The Burning Question – Stick Or Twist On Alonso?

Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso’s 138 points make him the most productive defender in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) this season.

At 7.2, he’s also the most expensive and, with 21.0% ownership, the third most popular among backline assets.

All of that has established him as a near “essential” option for many.

But Chelsea’s current travails, his own recent two-match absence and a schedule involving trips to both Manchester sides and a visit from Spurs over his next four matches have prompted a sizeable slice of Alonso’s ownership to say their goodbyes.

He’s already the most sold player going into Gameweek 28, with 119,000+ transferring him out.

Is that a knee-jerk response or a wise move to cash in before the going gets too tough?

We asked Mark and our panel of Fantasy Premier League experts – last season’s winner Ben Crabtree and runner-up Uwais Ahmed and perennial Career Hall of Fame leading lights Jay Egersdorff and Peter Kouwenberg – the latest of our Burning Questions: Do we sell or keep Marcos Alonso?

Uwais Says…

Quite simply, the answer probably lies somewhere in between.

Firstly, Antonio Conte has confirmed that Alonso should be ready to play in midweek in the Champions League. But after that, Chelsea head to Old Trafford and the Etihad for back-to-back league matches.

Although it is unwise to write the Spaniard off for returns in those matches, the fact they have proceeded to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup means that they now have a run of Manchester United (A) Manchester City (A), Crystal Palace (H) and then a blank in the next four Gameweeks.

Alonso commands a hefty price and his value has not increased significantly from the start of the season, making it easier to bring him back once sold.

However, there is also the option of holding him through Gameweek 31 and place him on the bench, knowing that Chelsea will have at least one double Gameweek to come.

Going into Gameweek 31, FPL managers should not face a challenge to raise significant funds, thereby making it viable to carry Alonso through the blank.

Other than Liverpool options, we are looking to select from teams such as Huddersfield Town, Palace, Stoke City, Everton, Bournemouth, West Brom and Watford. As a result, it should not be imperative to sell Alonso to free up funds.

Beyond that blank though, Chelsea have a very favourable run-in, and with at least one (and maybe even two) double Gameweeks to come, there is no doubt that he will be a go-to option with or without the Wildcard.

So Alonso owners could seek out better value for the time being. What is without doubt, however, is that we are almost certain to revisit the situation from Gameweek 32 onwards.

Jays Says…

What rotten luck for Alonso owners in recent weeks – nobody could have predicted his mysterious disappearing act.

It was foreseeable that maybe a rest was in order, given Chelsea’s reliance on the Spaniard, but two consecutive absences have hit us where it hurts.

I’d hope that by Gameweek 28 we will see Alonso back, with Conte already giving us his word that the wing-back will be fit to figure against Barcelona in midweek.

Assuming he is back in business, I think that his goal threat and a lack of obvious goalscoring alternatives means he’s one to keep for now, irrespective of fixtures.

With the blanks and doubles thrown up after the FA Cup ties this weekend, there are surely more pressing transfer priorities.

Peter Says…

With fatigue, injuries and possible competition for his place, it seems a no-brainer to trade in the Rolls Royce of FPL defenders for what is, in any event, a testing period of his campaign.

Throw in at the time of writing two (and probably only two!) Champions League matches and their continued FA Cup involvement, and the wisdom of that strategy appears sound.

And that’s before we get to Chelsea’s recent poor form.

Personally, I may yet retain the services of our Spanish star, as I am likely to have to choose between a combination of Virgil van Dijk and Eden Hazard or Alonso and Sadio Mane.

But I can absolutely understand why many will be looking to redistribute funds elsewhere, perhaps putting it towards an expensive front three.

It’s not that I don’t think Alonso will score points after his recent enforced break – he has three goals in away matches against Spurs and Arsenal this season and also kept clean sheets at home against Manchester United and the Gunners.

But his value is questionable.

The wing-back has the best points per match of any defender other than Man United’s Eric Bailly, but Ben Davies, Phil Jones and even Stephen Ward are close behind and demand a fraction of the cost.

Most of us will be Wildcarding within the next few weeks, at which point we will have a much better idea of whether Alonso deserves a seat at our double Gameweek table.

Before then, there are too many doubts around his pitch-time and many other demands on our funds.

So I’m advocating selling, even though I haven’t made that final decision myself.

Ben Says…

Conte’s been having a rough time with the press recently, and he hasn’t been getting too much sympathy from Alonso owners either.

Had he stated that Alonso would miss Watford and West Brom, it would have been a simple decision, with cash freed up for the opportunity of lucrative Kevin De Bruyne or Hazard moves.

Instead, it’s reached the point now where he could be sold but then play and score big.

I think I will show him the door, and concentrate funds into attacking areas.

Other than Nacho Monreal – who after Man City in Gameweek 28 has good fixtures – I’m happy to have a few cheaper defenders that I rotate, with my attack taking the priority when it comes to spending power.

But with Monreal unlikely to claim a clean sheet at City, I might just delay the Alonso exit for one more week.

He may well punish sellers. Given his attacking prowess, it seems likely that he will find the net at least once more this season.

However, I prefer to look at defenders for clean sheets first, and in three of the next five for Chelsea, that looks unlikely.

After that, we’re into Wildcard territory, so there’s little need to worry about the hassle and cost of getting him back.

Mark Says…

Alonso is a season keeper for me.

I’d never say never and perhaps if I’m short of a few bob in my Gameweek 31 plans, then maybe he’ll be ejected to spend a short time out of my squad. But, should that be the case, he would certainly be a Wildcard acquisition – most likely in Gameweek 32.

I’m not panicked by Chelsea’s fixtures. While I’m not counting on clean sheets at United or City, I’ve almost reclassified Alonso in my head as a 7.2 winger in a decent side who takes free-kicks who can also get me extra defensive points.

Chelsea may just be over their blip, with Olivier Giroud’s arrival providing a timely boost. I see them troubling a United defence that has looked fragile, while City’s run of just one clean sheet in six Gameweeks indicates there could also be some joy at the Etihad.

Above all, having Alonso makes watching Chelsea all the more bearable.

Each time Eden Hazard gets felled around the box, I know an opportunity for Alonso arises. And those free-kicks can beat any defence and any keeper.

Added to this, I just don’t think I’ll have the luxury of making such a transfer. There’ll be other fires to put out, other areas of the squad to tinker with as we lead up to Gameweek 31.