Scout Notes

Mane the pick of the underwhelming midfield assets in Liverpool win

For all the firepower on show at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, it was a budget striker owned by some 686 Fantasy managers worldwide who decided the fate of the 232nd Merseyside derby.

Divock Origi‘s remarkable last-gasp winner will live long in the memory but for the Fantasy bosses who owned midfield and forward assets from the red and blue halves of Merseyside, this was a day to forget.

Jurgen Klopp’s backline continues to deliver for those of us invested in them, with the Reds here recording their ninth clean sheet of the campaign – no other Premier League has as many this season.

Everton were seconds away from their fifth shut-out in eight top-flight matches before Origi’s late, late intervention but at least demonstrated just how far they’ve come as a defensive unit by getting within a whisker of leaving Anfield with a goalless draw.

We dissect the final fixture of Gameweek 14 by rounding up the goals, assists, injury news, Fantasy talking points and manager quotes from Liverpool’s stoppage-time win over their neighbours.

Liverpool 1-0 Everton

  • Goal: Divock Origi (£5.0m)
  • Assist: Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m)

Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) blanked for only the second time at Anfield this season but his meagre three-point return in Fantasy Premier League was as much attributable to the poor finishing of colleagues as it was his own inability to breach a stubborn Everton defence.

Salah twice laid on glorious chances for Liverpool team-mates in the first half of yesterday’s Merseyside derby, only for Sadio Mane (£9.9m) and then Xherdan Shaqiri (£7.0m) to spurn the opportunities the Egyptian midfielder had provided.

No player on show at Anfield supplied more key passes than Salah on Sunday.

Assists, of course, are not Salah’s bread and butter.

On a weekend when Raheem Sterling (£11.5m) turned in another irresistible attacking display for Manchester City and became the first player this season to pass the 100-point mark in FPL, Salah was once again struggling to justify his top-dollar price.

The Egyptian’s only shot of the match came just after half-time, a curling effort that crept past Jordan Pickford‘s (£5.0m) right-hand upright. The only other sight on goal Salah had in a 74-minute showing came in the first half, when the talismanic midfielder got his feet in a muddle when in a promising position.

While Everton did well to shackle the Egypt international in his increasingly familiar centre-forward role, it would be wrong to suggest the visiting defence – or the home one, for that matter – was an impermeable force.

As well as that aforementioned chance provided by Salah, Mane wasted another gilt-edged opportunity after the break when being fed by Roberto Firmino (£9.2m) and was to curl wide shortly after when being teed up again by his Egyptian colleague. Mane was also inches away from latching onto two low crosses from the flank in the second half.

Just as he had been in the defeat at PSG in midweek, Mane was perhaps Liverpool’s brightest spark in attack and continues to present himself as a viable – if not as reliable – cut-price alternative to Salah in the Reds’ midfield.

Consistency of returns is what the Senegalese winger is lacking: this was the eighth occasion in 13 Premier League appearances that Mane has blanked.

Shaqiri was less effective than he has been in recent weeks on the right flank in a 4-2-3-1, not troubling the goalkeeper other than his “big chance” mentioned above or indeed creating a single opportunity for a team-mate.

Firmino, still somehow owned by over a million FPL managers, reverted to lacklustre type after his 12-point haul in Gameweek 13, blanking for the eighth time in nine games.

While the Brazilian forward managed three attempts on goal (more than Salah) against Everton, he is far from passing the eye test as a supporting striker in this system and looks a shadow of the player that racked up 15 goals and eight assists in 2017/18.

A rest possibly beckons for one of Liverpool’s front three (or four, as it is now) in midweek, with Mane perhaps most at risk after being the only member of the attacking quartet not be substituted in this match at Anfield and indeed suffering a cut to his foot during the game.

While paying tribute to the former Southampton midfielder, Klopp said:

It was such an intense game and if you look at these three I think Sadio had tonight the standout performance. He had the chances and didn’t use them, but he was pretty much not to defend in one-on-one situations very often.

He got better minute by minute and if you see now he is sitting in the dressing room and has a cut on his foot, so 20 minutes before the end of the game, I don’t know how it happened [but it’s a] very painful thing and he stayed in.

He didn’t tell me but otherwise maybe we would have changed differently, probably not. That’s all. We will see how we line up in the next [games]. We only have to think about Burnley, not Bournemouth or Naples or [Manchester] United or Wolves.

A start for Divock Origi (£5.0m) or Daniel Sturridge (£5.8m) wouldn’t seem out of the question at Turf Moor on Wednesday, nor would a change back to a 4-3-3 given that Jordan Henderson (£5.3m) will return from suspension and Naby Keita (£7.2m) would seem overdue a start in the middle of the park.

Origi’s goal at Anfield arrived in bizarre circumstances, the youngster tapping in after Virgil van Dijk’s (£6.0m) wayward shot had ballooned up into the air and onto the crossbar via a flap from Pickford: that “assist” was the Dutch centre-back’s first attacking FPL return since December 2016.

Andrew Robertson (£6.5m) was a constant threat down the left flank and played one glorious ball across Pickford’s goalmouth that Mane couldn’t quite reach, though Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.2m) was wasteful with his own final delivery: ten of the right-back’s 12 crosses failed to find a Liverpool shirt.

Alexander-Arnold at least continued to play a prominent role at set pieces, which adds another string to his bow as a cut-price Liverpool defensive option.

Liverpool’s backline kept perhaps their most fortunate clean sheet since the Gameweek 8 draw with Manchester City, with Yerry Mina and the otherwise excellent Andre Gomes (both £5.4m) wasting glorious headed chances in the first quarter of the match.

It was an unfortunate day at the office for Lucas Digne (£4.9m) and his owners, too, with the French dead-ball specialist supplying the delivery for Mina’s chance and being seconds away from a nine-point FPL return (Digne was topping the bonus points until the 96th minute) before Origi’s winner.

Disheartened they may be, but Digne’s owners look to have an excellent Fantasy prospect on their hands – particularly with back-to-back home matches against Newcastle United (who have conceded more attempts from set plays than any other team) and Watford to come this week.

Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.4m) and Richarlison (£7.0m) also drew a blank, though the Icelandic midfielder produced a superb through-ball that Theo Walcott (£6.3m) wasted just before the break and came within inches of tapping home the rebound when Gomes’ 20th-minute header was somehow kept out by a combination of Alisson (£5.7m) and Joe Gomez (£5.1m).

Everton’s “out of position” Brazilian midfielder, again leading the line for the Toffees in a 4-2-3-1, didn’t get much change out of van Dijk and had only one scuffed half-chance to show for his afternoon’s work.

Richarlison’s worth as a mid-price FPL asset isn’t defined by these types of matches, of course, but his owners will be expecting a marked improvement in the forthcoming double-header at Goodison.

Reflecting on the defeat, Marco Silva said:

I know the main thing in football is the result – but I am proud of our players and how we performed.

I think it is clear, we did not deserve that result and it was a lucky, lucky, lucky day for Liverpool.

We did everything I promised we would and what we have been doing since the first day [I was here] – and especially in the past two or three months as we’ve grown as a team.

Liverpool XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Fabinho; Shaqiri (Keita 70′), Firmino (Origi 83′), Mane; Salah (Sturridge 75′).

Everton XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne; Gomes, Gueye; Walcott (Lookman 62′), Sigurdsson (Zouma 90′), Bernard; Richarlison.

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1,229 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Meme2011
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Pick 2 from...

    A) Patricio
    B) Foster
    C) Fabianski
    D) Hennessey

  2. ZTF
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Having joined PVA’s league the start of last GW, any reason why I’m still ranked 3k? 12k overall so I’m pretty certain that score isn’t accurate, but is it actually that my scoring only started when I joined the league?

    1. Make Arrows Green Again
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I'm 3.3k despite being 18k overall so that looks about right.

      1. ZTF
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Ah, much more competitive than I thought then

    2. KingOllie
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Im ranked 300 OR and was still like 160 in PVAs league. All the top teams are in it lol

  3. trinzoo
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    When is the last moment to use WC, please?

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Before GW 20

      1. Eat my goal!
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        As in you can wildcard after 19 and for the GW20 deadline

        1. trinzoo
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Cool - thanks!

  4. SALVA
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    No Spurs or Ars cover atm. Have Robbo/TAA from pool. 2FT.

    A) Salah, Success to Kane, F Anderson

    B) Salah, Success to Auba, Son

    C) Suggest

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      A for me

  5. fenixri
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Are you going with both Sterling - Sane or just one City mid?

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Just sterling - one rotation risk is enough for me

    2. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Edging sane i think .Think he can match sterling till mendy out and liked his performance vs biurnemouth

  6. n14mul
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Best spurs midfielder?

    Son
    Erikson
    Alli

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Alli now Eriksen seems to have less set piece duties and an odd stomach issue

    2. ZTF
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Probably Alli, but I wouldn’t want any

  7. The Left Duke #3
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Hojbjerg is rotting up my bench. Need a cheap upgrade.

    Any thoughts?

    1. EgyptianKing
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Gunnaraon?

      1. EgyptianKing
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Gunnarson

    2. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Maybe Cairney, playing very advanced and on set pieces?

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        This

      2. The Left Duke #3
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Nice one. He does look a good pick and Fulham have favourable fixtures over Christmas.

  8. EgyptianKing
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    1) Would you play Jimenez or Balbuena this GW?

    2) Jimenez out Chicharito in, is it a good move?

    Cheers all

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      1) Balbuena
      2) not for me

  9. JamieC180
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Hey guys, which of these two sets do you reckon is best?

    A) Robertson, Doherty, Ederson, Arnie
    B) Gomez, Balbuena, Fabianski, Kane

    Already have Sterling, Sane, Auba and TAA - no other Spurs coverage.

    Cheers!

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      b just

  10. boc610
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Having no pool attack against the goal magnet that is joe Hart is certifiable

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Rolling with the two attacking full backs - that’s attack enough

      1. boc610
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        No it's not....did you see burnley against palace??they are in freefall, most shots conceded in all 4 divisions

  11. dicky2014
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    There should be a 2 goalkeepers can play chip.

    Id love to play Fabianski and Begovic this week but have to decide between the 2 🙁

    1. Make Arrows Green Again
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Most underwhelming chip since all-out-attack!

  12. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Bye bye Hughes

    1. boc610
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Will football finally learn its lesson and realise this man couldn't manage a pub team?

      Not on your nelly. He'll be in another job in no time.

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

    Any reason Murray wasn’t dropped this weekend?

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Rotated. He’s 36.

      1. ZTF
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        36?! I would’ve gone 32 ish. Worth keeping him for midweek then I guess

    2. La Roja
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      He was dropped

      1. ZTF
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        That’s what I meant haha

  14. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    AKA - the new front line

    Aubameyang - Kane - Arnie

    😀

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      WAK here

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Out of wak, more like 😉

        1. Eat my goal!
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Lol, it needs to be a good move, can’t take another red arrow!

    2. Dynamic Duos
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I'm the founder lol 🙂

  15. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Sparky sacked means better or worse for Kane?

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Marginally worse but who knows.

    2. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Good news imo

    3. ZTF
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      No ones sorting Hughes’ mess out for a couple months minimum

      1. La Roja
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Good point

    4. Shatner's Bassoon
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      About the same. Saints look an absolute shell of a team.

    5. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      No new manager in place, they’ll be headless chickens, and spurs will want flood after the derby defeat

      I’d say that’s sealed Kane’s hattrick

  16. BIG TONES
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Bit stuck here trying to get Kane, can someone help?

    A) Mitro/Mane/Alonso > Kane/Dilva/Wan-Bissaka (-4)
    B) Mitro/Mane/Alonso > Kane/F.Anderson/Alexander-Arnold (-4)

    Or something else?

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I like B of those 2

    2. Rex Lapis
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      A If you already have strong defence

  17. simong1
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Play Doherty (CHE) or Gunnarsson (WHA)?

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      The latter

  18. yakirh
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Southampton sack Mark Hughes
    (Worried Kane owner)

    1. Shatner's Bassoon
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Wouldn’t worry too much. Their defence is still binbags.

  19. trinzoo
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Knockaert to F. Anderson is a no-brainer, right? even with last FT.

    1. BenDavies
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      definition of no-brainer

    2. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Yep

    3. Rex Lapis
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Do it

      1. trinzoo
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks guys!

  20. Rex Lapis
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    I'm on WC. which one is better?
    A. Arnie + Hazard + Son
    B. Kane + Anderson + Richarlison (or any 6.9m mid)

    Fabianski 4.0
    Robertson TAA Digne Doherty AWB
    Gunnarsson Sane Sterling ___ ___
    Auba Jimenez ___

  21. KingOllie
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    red arrow with 57 points. Not having westham/palace defence really hurt

    1. BenDavies
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      rank?

      1. KingOllie
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        fell to 479

        1. BenDavies
          • 11 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          woe is you

  22. Waynoo
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    feels bad selling Salah but it must be done

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Just before BUR too but I couldn’t keep faith any longer myself

    2. BIG TONES
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Not before Burnley surely...

    3. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      he will bounce back, he's a season keeper for me

  23. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    From bbc;

    “First-team assistant coach Kelvin Davis will take charge of the team for the game against Tottenham on Wednesday.“

    1. KingOllie
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Game is gonna end 1-1 now

      1. BenDavies
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        won't turn my nose at a kane 9 pointer 😀

    2. BenDavies
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Kelvin Davis isn't exactly a tactical mastermind

  24. No_Mo_Salah?
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Kiko nailed now for Watford?

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Janmaat hovering

  25. Shatner's Bassoon
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    “If he plays, maybe it’s four or five weeks off. He was not safe.”

    Reckon Kun can go from that situation to a haul at Watford within three days?

    1. BenDavies
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Very unlikely.

  26. The Head-Ake
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Hazard to Sterling? Is he likely to play? Have Salah too but he's my (c) atm.

  27. Attaka
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Which looks better in a draft league?

    A) Dilva + Trips + Firmino
    B) Sane + Gomez + Firmino
    C) Dilva + Schindler + Auba

    Thanks on advance guys!!

  28. Andrew
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    What are Aguero owners doing?

    1. KLOPPS AND ROBBERS... the s…
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Sold for Auba

      1. Bavarian
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        This

  29. Slitherene
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    For this GW only.

    A) Vardy + Kane

    OR

    B) Eriksen + Aguero

  30. ZTF
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Auba Is making selling selling Kun very tempting rn, it would just bite me in the arse tho as always!

    1. AuFeld
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      For the last six home matches, Watford's defense has conceded the fewest amount of chances down the center.