Scout Notes
31 July 2016 2019 comments
Paul Paul
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores less than four minutes into his Manchester United debut. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard nets twice in his first summer outing, Roberto Firmino is amongst the goals as Liverpool see off AC Milan, whilst Leicester are hammered by Paris Saint Germain.

Following our earlier round-up, here’s our summary of the key events from Saturday’s late kick-offs.

Man United 5 Galatasaray2

Zlatan Ibrahimovic needed little time to announce himself to Man United fans last night.

The Swede showed just why he’s the second most popular forward in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game by firing an acrobatic opener less than four minutes into his Red Devils’ debut.

Jose Mourinho named Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the right of a 4-2-3-1, with Wayne Rooney tucked in behind the lone striker and Anthony Martial on the left.

Not to be outdone, Rooney bagged a brace, with one arriving via the spot after Ibrahimovic’s half-time replacement, Marcus Rashford, was brought down in the box.

Second-half subs Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata were also in the goals and Michael Carrick emerged from the bench to provide an assist.

It was Antonio Valencia who stood out for United last night, though – the raiding right-back served notice of his intentions for the season ahead by assisting three of the Red Devils’ goals. Priced at 5.5, the Ecuadorian is shaping up to be a decent differential on the back of this display – he sits in just 1% of FPL squads compared to Luke Shaw’s 16% ownership.

After the match, Mourinho conceded yesterday’s outing was all about building up fitness levels after United’s proposed clash with neighbours City was cancelled last week, thus leaving his players one less pre-season fixture:

”The most important thing was to play, to give minutes to the players. To the ones that played less, they played 30 minutes. To the ones that played the most, they had 60, 65 minutes. They need to play. We lost a week in China and some of the boys who played today, they trained for two days. We made that decision to give them 30 or 45 minutes of the game, feeling that it would be better for them than even a double training session. I am happy that out of such a big group we have just Timothy [Fosu-Mensah] and Chris Smalling with little injuries and apart from them, no injuries and everything looks like it’s going well”

Man United: De Gea (Romero 67); Valencia (Memphis 67), Bailly (Rojo 67), Blind (Jones 67), Shaw (Darmian 67); Schneiderlin (Carrick 46), Herrera (Fellaini 46); Mkhitaryan (Lingard 46), Rooney (Mata 67), Martial (Young 46); Ibrahimovic (Rashford 46).

Paris Saint Germain 4 Leicester 0

Claudio Ranieri named a somewhat experimental side as Leicester suffered a chastening 4-0 loss at the hands of the Ligue 1 champions in the early hours of this morning.

With Jamie Vardy still sidelined after undergoing wrist surgery, the Foxes opted for a 4-4-2 set-up, with Leonardo Ulloa and Shinji Okazaki starting up front before new boy Ahmed Musa replaced the latter at the break.

Ranieri started with new signing Luis Hernandez and Ben Chilwell at full-back, whilst Daniel Amartey was partnered by summer acquisition from Nice, Nampalys Mendy, in the centre of the park. The duo struggled to cope with PSG as Leicester still come to terms with the departure of N’Golo Kante to Chelsea over the summer.

The Leicester manager made numerous changes over the course of the second period, with only four players – Kasper Schmeichel, Robert Huth, West Morgan and Ulloa – handed the full 90 minutes in a match to forget.

After his side’s defeat, Ranieri conceded that the Foxes missed both Kante and Vardy and reckons Riyad Mahrez may be affected by the recent talk over his future:

“Of course when you lose a player like Kante it is normal you have to arrange something different. Also without Vardy we lose something of our strength. Riyad maybe he is distracted from all these rumours and speculation. But that is also experience for my players. It is important he understands, stays with us and improves his fitness. He has to play for the team like last season.”

Leicester XI: Schmeichel; Hernandez (Simpson 46), Huth, Morgan, Chilwell (Fuchs 46); Mahrez (Gray 66), Amartey (Drinkwater 46), Mendy (King 66), Schlupp (Albrighton 46); Ulloa, Okazaki (Musa 46)

Real Madrid 3 Chelsea 2

Eden Hazard emerged from the bench to score twice in his first appearance of the summer under Antonio Conte.

The Blues boss made just two changes to the side that beat Liverpool in midweek, bringing in Oscar for the suspended Cesc Fabregas in central midfield, whilst Pedro took the place of Victor Moses on the left of a 4-2-4.

Chelsea’s defence did little to convince after heading into the break three goals behind, though Conte’s decision to ring the changes gradually allowed his side to claw their way back into contention – particularly when Hazard was introduced after the hour-mark.

Stationed up front, the Belgian fired home a Nathaniel Chalobah pass just 15 minutes after entering the fray and bagged a second ten minutes later thanks to an assist from Michy Batshuayi.

After the defeat, Conte’s words on the situation up front will be of particular interest to Fantasy managers. The Italian talked up Hazard’s potential in a central role and also admitted he is uncertain whether Diego Costa will remain with the club for the campaign ahead:

“Eden Hazard played 30 minutes and he is recovering a good shape. I like him in this position, like a forward, and he can be a good solution for us. Also playing as a winger. To play as a second forward he must improve his shape but he is working and he knows his shape can a lot in the same way as the other players…I can say that today Costa is a Chelsea player. He didn’t play in these games because of injury and if he solves the injury and I see in training he’s in good shape, it can be possible to see him in the next game against Milan. But I can tell only this. Today Costa is Chelsea’s player. Tomorrow if you ask me if Costa will remain with us, I don’t know.”

Chelsea XI: Begovic (Courtois 45), Aina, Cahill, Terry , Azpilicueta; Oscar (Chalobah 45),Matic; Willian (Cuadrado 45), Traore (Moses 75 ), Loftus-Cheek (Batshuayi 45), Pedro (Hazard 65).

Liverpool 2 AC Milan 0

Substitutes Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino both found the net as Liverpool bounced back from the midweek loss at the hands of Chelsea to see off their Serie A opponents earlier this morning.

Jurgen Klopp gave Georginio Wijnaldum a debut in the double-pivot as he rolled out a 4-2-3-1, with Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and Philipp Coutinho lining up behind Daniel Sturridge in the first period.

The versatile James Milner was preferred to Alberto Moreno at left-back before moving into the centre of the park as Klopp made six changes at the break.

Moreno and Milner’s replacement, Sheyji Oyo, supplied the assists as the Reds boss made a total of ten alterations, with only Simon Mignolet afforded the full 90 minutes.

Klopp explained his decision to make so many changes and conceded it’s all about boosting players’ fitness levels at this point, with the season now less than two weeks away:

“We still have to work on everything. This is a time for fitness. We use the games but they aren’t Premier League games so we don’t need to think about them too much. It’s more intense than during the Premier League season. We have to train. I am fine with how we are in this moment but we still have a long way to go. On Sunday there will be another session because only a few players played more than 45 minutes. All the rest can train normally. Then Monday next game.”

Liverpool: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold (Clyne 45), Lovren (Randall 75), Klavan (Wisdom 75), Milner (Ojo 62), Henderson (Brannagan 75), Wijnaldum (Moreno 45), Lallana (Stewart 45), Mane (Markovic 45), Coutinho (Firmino 45), Sturridge (Origi 45).

Monpellier 1 Sunderland 1

The Black Cats’ 100% summer record came to an end with a 1-1 draw against Ligue 1 outfit Montpellier yesterday evening.

Fabio Borini opened the scoring with his third pre-season strike – courtesy of a Lee Cattermole assist – whilst Wahbi Khazri and Jeremain Lens went close and Duncan Watmore hit the woodwork for the visitors.

Borini, Vito Mannone, Lamine Kone and Tommy Robson were the only players to feature from start to finish as Moyes rang the changes over the course of the match.

Worryingly for the Black Cats boss, a couple of those substitutions were enforced after Jan Kirchhoff and Billy Jones were withdrawn in the first half. Given that they were already without Patrick van Aanholt, Jermain Defoe and Jack Rodwell, Sunderland’s injury situation looks concerning ahead of their season opener at the Etihad.

After the match, though, first-team coach Robbie Stockdale reckoned the club’s problems aren’t quite as bad as they seem:

“I think our injury picture probably looks a bit worse than it actually is. Jan went off with a little hamstring strain. He will have a scan, which is standard, and we won’t know too much about that for a few days. Billy came off with a hip problem, but it was more of a precaution. Jack picked up a little niggle in training on Friday, but that’s all it was. Jermain is progressing very well actually. I wouldn’t like to put a date on it, but we are confident that it is not half as bad as we originally thought. Anyone who saw Patrick play last year will know that his fitness levels are fantastic…if it had been a competitive game rather than a friendly then he would have played.”

Sunderland XI: Mannone, Jones (Larsson 31), Kone, Kaboul (O’Shea 72), T Robson, Kirchhoff (N’Zogbia 25), Cattermole (E Robson 84), Watmore (Gooch 66), Khazri (J Robson 72), Lens (Asoro 66), Borini

Plymouth 0 West Brom 0

Tony Pulis handed seven players the full 90 minutes as West Brom failed to find a way past Plymouth.

New boy Matt Phillips featured from start to finish along with Ben Foster, Craig Dawson, Gareth McAuley, Jonny Evans, Claudio Yacob and Saido Berahino. The summer signing from QPR again looked lively and seems to have nailed down the right wing berth over the summer.

James McClean was preferred to youngster Jonathan Leko on the left, though the latter was introduced just before the hour-mark after impressing in previous friendlies.

Elsewhere, a West Brom XI that included the likes of Boaz Myhill, Callum McManaman and Rickie Lambert earned a narrow win over Huddersfield, with the latter netting the only goal of the match.

West Brom XI: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson (Wilson 66), Evans; Phillips, Fletcher (Gardner 70), Yacob, McClean (Leko 59); Rondon (Morrison 71), Berahino

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  1. Pomp and Circumstance
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    who are the best defenders for 4.5?

    1. Davido989
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      McAuley, Friend, Kone, Fernandez, Pieters. Take your pick.

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 5 months ago

        Plus Fernandez, Naughton, Zuniga, Souare.

        1. Davido989
          • 15 Years
          9 years, 5 months ago

          Double Fernandez, he must be good 🙂

    2. polis
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Pieters has to be right up there. The Allen signing will really help them.

      JEvans is another.

  2. adstomko
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    RMT please. It's coming. Thanks to those of you who have helped out so far.

    Mandanda - Jakupovic
    Terry - Morgan - Friend - Taylor - Lenihan
    Hazard - Mahrez - Firmino - Mendy - Leko
    Aguero - Ibrahimovic - Long

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Interested to know if you consider Long a goal scorer?

      I think you need to downgrade one of your mids to turn Mendy into Fischer, Duelofeu or Mirallas.

      7/10

      1. adstomko
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 5 months ago

        Because he consistently scores around 10 a season, and that was when he was on the bench

    2. hjalmarekdal
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Downgrade Firmino to Siggy, firmino has bad fixtures. Upgrade Mendy.

      1. adstomko
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 5 months ago

        Firmino scored a hat-trick against Arsenal last year

        1. umerlfc
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 5 months ago

          He scored a brace, and that too at Anfield

  3. Davido989
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Are we going to have a scoutcast prior to GW1?

    Also recall Mark saying they'll wear suits like Andy did 🙂

  4. Jonny Sutt
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Why is Friend an attractive prospect? Ahead of say Kone from Sunderland?

    1. umerlfc
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Because Middlesbrough kept a remarkable number of 22 clean sheets in their promotion campaign

  5. harvard
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    big dilema here:
    my front 8:
    hazard lamela feghouli downing/fischer bolasie
    zlat kun long

    my ish is with grays form from last season through preseason looking very impressive and long still in a battle with austin, wont it be better to swap long for gray.

    i could do lamela to tadic if need for soton be as i have 0.5itb.

    1. umerlfc
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Yeah Gray seems a safer bet atm. And your midfield looks weak, are you spending too much on defense?

  6. DeathoftheParty
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Musa at Leicester... Nailed on to start against Hull? Charity shield is looking interesting...

  7. Lateriser 12
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Hello ladies. Did you miss me? Go on. Ask me a few fpl questions. In the mood for a discussion.

    1. eish
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Lamela?

    2. DeathoftheParty
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      musa

    3. RoysCallerAnne
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      GKs 4.5, 4.0
      DEF 4.5, 4.5, 4.5, 4.0, 4.0

      My front 7 is savage. Do you approve? 3 GWs only 🙂

    4. Jøssy ⭐
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Have you been away??

    5. Jøssy ⭐
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Have you identified a good 3 into 2 rotation of 4.5 defenders?

      I'm on MID, CPL, SUN at the moment.

  8. eish
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Lol giroud atm probably a good pick at 9m with no other stickers in site

  9. Porkchops Johnson
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    New sunday new draft:

    Foster Jaku
    Gabriel Evans Friend Kone Souare
    Hazard KDB Eriksen/Alli Townsend Capoue
    Aguero Lukaku Long.

    Any thoughts?

  10. FAITHNOMORENO
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    rmt fellas,please:

    valdes / jakupovic
    valencia / stones / vvd / mcauley / souare
    hazard / tadic / firmino / ibe / fletcher
    aguero / kane / gray

  11. LFC Ranger
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    is Fischer likely start for Middlesbrough?

    1. Rich_20
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Yes 90%

  12. LFC Ranger
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Best 5.5 Midfielder????

    1. umerlfc
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Ibe looks good to me

  13. zalar88
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    hi guys. xould you rate my team and give me some advice. My team look like...
    ddg(jaku)
    parades/friend/morgan/williams/ vaan anholt
    hazard/ayew/fletcher/hojbjerg/
    mahrez
    kun/ibra/gray
    or
    ddg(jaku)
    parades/friend/morgan/amat/ smith
    hazard/ayew/mahrez/deulofeu/ hojbjerg
    kun/ibra/gray

    1. dannyp
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Solid team upfront. I dnt think you will get anything from the defence. In midfieldayb consider ibe he is in good form and a gurantèed starter

  14. Jeko
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Hey dear friends,

    Can you please rate my team

    Mandanda Jaku
    McAuley shaw azpi paredes Fernandez
    Hazard Ibe firminio routledge tadic
    Ibra Aguero hernandez

    Cheers

    1. Rich_20
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Gray over hernandez. Routledge good for first couple of games. Bit weak in goal, azpi to terry? Then upgrade keeper?

  15. Los Pollos
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Code to join the ultimate league: 769838-208560

  16. Common hypnotist
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Could someone rate my team please?
    Heaton
    Friend,Gabriel,Francis
    Hazard,Deulofeu,Mikhitaryan,Tadic
    Gray,Aguero,Kane

    Subs: Jakupovic,Fletcher,Paredes,Lenihan.

    I have 1m spare, any advice would be appreciated.

    1. West Hammered
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Not bad, I wouldn't have Miki from the start IMO don't know how he will settle. So id take him out and maybe put Zlatan in for Kane because of how slow Kane started last season. Upgrade Gabriel with the spare money.

      1. Common hypnotist
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 5 months ago

        Thanks.
        Its took a while for me to get to this team and I have concerns with Miki too from the start but I also have reservations about Zlatan so early. Good advice on Kane I forgot he started slow.

        1. Sly Fly
          • 16 Years
          9 years, 5 months ago

          Currently have a similar team [with Ibra in] if you need ideas... be they good or bad. 🙂

          Foster / Heaton
          Bellerin / PVA / Friend / Francis / Souare
          Hazard / Tadic / Townsend / Gradel / Fletcher
          Aguero / Ibra / Gray.

          1m in the bank. Not happy with midfield but thinking about Townsend > Siggy...

  17. @FPL_Audit - Romano
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Thought on my current draft (1m ITB)? Quite content with it at the moment, considering Deulofeu tho:

    Foster / Heaton
    Evans / McAuley / VVD / Souare / Burnley 4.5
    KdB / Hazard / Mahrez / Bolasie / Kirchoff (4.5)
    Aguero / Gray / Long

  18. Toast
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Which one:

    A. Eriksen & Delfoeu
    B. Tadic & Ayew

    Thanks

    1. navbash
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      I think A. Eriksen consistently does well and Deulofeu has been doing well in pre-season. I know Ayew is playing well but Swansea's fixtures get hard by GW3

  19. aydeepee69
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Still a rookie on here!

    Please RMT - any advice always welcomed...

    Heaton/Foster
    Van Dyck/Williams/Stones/Van Aanholt/Paredes
    Martial/Tadic/Hazard/Townsend/Fletcher
    Lukaku/Gray/Kun

  20. true_Jerry
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    1st year doing fantasy so wouldnt mind some help! pls rate and every comment more than welcome

    my team is:

    Butland/Mandanda
    Sagna/Moreno/Shaw/Paredes/Wimmer(few games since Vert is prob out)
    Hazard/Eriksen/Firmino/Ayew/Fletcher
    Aguero/Long/Deeney

    was thinking maybe get a 4.0 keeper and a 5.0 defender and get rid of deeney and firmino to get a 7.5 midflider (dont know who) and lukaku..what do you guys say?

  21. navbash
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Please rate:

    De Gea
    Terry, Stones, Walker, Gabriel
    Payet, Ozil, Eriksen, Cabaye,
    Aguero, Lukaku

    (Jaku, Paredes, Capoue, Diomande)

    Where's the best place to use my 1m or should I save it for upgrading once the season starts?

  22. machickenz
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    What do people think of this team I made and what changes could I make?

    Foster
    Shaw 5.5 / Pieters 4.5 / Friend 4.5
    Hazard 10.0 / Payet 9.5 / Ayew 7.5 / Cabaye 6.0
    Kane 11.0 / Aguero 13.0 / Gray 6.5

    Subs: Valdes 4.5 / B.Smith 4.0 / McAuley 4.5 / Fletcher 4.5

  23. sentagoda
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    What changes ? 3-5-2 formation i think

    Forster - Jak

    Van Aanholt - Sagna - Stones -Pieters - Friend

    Fischer - Tadic - Delofeu - Townsend - Hazard

    Ibra - Aguero - Wickham

    Thoughts?

  24. harvard
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    just checked and long has been selected more than gray.
    likewise lamela more than tadic so i might just stick for the time being....until gray smashes again

  25. John wick
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Guys plss rate

    Foster
    Friend kone stones
    Hazard mahrez firmino ibe
    Kun ibra gray

    Bench-jaku hojbjerg amat byram

    Plss rate and suggest for changes

  26. Ablazer
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    1 or 2?:

    Foster/Heaton

    Friend/Soure/Olsson/Terry/Valencia
    Hazard/Mahrez/MKH/Lamela/Capoue
    Aguero/Gray/Austin

    or:

    Foster/Heaton

    Friend/Soure/Olsson/Terry/Valencia
    Hazard/Mahrez/Ayew/Fletcher/Capoue
    Aguero/Ibra/Gray

    First is elasticity + strong bench, second might be a perfect first team

    Thanks

  27. stiflersmom
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Any love for Wickham as a third striker?

    1. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      Yes he did so well last season but he may not play too much, all in all though he is a good striker for 6 million

  28. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Can someone please rate my team out of 10?
    GK: Cech
    Def: Bellerin, Shaw, Walker
    Mid: Bolasie, Mhkitarian, Hazard, Kante
    Forward: Aguero, Vardy, Borini
    Bench: Gomes,Paredes, Watson,Friend

  29. bulbuf
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 5 months ago

    Please rate and comment:

    GK: De Gea, Hennesey

    DF: Gabriel, Sagna, Friend, Valencia, Azpilicueta

    MF: Hazard, De Bruyne, Routledge, Ibe, Fischer

    FW: Ibrahimovic, Lukaku, Gray

    1. bulbuf
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 5 months ago

      OR

      GK: De Gea, Hennesey

      DF: Gabriel, Sagna, Friend, Valencia, Azpilicueta

      MF: Hazard, Deuloeu , Routledge, Ibe, Fischer

      FW: Ibrahimovic, Aguero, Gray