Scout Notes

Blank Gameweek 31 picture unchanged as Brighton progress in cup

It’s a case of ‘as you were’ for Blank Gameweeks 31 and 33 after Brighton and Hove Albion saw off West Bromwich Albion in their FA Cup fourth-round replay on Wednesday evening.

A defeat for the Seagulls would have seen the number of confirmed Premier League fixtures in each of those two Gameweeks rise to five, with Brighton scheduled to take on Cardiff City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

We can still have anything from one to six blanks in Gameweek 31 and one to four in Gameweek 33.

Chris Hughton’s side now entertain Derby County in the fifth round of the FA Cup a week on Saturday.

We’ll round up the Fantasy talking points from Brighton’s extra-time victory over the Baggies.

West Bromwich Albion 1-3 Brighton and Hove Albion

  • Goals: Florin Andone (£5.0m), Glenn Murray (£6.3m) x2
  • Assists: Jurgen Locadia (£5.3m), Davy Propper (£4.8m)

Glenn Murray (£6.3m) came off the bench in extra time to seal a hard-earned victory for Brighton at the Hawthorns.

The veteran striker bundled home a deflected Jurgen Locadia (£5.3m) cross just three minutes after his introduction and later finished tidily from a Davy Propper (£4.8m) pass to put the tie beyond doubt.

The 35-year-old forward looks fairly assured of a start against Burnley in Gameweek 26 given that he only played a cameo role in the Black Country last night and understudy Florin Andone (£5.0m) lasted the full 120 minutes.

Having shared game-time with the Romanian striker over the festive season, Murray has now started the last five Premier League matches on the spin and his medium-term security could be further boosted if the Football Association take any action on Andone for an alleged elbow on the Baggies’ Sam Field.

Andone later pulled Brighton level after a mix-up in the West Brom defence.

Murray said of his own form:

I feel good at the moment, over the Christmas period I had a few little knocks and a bit of an illness but that’s all behind me now. 

I feel back to my best and scoring goals helps, we’ve got good competition in the squad at the moment and we have a few faces who are returning from injuries and time away. 

We felt as though we dominated the game on Saturday and again on Wednesday – we feel like we’ve put on a good display.

We’ve had some difficult fixtures over the last month and we feel like our performances levels have been consistently good overall.

Hughton praised his evergreen striker but added that he desired to see more of his players contributing on the goal front:

Not only the goal, but it was the attitude Glenn showed. He came on and wanted to make an impact, and that’s what happens when you bring substitutes on, you want them to impact the game.

He certainly came on with a spring in his step and we’re grateful for that.

What we need is to be spreading these goals around the team a little more, but if you said to me ‘would you rather have somebody in form that’s scoring goals than support from elsewhere?’, then, of course, I would say, ‘yes’.

Murray would ordinarily re-enter the budget forward debate given the Seagulls’ superb run of scheduled Premier League fixtures over the next seven Gameweeks but a blank in Gameweek 27 and possibly two more in Gameweeks 31 and 33 will, of course, likely deter Fantasy investment.

Predicting the Brighton line-up at the Amex on Saturday should be a fairly routine operation as this was a second-string Seagulls side that overcame their opponents from the Championship: Hughton made ten changes to the starting XI that drew 0-0 with Watford in Gameweek 25, with just Yves Bissouma (£4.6m) – who himself only featured against the Hornets because of an injury picked up by Dale Stephens (£4.4m) in the warm-up – retaining his place.

Bernardo (£4.2m) made his comeback from injury with a two-hour showing at full-back, with veteran Bruno (£4.4m) also getting a 105-minute run-out.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh (£6.7m) featured for the first time since injury and international duty in a central midfield role just ahead of Bissouma and Beram Kayal (£4.4m), with Anthony Knockaert (£5.2m) and youngster Viktor Gyokeres (£4.5m) getting the nod on the flanks.

Hughton highlighted the contribution of Knockaert, who hasn’t started a league match since Gameweek 17:

Anthony’s season has been a little bit up and down in regards to playing, but he showed his real quality today – not only the quality he’s got, but he also worked really hard and made an impact.

Deputy centre-backs Leon Balogun (£4.2m) and Dan Burn (£4.5m) had relatively comfortable evenings but won’t have been pleased with their part in West Brom’s opener – Balogun bizarrely letting Kyle Bartley prod home unchallenged after Burn had nodded a Wes Hoolahan free-kick up in the air.

Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) and Pascal Gross (£6.7m) remained unused substitutes, while the likes of Mathew Ryan (£4.4m), Shane Duffy (£4.6m) and Solly March (£4.9m) were handed the night off altogether.

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Button; Bruno (Bong 106’), Balogun, Burns, Bernardo; Bissouma (Propper 88’), Kayal; Gyokeres (Locadia 79’), Jahanbakhsh (Murray 101’), Knockaert; Andone.

610 Comments Post a Comment
  1. TRIPOS TOPPER
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Are most folk here going FH32, WC34, BB35?

    just thinking if Chelsea go out of cup the blank in 31 is not huge.
    Can be navigated easily by FT

    If Chelsea knock out Man U am more inclined to FH 31

    1. Gregor
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Thinking FH31 as it stands.

    2. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Agreed its much easier if Chelsea are out to FH 32. Part of it is that it’s no great compromise to bring in say a Burnley defender, Pereira and swap out Wolves for Bournemouth between now and then. Looking at fixtures they all look like decent moves anyway and not just cover for 31/3. Then you add in a combo of Hazard Hig and Luiz.

      Much more awkward if Chelsea don’t play 31. In that case there’s no obvious route for non Liverpool premiums in 31/3.

      If there’s only 4 matches in 31 you’re unlikely to lose much with an 8 strong team and benching premiums such as Auba, Son and Rashford. 34could be tougher. But even then it’s possible to take a couple of hits to switch in premiums who play.

      I’m not decided but the chance of hitting both big doubles with a focussed team is so enticing.

      The FH in 31 is a turn off for me if it’s a 4 match week. You’d be bringing in peripheral assets who could return 2/3 points on average for a net gain of 12 points say. Why fill your team with low ranking players? There’s no reason to suppose they’ll outperform their average just because they’re the only players available.

  2. George James
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Firmino >> Auba for free???

    1. Gregor
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Yeah.

    2. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      not worth it IMO

      Liverpool are better at home than Arsenal are away. Maybe next week

      1. Gregor
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Huddersfield though innit. Could go either way really but may as well get Auba in now as you’ll want him longer term and who knows what other problems might arise over the weekend.

    3. Botman and Robben
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

    4. Bunk Moreland
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Hell Yeah.

  3. Hazardous1983
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Pogba son auba
    Mane son/pogba auba

    What best combo for -4 transfers

  4. New Post
  5. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    How does this look?

    Boruc
    Robbo AWB Doherty
    Son Salah Pogba Anderson
    Auba(C) Rashford Jimenez

    Fabianski TAA Digne Højbjerg

    1. Gregor
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I’d play Flappy.

      1. Botman and Robben
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Yes indeed.

  6. Mo Mané Mo Problems
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Alisson, Speroni
    Robbo, Doherty, AWB, Bednarek, Digne
    Salah, Son, Pogba, Fraser, Puncheon
    Kun, Rash, Jimi

    3.4m ITB, 1FT (used 1 on Sane to Son).

    A) Play AWB and Bednarek. Bench Fraser, Digne, Punch
    B) Kun to Auba
    C) Rash to Auba, Digne to 4.8 or below: Lascelle/Schar (and play Bednarek and AWB)
    D) Rash to Auba, Fraser to Redmond/Moutinho/5.5

  7. merin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Not sure who to bench in defence.
    Got any advice?

    Patricio Hamer
    Robertson Doherty Dunk
    Salah(c) Son Pogba(v) Richarlison
    Auba Rashford Jimenez

    (Hamer AWB Laporte Stephens)

    2.7 ITB, 0 FT

  8. MGD
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    How does the FFS Hall of Fame work?

  9. tbhogal
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kola or Periera for Alosno?

    1. CROCosta
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      pereira

  10. MrFootieIsHere
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    I have 2FT's and want to ship a few - what do you think for -8:

    £0.3ITB
    Fab (Speroni)
    Holebas Robbo Doherty (WB Digne)
    Salah Son* Pogba Richarlison* Sane*
    Rashford Jimi (Kamara*)

    TO...

    £1.7ITB:
    Fab (Speroni)
    Holebas Robbo Doherty (WB Digne)
    Salah Son* Pogba Jota* (Guendozi*)
    Rashford Jimi Auba*

    ?

  11. MrFootieIsHere
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Richarlison > Jota (-8)?

    1. Ëð
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      That's an expensive transfer!

      1. MrFootieIsHere
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        I have 2FT's and want to ship a few - what do you think for -8:

        £0.3ITB
        Fab (Speroni)
        Holebas Robbo Doherty (WB Digne)
        Salah Haz* Pogba Richarlison* Sane*
        Rashford Jimi (Kamara*)

        TO...

        £1.7ITB:
        Fab (Speroni)
        Holebas Robbo Doherty (WB Digne)
        Salah Son* Pogba Jota* (Guendozi*)
        Rashford Jimi Auba*

        ?

        1. Ëð
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          I'd just take the -4 and save Jota for next week!

  12. simong1
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Gtg for this GW?

    Fabianski
    Robertson - TAA - Doherty
    Salah (C) – Hazard – Richarlison – Pogba (VC) – Son
    Jimenez – Rashford

    Bench: Button, AWB, Digne, Crouch

  13. MrFootieIsHere
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Would you do Haz, Kamara, Rich, Sane > Son, Auba, Jota, Guendozi for -8?

  14. camarozz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Well guys.
    Glad that old gw is outta the way.
    Got away with no city attack and Siggy (c) thanks to my faith in Luiz and Hazard. (the latter is sold for Son)

    Looking forward to a normal week tbh.

  15. Johnny2toes
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Keep Hazard or Pogba -4 (and have funds to splash with next GW)?

  16. Rafa_is_a_geordie.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Am I crazy to bench Laporte after he has scored and assisted for me in last GW?

    Fab (Dubravka)
    Shaw / Bednarek / Bennett (Laporte (1st)) / Digne (3rd))
    Salah (C) / Son / Deulofeu / Jota (McNei (2nd))
    Aguero / Aubameyang / Rashford

    I'm just thinking Man U, Southampton and Wolves have more chance of a cleansheet than City V Chelsea? Or forget the cleansheet likeliness and hope for attacking returns?

    TIA!