Awards

End of Season Awards – Pascal Gross

Pascal Gross becomes the fifth, and final, midfielder to make an appearance in our Team of the Season after earning 6.94% backing in the recent poll.

The playmaker arrived at promoted Brighton from German outfit Ingolstadt 04 last summer with a highly impressive reputation.

Despite playing in a struggling side, Gross was the number one player in the Bundesliga for key passes in both 2015/16 and 2016/17, with 95 and 98 respectively.

Handed a central support role in a 4-4-1-1 set-up under Chris Hughton, Gross started the season at a bargain £5.5m in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

After opening with three straight blanks, the playmaker signposted his Fantasy potential with an 18-point haul at home to West Brom in Gameweek 4, claiming two goals and an assist.

That was one of four double-digit returns over the season, as Gross went on to total seven goals, eight assists and 24 bonus points for the Seagulls.

With a total of 164 points, the summer signing was second only to Mohamed Salah for value among all outfield players in terms of points per million, by 27.8 to 28.6.

The sixth most bought midfielder (2.55m+) in FPL, Gross defied the conventional wisdom that new signings from overseas – particularly those in promoted teams – are best given a wide berth from the get-go.

A total of 82 key passes, just one less than Fantasy royalty Eden Hazard, helped Gross claim sixth spot as the top creator last season.

As many as 36 of those chances created were from set-pieces – more than any other player in the top-flight.

Meanwhile, only Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne was more influential when it came to creating big chances, by 19 to 16.

It’s fair to say that Gross’ impact on Hughton’s side was a significant one, then.

The midfielder played a part in 44% of Brighton’s goals in 2017/18, with his output at the Amex Stadium particularly vital – Gross was involved in 54% of their home efforts.

The Prospects

After such an impressive season, a price rise is inevitable.

A cost of around £7.0m in FPL looks on the cards, though Gross’ ability to deliver points in a struggling side – akin to Gylfi Sigurdsson at Swansea – means he will still be a factor in our seasons.

Regardless of a move into the mid-price bracket, he can still be worth the outlay – after all, each of the ten midfielders to surpass his 164 points started at £8.0m or over last time out.

Gross could also be boosted by penalty duties in 2018/19.

A converted spot-kick against Spurs in their second match of Double Gameweek 34 suggests he may now be ahead of Glenn Murray in the pecking order after the latter failed on a couple of occasions.

Given that Brighton had seven penalties last season – Murray scored four and missed two – that could be a major weapon in Gross’ armoury.

Only three teams were awarded more spot-kicks than Hughton’s men.

The lack of a summer World Cup will also ensure that the Brighton playmaker will be fully fresh come the start of the new season on August 11.

The same cannot be said for team-mate Jose Izquierdo, who is set to feature with Columbia in Russia 2018.

Nonetheless, the winger’s second half to the 2017/18 campaign suggests he could now rival Gross as a source of Fantasy returns – Izquierdo trailed Gross by just three points (66 to 69) from Gameweek 20 onwards.

Given that he finished on 101 points, the Columbian is likely to retain his cost of £6.0m and could appeal as a cheaper option.

Paul Is certain he won't make the same mistakes next season. Follow them on Twitter

41 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Azathoth
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    What's that on Gross's knee?

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      It's gross.

      1. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Grossception

  2. Limbo
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Picked up Gros after Andy's most flattering praise in GW2 scoutcast. Kept him rest of season. Gold.

  3. Limbo
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    What fantasy games are folks playing over the World Cup? Is there a stand out contender? (apologies - I know this will have been covered a LOT over the past month).

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Maccy D's.

      1. Limbo
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Thanks 🙂 (sorry for slow reply)

  4. Speédy
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    West Ham get Ryan Fredericks.
    https://mobile.twitter.com/WestHamUtd/status/1004031330135433217

  5. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    7m for a Brighton mid? Got to be having a laugh.

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Average prediction from this post is over 6.5, so I don't think they are having a laugh. https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/2018/05/25/world-cup-2018-team-analysis-uruguay/?hc_page=1#hc_comment_18222352

  6. André94PT
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    https://img.fifa.com/image/upload/hzfqyndmnqazczvc5xdb.pdf

    Don't know if someone already posted this here or not.

    Maybe we can get a few ideas of the players' positions in the McDonalds Fantasy WC game with this file.

    Your thoughts?

    1. FFFrog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Hazard and D. Silva being fwds would massively negate their values I imagine

      1. André94PT
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Yeah, same with Salah, Moses, Dembelé and Sterling

        1. Team Cruel
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          Salah, Dembele (French) and Sterling are forwards, why on earth should they be classified as mids?

          1. André94PT
            • 11 Years
            5 years, 9 months ago

            I'm not saying they should be mids. Only saying that their value would not be that great I reckon

      2. Debauchy
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        This. Don't see it though and especially not D Silva

        1. André94PT
          • 11 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          Hope you're right and this list don't fully reflect in the game

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

            Hazard first mid in for me , hoping too 🙂

        2. Ramboros
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          I could easily see David Silva being a forward when he has never played in central midfield for Spain.

    2. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Gutted that JUNG Wooyoung will be a mid 🙁

  7. Stats Don\'t Lie
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    As a Chelsea fan, hating watching all the top 6 teams making their deals for top players while our club is in such turmoil...

    1. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      "Everton leapfrog Chelsea in the battle for Newcastle skipper Lascelles"

    2. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Such a hard life being a fan of a Premier League team.

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

        Your time will come again fella, not sure when ? but hang in

        1. Epic Fail
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          We don't need out time again. We've already won the biggest prize there is to win. 😎

          1. Epic Fail
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            5 years, 9 months ago

            our*

          2. Debauchy
            • 11 Years
            5 years, 9 months ago

            Yep and hope you were around to enjoy 🙂
            In the same boat with the Arse really

          3. Debauchy
            • 11 Years
            5 years, 9 months ago

            Many MU fans shout aye

    3. noquarternt
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Boo hoo

    4. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      You reap what you sow.

  8. André94PT
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Good finish from Samedov. Great little chip

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

      Was already under my radar.
      6,5M @ RealFevr, Dzagoev is 7M, upfront Smolov is 7,5M and at defence Smolnikov is 6M, Zhirkov and Akinfeev at 5,5M.

      Do you guys fancy any of this Russian players?

      1. dunas_dog
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Playing Telegraph game and planning to start Smolov or Samedov and then transfer out

  9. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Ramos: "Flippin hell, how people have paid attention to the Salah thing... Next the keeper says he's concussed because of collision with me. All that's left is for Firmino to say he caught a cold because a drop of my sweat fell on him."

    😆

    1. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Scumbag.

      He knew exactly what he was doing.

      Making light of it and making jokes will not change that.

    2. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      It was all VVDs fault anyway,if he did not push Ramos over he would have not lost balance and caught Karius with his elbow. 😉

  10. F4L
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    If Jurassic Park was real and existed somewhere in the world right now, would you visit it?

    1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Have those films taught you nothing 😉

      It's incredibly mismanaged by self-important individuals with a penchant for letting things escalate too easily. Not a safe environment nosiree.

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      You can post first if you're quick.

      1. 420king
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Wow, thanks for this.