Scout Reports

FPL new signings: Can Mark Flekken be the new David Raya?

One of this summer’s first confirmed Premier League signings saw Brentford spend £11m on Freiburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

The 6ft 5in Dutch international is about to turn 30 and, with David Raya constantly being linked with a move elsewhere, has likely been bought as his replacement.

So can Flekken establish himself as first-choice between the sticks and what impact will he have in FPL?

We’ll attempt to answer those questions below.


THE HISTORY

FPL new signings: Who is Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken? 1

It took a while for Flekken to become a top-flight regular, first joining Freiburg as back-up to Alexander Schwolow in 2018 and then suffering a season-ending elbow injury shortly after his team-mate left for Hertha Berlin.

So it’s only since turning 28 that Flekken has been established as a top stopper.

SeasonTeamDivisionStarts (subs)Goals concededClean sheets
2022/23SC FreiburgBundesliga34 (0)4413
2021/22SC FreiburgBundesliga32 (0)3910
2020/21SC FreiburgBundesliga3 (0)60
2019/20SC FreiburgBundesliga10 (0)143
2018/19SC FreiburgBundesliga1 (0)10
2017/18MSV Duisburg2. Bundesliga31 (0)529
2016/17MSV Duisburg3. Liga37 (0)3215

Before then, he was involved in two amusing incidents whilst at MSV Duisburg. Firstly, he scored a last-minute equaliser in Osnabruck thanks to a cheeky backheel.

Secondly, Flekken went viral with a FIFA-style gaming glitch where his team had scored and the goal music started playing. He turned around for a nice drink of water in the back of his net – only to discover too late that it had been ruled out, as Ingolstadt took a quick free-kick and worked their way towards a tap-in!

Things are better now, as he’s been integral to Freiburg’s consecutive Bundesliga finishes of sixth and fifth – both times narrowly missing out on the Champions League. They’ve also been semi-finalists and runners-up in the main DFB Pokal cup whilst reaching the last 16 of the Europa League.

A Bundesliga-high 13 clean sheets were kept in the 2022/23 season and such form has been good enough to get him four Netherlands caps.


PLAYING STYLE

Flekken describes himself as “a ball-playing goalkeeper” and WhoScored agrees with this, adding that he is a very good shot-stopper.

Strong reflexes and good distribution? It all sounds very Raya.

Flekken’s 2021/22 Bundesliga save percentage of 73.8% was bettered only by Stefan Ortega – now of Manchester City – with the most recent campaign’s higher 74.0% ranking fourth.

Raya still betters Flekken over the last two campaigns, however:

Save percentage (2021/22)Save percentage (2022/23)
David Raya75.7%78.2%
Mark Flekken73.8%74.0%

Fbref have Flekken’s PSxG+/- figure (think expected goals prevented) as +1.7 and +2.4 over the two recent seasons, meaning that he has kept out more goals than he was expected to based on the quality of shots faced. He bettered Raya in 2021/22 but trailed in his new team-mate’s wake in 2022/23.

If looking for a past icon to compare with, Louis van Gaal and the official Bundesliga site are amongst those that see some Edwin van der Sar inside of him.


WHERE FLEKKEN FITS IN AT BRENTFORD

Publicly, Brentford will play hardball with Raya, wanting to get the best fee possible for a player with one year remaining on his contract.

Yet the assumption has to be that the Spaniard is about to leave for pastures now and Flekken is here to replace. Thomas Strakosha may have something to say about that though, having curiously left his role as Lazio’s number-one last summer to become a Brentford back-up with no league appearances.

Manager Thomas Frank will embrace the competition.

“We’re very happy to have signed Mark. He’s a player with a lot of quality who will strengthen our goalkeeper group. He was a big part of the team there and now he’s coming to us and will hopefully make the group better and the team better. He’s a very good shot-stopper and comfortable with the ball at his feet. His distribution is very impressive.” – Thomas Frank

Defensively, the Bees had an interesting 2022/23 campaign. They conceded the second-most shots on target (197) whilst also allowing the fourth-fewest big chances (67). No team had a bigger difference between these numbers, allowing Raya to make lots of saves from poorer, non-threatening shots.

He made a league-high 154 of them in total, also being the best for save points (39) and goalkeeper bonuses (20).


IS FLEKKEN WORTH BUYING IN FPL?

As well as joining up with former Freiburg team-mate Kevin Schade, this move allows Flekken to play behind an established Premier League defence that collected 12 clean sheets last season.

Until the 2023/24 fixtures get released on Thursday 15 June, it’s hard to commit towards a full FPL recommendation, especially with the slight chance of Strakosha rotation. Pre-season friendlies will tell us more on that front.

If the above two concerns are assuaged, a £4.5m pricing would tempt many managers into a medium-term commitment, knowing Brentford goalkeepers can be save-making machines.



FPLMarc Newcastle fan that spends far too much time thinking about FPL.

41 Comments Post a Comment
  1. House Frey Wedding Planner
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    Hmm all to similar to pre season last year when Brentford bought Strakosha to apparently replace Raya.

    I'll be avoiding Brentford keepers next season until their no 1 is confirmed.

    1. Andy_Social
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      Same, but I'm extending that to avoiding any of their defenders until I see how organised it is.

  2. TheBiffas
    • 4 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    FPL Virgin finally gets the article he's been waiting for

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 13 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      It'll never be enough

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        There's always a first time.

      2. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        As I've said many times, I'm like the Terence Fletcher of FPL. My methods are reviled, but it's the only way for the scout to achieve true greatness.

    2. Philosopher's Stones
      • 4 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      Scenes when virgin comes in his pants after opening the FFS site.

      1. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        Way ahead of you. I'm smoking a cigarette now.

  3. Bobby Digital
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    What's wrong with Henderson as a DDG replacement?

    1. x.jim.x
      • 10 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      Burned his bridges

    2. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      Average keeper replacing an average keeper.

      United need a dominant keeper to get back to glory days. Big personality.

      Not many around and would cost £50-60m

      1. x.jim.x
        • 10 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        I don’t think either are average. Henderson is pretty good while De Gea is poor.

        Raya supposedly “only” £40m which could be negotiated down with him refusing to extend.

  4. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    Welfare check on Brandel Chamblee, Rory, Justin Thomas...

  5. keefy59
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    With 3 decent keepers on their books looks like Brentford will sell Reya
    The problem is which one of the other 2 becomes 1st choice ?
    Also where would Reya go ?

    1. Hart-ake
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      wasn't the Lazio keeper only on loan?

  6. Botman and Robben
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    Which teams are interested in Raya?

    1. Snake Juice
      • 8 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      Spurs

  7. Shark Team
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    Do you think Trent should be a midfielder if Klopp hints that he will be used there by the time they sign a starting RB?

    1. Ser Davos
      • 9 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      He'll be a pseudo mid, proxy defender though some would argue the reverse of that

      He'll line up as a defender so he'll remain at 7.5 defender

      1. Dthinger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        you don't think he'll drop to 6.5?

        1. Hart-ake
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          1 year, 6 months ago

          Why would he?

          1. Our Tiny Windows
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            1 year, 6 months ago

            208 points last season, 156 this.

  8. Ser Davos
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    The pricing structure will be interesting

    I remember 2011 with Baines/Vidic at 8m and Darren Fletcher at 7-7.5m. The prices were deemed obscenely inflated

    Last year they were deemed to low and I wonder if that's partly why it can be now a lot more difficult to make progress with the arrows as a lot of these players, which previously would have not been accessible, now are

  9. Ser Davos
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    Who'd have thought James Justin would be heading to the Championship whilst his old club Luton would be heading to the Prem

    Castagne, Pereira, Justin, Soyuncu, Jonny Evans

    sold: Maguire, Chilwell, Schmeichel, Fofana

    mad the roster Leicester got relegated with

    1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
      • 7 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      Don't get me started. Absolutely a disgrace. Rodgers killed us with his arrogance. Had Soyuncu and Iversen been starting from the beginning of the season we would have stayed up comfortably.

      1. Hart-ake
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        must have been a fallout with Soy?

      2. Haa-lala-land
        • 4 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        I don't agree those two players are the reason.
        Soyuncu played 5 games in a row in total in which 12 goals were conceded and no CS.
        Iverson played every game between GW28 and 38 and conceded 22 goals and only got the one CS against Newcastle.
        At least Ward had that good run between GW9 and 15 when he conceded only 3 goals and kept 5 CS.

        1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
          • 7 Years
          1 year, 6 months ago

          Did you watch those games mate? Statistics will not always give you the full story. Ward was horrible and the defence was worse with him. He had a good run when the rest of the team was also playing well, but was shocking everywhere else, his shotstopping was so lacking. At least Iversen was a bit more of a presence. Without Soyuncu, the games he played would have gone even worse, he played very well in a shocking unit.

          They weren't the reason we got relegated, Rodgers and the board are more to blame. But I'm confident that all else being the same, we would have certainly grabbed at least 3 more points throughout the season had they been starters, which would have kept us up.

  10. Snake Juice
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    Kante joining Al-Ittihad, the Saudis are moving mad

    1. The Knights Template
      • 11 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      It’s just like Nauru buying Fitzroy all over again. More money then good sense!

    2. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      Been reading reports that Kante will get £100m a year.

      Also read that Zaha will get £10m a year and Alexis £15m a year in Saudi.

      Such a difference in wages. Surely the match winners would be on more.

  11. Crunchie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    https://www.kickitout.org/

    Going well isn't it? (and in golf today with LIV and the PGA). Bet Alan Shearer must be happy with the way things are going. Might sign for Newcastle yet (same thing).

    We can stand up to racism, but all the other things can take a bit of a back burner.

    1. panda07
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      Wha chu talkin 'bout Willis?

  12. NZREDS
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    It’s mad how quiet it goes during the off season here. Logged in before work NZ time (7pm now) and has only been several comments since. Really separates the regulars from the RMT hustlers! Quite like it myself

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 13 Years
      1 year, 6 months ago

      I'm usually quiet during the season and post more off season. I prefer it. Better discussions can be had when there isn't a flood of RMTs and "a or b" questions.

      Just waiting for fixtures, prices, transfers, or friendlies. Nothing to analyse atm.

      1. NZREDS
        • 11 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        Absolutely, couldn’t agree more

      2. Red Red Robins
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        1 year, 6 months ago

        What do you dislike the most?
        A- RMTs
        B- A or B questions?

        1. The Knights Template
          • 11 Years
          1 year, 6 months ago

          G2Gs

        2. Piggs Boson
          • 13 Years
          1 year, 6 months ago

          I don't dislike them, I have no problem with folks asking for advice, it just blocks out everything else.

          It would be good if we could add tags to our posts so we can filter out posts we don't want. e.g.

          #RMT
          #Advice
          #News
          #Leaks
          #Discussion
          #Troll
          #Moan

          1. Red Red Robins
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 4 Years
            1 year, 6 months ago

            100% agree. Been on this a few years but last season i very rarely posted compared to the rest.

  13. Our Tiny Windows
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 6 months ago

    What fpl rules of thumb have you learned over the years that you what to apply to the next season?