score

    20. Podge
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Quite poor from Antonio there

    21. Gnu
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Who's great idea was it to get Jay Boothroyd on Sky to do match summary?

    22. R.C
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      SoUcEk CaNt Be A 4 or 5th MiD

    23. WVA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      KDB over Soucek lol at me