Scout Notes
16 March 2026 45 comments
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Last on Match of the Day, and the last of Saturday’s Scout Notes: the goalless draw at Turf Moor continues our Gameweek 30 recap.

WHY JIMENEZ WAS BENCHED

While there were more handsome defensive returns for James Hill (£4.2m) and Marcos Senesi (£5.0m), Alex Jimenez (£4.5m) missed out on Bournemouth’s latest clean sheet.

The full-back’s unbroken 16-match run in the starting XI ended, with Adam Smith (£4.4m) instead starting.

Andoni Iraola said the decision was part-fitness and part-tactical, with the Cherries’ team otherwise quite attacking.

“Alex was not injured, but he was having some issues, some niggles. During the week, has been with small things, complaining a little bit, and he hasn’t trained fully.

“And also we were putting a very offensive side from the beginning, so I decided to go with Adam, that is also very reliable and [will] save probably Alex Jiménez a little bit of effort.

“I think he has played the last 30-something minutes, where I think he has played really well.” – Andoni Iraola on benching Alex Jimenez, via the Bournemouth Echo

Hill and Senesi snaffled up defensive contributions yet again. Since their centre-half partnership started in Gameweek 19, they’re the top two FPL defenders for DefCon points (18 and 16 respectively).

ADAMS INJURY – COULD IT HELP KROUPI START?

One of the reasons that Bournemouth’s side was so offensive-looking was that the Cherries were deprived of their two natural defensive midfielders.

Tyler Adams (£4.9m) joined Lewis Cook (£4.9m) on the sidelines for this one, and it’s doubtful whether he’ll return in Gameweek 31.

“Tyler felt something yesterday training. It doesn’t look anything too serious, but it’s true that for today was out. And also we are playing, I think, United in six days. We play Friday, so I don’t know, I cannot tell you if it’s going to be available or not.

“I think it’s going to be difficult because if even if it’s very small, it’s six days. I cannot tell you right now, but I see that it’s going to be difficult and it’s a shame because we don’t have a lot of injuries right now, but we have Lew and Tyler that basically are our two number 6s in the same position out together.” – Andoni Iraola on Tyler Adams, via the Bournemouth Echo

Could Adams’ expected absence help Eli Kroupi Junior (£4.7m) start in Blank Gameweek 31? The American’s unavailability saw Ryan Christie (£4.9m), who started in the ’10’ in Gameweek 29, move back alongside Alex Scott (£5.1m). Marcus Tavernier (£5.4m) shifted deeper after Christie went off on the hour.

Christie deeper = one less positional rival for Kroupi. Alas, there are plenty of alternatives for Iraola. David Brooks (£5.0m), Amine Adli (£5.4m) or even Jimenez could come in on the right in Gameweek 31, with Tavernier moving into the ’10’ role. We were confident of a Kroupi start in Gameweek 30, decidedly less so on Friday.

GOALSCORING BLIP

Generally speaking, goalscoring hasn’t been a problem for Bournemouth this season.

While Evanilson (£6.8m) and Tavernier are far from being ruthless finishers, the Cherries have typically kept pace with, or exceeded, their xG. Indeed, even now, they are the joint-fifth-highest scores in the division.

The current four-match drought, in which they’ve scored just once, is a bit of an exception to the norm, then:

why Jimenez

Above: Bournemouth’s four-game rolling average of xG v goals

Tavernier, yet again, hit the woodwork on Saturday (that’s three times in two matches!), while Evanilson saw one of his six shots cleared off the line. Senesi was even close to nodding in a Hill long throw. This, actually, wasn’t nearly as good an attacking display as Gameweek 29’s, but the Cherries still probably should have scored.

“We’ve been drawing sometimes 3-3, 4-4, 2-2, and now we are like probably feeling a little bit more solid at the back, but it’s taking us a little bit offensively.

“But if now we are going to check the stats, last games, I think all the games we finished with 20-something shots, the xG is through the roof, but we are not scoring.

“But I trust my forwards. I think as long as we play well, I think someone will score the goals.” – Andoni Iraola, via the Bournemouth Echo

WHY ESTEVE WAS SUBBED OFF

While lots of us would have benched our Burnley goalkeeper/defenders at the weekend, we might need them in Blank Gameweek 31. Many David Raya (£6.0m) owners, for instance, will have Martin Dubravka (£4.0m) waiting in reserve.

So, while it might be galling to see those clean sheet points left stranded on our benches, a decent defensive performance is probably a good thing going into Gameweek 31. You wouldn’t have wanted the Clarets to ship five goals on Saturday and then have question marks over whether Scott Parker might shake things up at the back.

Maxime Esteve (£3.9m), who features in 7.7% of FPL squads overall and 6.3% of the top 100k, is another semi-popular Burnley bench fodder pick. A 73rd-minute exit on Saturday would have worried owners but the good news is that it was illness, not injury, that forced him off.

“He just said he was ill. He said he felt like he was going to be sick on the pitch, so obviously in that moment you can’t take that risk really and we brought him off.” – Scott Parker on why Maxime Esteve came off, via Burnley Express

After an early-season purple patch and a mid-term blip, Jaidon Anthony (£5.0m) has had a bit of a resurgence of late. Three attacking returns in five Gameweeks nearly became four when he hit the Cherries’ bar on Saturday. That was one of five attempts the winger had, continuing his shot-happy recent run.

Above: Midfielders sorted by shots taken in their last six matches


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45 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. HVT
    • 15 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Season running out of steam….

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Plenty of steam in my bowels

      1. HVT
        • 15 Years
        5 months, 3 days ago

        I’d get that checked mate, not good for the body.

        1. The Philosopher
          • 6 Years
          5 months, 3 days ago

          Got it checked. Was told to blow some more steam.

          1. FPL Virgin
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 10 Years
            5 months, 3 days ago

            Is that you Bennett?

  2. Pep Roulette
    • 8 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Would you buy Wilson and keep him until the end of season? Or buy someone like Enzo with a double coming?

    1. Nomar
      • 16 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      I can’t wait to sell Enzo. He’s been useless since I got him in. Not sure why peeps want to buy him? I’m getting rid on WC in GW32.

    2. lilmessipran
      • 14 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Prefer Gordon to both.

  3. Weasel51
    • 10 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Who gets more points in GW31?

    A) Hall
    B) Andersen
    C) Joao Pedro

  4. carlosice
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Whats the best chip strategy from here if you have all remaining..?
    And enough FTs to field an 11 in GW31

    WC32, BB33, FH34, TC35-38?

    1. Nomar
      • 16 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      WC32

      After that I have no idea and am frankly reaching the point where I don’t care anymore either.

  5. Cloudvalley
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Hey
    2FT
    0,3ITB

    Verbruggen
    VVD, Chalobah, Senesi
    Enzo, Mbeumo, BrunoF, Gordon, Stach
    Thiago, Ekitike
    (Dub, Haaland -, Gabrie l-, Munoz -)

    A) Sell Munoz, buy Thiaw
    B) Roll

    1. Nomar
      • 16 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      If not WC’ing in GW32 I’d roll and have 3FT for the month long break between GW’s 31 and 32.

      1. Cloudvalley
        5 months, 3 days ago

        WC already used.
        Will roll then, thanks!

        1. Nomar
          • 16 Years
          5 months, 3 days ago

          You’re in the rare position of already being able to put out a full team in GW31 without needing to sell anyone.

          You can do the Thiaw transfer if you want, but you’d essentially be benching a perfectly decent player who has a game in GW31 to accommodate it.

          To me, in your position, it makes more sense to have as many transfers as possible over what will be one of the longest ever breaks between GW’s in FPL history (lockdown excluded) rather than get a luxury pick in a GW where most of us will be lucky to start 9 players without taking hits.

  6. JBG
    • 8 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Chelsea have been handed a suspended one-year ban from signing first-team players and given a £10m ($13.7m; €11.6m) fine from the Premier League relating to alleged breaches of financial rules during Roman Abramovich’s time as owner.

    https://x.com/TheAthleticFC/status/2033531794411143561

    Now let's hope those other blue cheats get punished even worse

    1. x.jim.x
      • 11 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Advantage Chelsea tbh

      1. JBG
        • 8 Years
        5 months, 3 days ago

        I get what you mean XD. No more needless transfers like Mudryk, Delap, Garnacho, Jørgensen, Sanchez etc

        1. x.jim.x
          • 11 Years
          5 months, 3 days ago

          Oh just saw it's "suspended" 🙁

        2. Sir Michael Taker
          • 12 Years
          5 months, 3 days ago

          Suspended transfer ban. They will still collect wingers like Pokemon cards to quote FML FPL

          1. JBG
            • 8 Years
            5 months, 3 days ago

            Oh yeah

          2. Nomar
            • 16 Years
            5 months, 3 days ago

            This

    2. lilmessipran
      • 14 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Signing first team players? So they can still sign wonderkids from ovee the world on 7-8 year contracts and loan them out?

  7. Sir Michael Taker
    • 12 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Interesting bit on the BBC just now regards Haaland. 19 goals in his first 17 league games, 29% shot conversion rate. 3 in 12 since, 8% conversion rate. Maybe carrying an injury? Maybe just human. That first rate would be unsustainable even if fit, he'd be on for 42 league goals.

    1. JBG
      • 8 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      I saw City fans(I guess they exist) online, talking about this being almost normal now during his time here

      1. Sir Michael Taker
        • 12 Years
        5 months, 3 days ago

        I think its a striker thing generally but we expect Haaland to be immune. You look through the top scorers in the league at the moment and none of them go through consistent runs, it ebbs and flows and the cold spells do exist for 5 or 6 games sometimes. Gyokeres has 11 goals somehow, I don't know how but he does. Welbeck has 10. DCL has 10 etc

        1. x.jim.x
          • 11 Years
          5 months, 3 days ago

          If you remove pens, Gyokeres has 9 goals:

          2 vs Leeds
          2 vs Sunderland
          2 vs Spurs
          1 vs Forest
          1 vs Burnley
          1 vs Everton

          That's the "somehow"

    2. x.jim.x
      • 11 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Almost as if they spent £60m in January to disrupt their team

    3. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      He has a seasonal pattern that tends with goals scored at the start of the season

      We should probably jump off but Salah switch ain't the answer ..

  8. FPL Virgin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Will there be an apology from scout for saying that Ekitike will start against Spurs?

    1. Ginola14
      • 14 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Let it go buddy

      1. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        5 months, 3 days ago

        I can't 🙁

    2. Snoop Udogie Dogg
      • 5 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Yeah! I never checked it, but still

    3. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      I'll let you into a secret ...

      They don't know.

      1. Nomar
        • 16 Years
        5 months, 3 days ago

        This is like telling him Santa doesn’t exist!

    4. JBG
      • 8 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Will there be an apology to our eyes and brain for having to read your posts?

  9. Lost for Wirtz
    5 months, 3 days ago

    A)
    Kelleher
    Thiaw Virgil Anderson
    BrunoF Mbeumo Dango Rayan
    
Ekitike Thiago JP

    B)
    Kelleher
    Thiaw Virgil Hill
    BrunoF Mbeumo Dango Rayan Wilson
    
Ekitike Thiago

    Which starting XI looks better?

    1. z13
      • 1 Year
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Wilson and Thiaw or Andersen and JP, B (Andersen and JP)

      1. Lost for Wirtz
        5 months, 3 days ago

        The essence is this really: Pick one defender and one front8

        A) Andersen(BUR)
        B) Hill(MUN)
        C) Senesi(MUN)

        1)JP(eve)
        2)Wilson(BUR)
        3)MGW(tot)
        4)Anderson(tot)

  10. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Check this out

    Haaland

    A tale of two halves (seasons)

    The chart says it all

    https://x.com/i/status/2032126888433348678

    1. Nomar
      • 16 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Don’t need to check it out. Most of us have had him all season long and we know exactly what his last few months output has been!

    2. Pompel
      • 12 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      Clearly a peak there in gw31 - don't sell!

    3. Lost for Wirtz
      5 months, 3 days ago

      So the problem started in gw14

  11. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    5 months, 3 days ago

    Would you play both Senesi and Hill vs Utd?

    Other defeats Rodon and Chalobah

    1. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 months, 3 days ago

      *ders