Scout Notes

Rodgers offers Vardy fitness update as well-owned Justin hits century of FPL points

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-0 Leicester City

Bonus Points: James Justin (£5.2m) x3, Max Kilman (£4.0m) x2. Rui Patricio (£5.3m) x1 Nelson Semedo (£5.2) x1 Jonny Evans (£5.5m) x1

James Justin‘s (£5.2m) ever-growing army of owners emerged the happiest from a drab encounter between Wolves and Leicester.

Just to prove how turgid the match was, it involved fewer shots on target (four) than players who received bonus points (five).

Four of those who received extra points were defenders. The other was home keeper Rui Patricio (£5.3m).

News Justin

Leicester full-back Justin has had a fine time of it over the last six matches, with four clean sheets, a goal and eight bonus points.

He backed up Gameweek 22’s season-best 15-point haul with a nine-pointer at Molineux – a pleasant welcome present for the 192,532 new managers who had pushed his ownership levels up to 29.7% before kick-off.

That consolidated his status as Fantasy Premier League’s (FPL) most popular defender, and only West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell (£5.7m) now has more points (106 v 101).

Justin contributed nothing going forward at Wolves – not a single shot taken, chance created or cross delivered as he spent his day reining in Adama Traore’s (£6.0m) forays down the Foxes’ left flank.

No Shot, Sherlock

Wolves worked Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel (£5.5m) just the once, albeit with the best chance of the game, when Fabio Silva (£5.2m) forced him into a fine save from close in.

That prompted manager Nuno Espirito Santo to indulge in a touch of criticism of his striker:

Fabio has to do better. He (Schmeichel) did a great save, it was a fantastic save, but he has to do better.

But there’s a reason why only four teams have a worse goalscoring record than Wolves (23), and it’s more to with the manager’s defensive instincts than Silva’s profligacy.

His intentions were there for all to see on Sunday, with Espirito Santo utilising a five-man defence that sat deep and wide to negate Leicester’s attacking threat.

It worked. All three of the visitors’ shots on target came from range and from James Maddison (£7.4m), but none went beyond glorified back pass status, handing Patricio one of the easiest save points of his FPL career.

Welcome Back Boys

Two players made returns at Molineux.

Jamie Vardy (£10.0m), who had lost more than a million managers since undergoing a hernia operation following a Gameweek 19 victory over Chelsea, was handed 29 minutes from the bench and very nearly won it late on.

He flashed a header narrowly wide – an opportunity not officially designated as a big chance, although it was certainly large enough.

But Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers was more concerned with the minutes than the miss:

I’d love Jamie Vardy to play every minute of every game, but we can’t do that. Giving him half-hour was about right because he brings that movement. We can look to see if we can get some more game-time into him on Wednesday.

That would mean midweek FA Cup action at home to Brighton. Should he come through that unscathed, a visit from Liverpool in Saturday’s early kick-off could well mark his first start in five Gameweeks.

The striker is currently one of three Leicester players in the top 20 for transfers-in, although it should be mentioned that Vardy has not scored in the league since Gameweek 14’s win at Spurs just before Christmas.

Espirito Santo, meanwhile, gave wing-back Jonny (£5.4m) the first 45 minutes on his return from a serious knee injury:

It was decided by him, by us, by the medical staff, by the doctor that operated on him. With him returning, we have to be very careful. The decision was made before the game started. It was a decision based on our future, how we have to preserve a player like Jonny.

Wolverhampton Wanderers XI (3-4-2-1): Patricio; Kilman, Coady, Dendoncker; Jonny (Hoever 45), Neves, Moutinho, Semedo; Neto (Gibbs-White 88), A Traoré; Willian José (Fábio Silva 61).

Leicester City XI (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel; Justin, Soyuncu, Evans, R Pereira; Tielemans, Choudhury; Barnes, Maddison, Perez (Albrighton 61); Iheanacho (Vardy 61).

1,171 Comments Post a Comment
  1. bitm2007
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    How many DGWers are you planning to field in DGW24 and will you be takings hits to get them ?

    I'm on 5 ATM, no hits.

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      7 with a minus 4

    2. jomikijiq
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I'm on 5 atm and have 2 FTs, but don't think I will buy anyone else

      Areola, Cancelo, Dias, Gundo, DCL

    3. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Got 4 and have 2FT.
      Will let FA cup play out and decide. Probably 5.

  2. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bench one?

    A, Coufal or Maguire

    B, Son, Watkins

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Couson

  3. Gabbar Singh
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Now as Souceks red card is overturned, FPL should return the points. It doesnt make sense that he should have 0 points then. What about a rule change?

    1. ebb2sparky
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      if someone were to receive a punishment after the event (i.e. a red card for an off the ball incident that wasn't noticed during the game) would you be happy to retrospectively have points removed?

      anyhow, the reason for the rule is nothing to do with fairness. it is about practicality. how long do they wait? what happens if it went to appeal and the outcome wasn't until after the next gameweek? there needs to be a deadline and i guess making it the same day makes the programming less complex

      ultimately you win some and you lose some.

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Dean Windass when playing for Bradford City got sent off in the car park at Valley Parade an hour or so after the match by telling the referee what he thought of him.

        If I recall correctly it was a 5 match ban too!!

  4. Gabbar Singh
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Points should be restored when the red card is overturned.

  5. potatoace
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Can someone explain to me why big Dunky Ferg was doing the substitutions/extra time board the other day. Never got to the bottom of that.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He's an all rounder?

      Maybe the 4th officials hands had frozen? It's baltic at the moment!

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      ... another interesting quirk is that the fourth official no longer holds up the board to announce these changes.

      Instead, that's left to a member of each side's backroom team - and the job fell to Duncan Ferguson at Carrow Road.

      Who ever thought they would see an image like that of the Everton hero

  6. Eleven Hag
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    First time owning a Leeds attacker in Rafhinha, Go lad

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Good call.

      Good luck, i went with Soucek and will switch after Leeds play Arsenal.

      1. Eleven Hag
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Hehe thnx

        1. AC/DC AFC
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          How do you reckon the Pogba injury will effect Man Utd?

          They've got some great fixtures and a decent squad again.

          1. Andy_Social
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Maybe Beeky will get a look-in at last