Scout Notes

First Blank of Gameweek 31 confirmed by Watford win

Watford confirmed the first postponed fixture in Blank Gameweek 31 with their win at QPR on Friday night.

The Hornets have progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, which take place on the same weekend as Southampton’s scheduled visit to Vicarage Road.

Watford and the Saints will now not have a fixture in Blank Gameweek 31 and will both experience a corresponding Double Gameweek at some point between now and the end of the season.

The two clubs could end up providing some budget options for our Wildcard squads later in the campaign when Fantasy managers are compelled to stock up on Double Gameweek players.

If Watford vs Southampton is moved to Gameweek 32, it would be better for Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side as they would face the Hornets and Brighton, both away from home.

Meanwhile, Javi Gracia’s side would face Southampton (home) and Manchester United (away).

A new date for the postponed Blank Gameweek 31 fixture can only be estimated at this point, but it definitely serves to be aware of their absence from that weekend of action when planning transfers between now and then.

Watford now await the other results in the FA Cup fifth round and Monday night’s draw to see who they will face in the quarter-finals.

How they got on against QPR is the focus of this latest Scout Notes article…

QPR 0-1 Watford

Goals: Etienne Capoue (£4.8m)

Assists: Tom Cleverley (£5.0m)

It was a gritty performance that saw Watford overcome QPR in the FA Cup on Friday night. Their Championship hosts had double the number of shots and also spurned decent chances to find the net.

Thankfully for the Hornets, and Fantasy managers hoping for as many Blanks and Doubles as possible, the Premier League side, mostly at full strength, delivered in the key moments.

Ben Foster (£4.6m) and Craig Cathcart (£4.5m) were given the night off completely, Gerard Deulofeu (£5.5m) was an unused substitute, while Abdoulaye Doucouré (£5.9m) and Adrian Mariappa (£4.2m) came on in the second half at Loftus Road.

Heurelho Gomes (£4.3m), Christian Kabasele (£4.4m), Andre Gray (£5.9m), Tom Cleverley (£5.0m) and Miguel Britos (£4.3m), all of whom have experience as regular Premier League starters, came in to join the other six players who started against Everton in Gameweek 26.

“We are changing players, competitions, some players are injured in different moments, but the most important is always the team compete well and is getting good results. I have the difficult decision to chose only 11 players every game but when they play they show we have a good squad and all of them deserve to play and have recognition.” – Javi Gracia

In a game where Watford managed just six goal attempts, and Troy Deeney (£5.9m) was their top shooter with two efforts, it took some opportune thinking from Etienne Capoue (£4.8m) to settle the tie.

He received the ball just inside the box from a very poor miscued Tom Cleverley (£5.0m) shot and was able to wrong-foot QPR goalkeeper Joe Lumley to find the bottom corner.

It was Capoue’s only shot of the game and continues his run of goal-scoring form that seems largely limited to the cup competitions. Four of his last five Watford strikes have come outside the Premier League, two in the FA Cup and two in the League Cup.

Andre Gray (£5.9m) can consider himself very unlucky not to have scored a second goal in as many matches in all competitions. An exquisite through-ball from Deeney sent him clear to round the goalkeeper and slot in from a tight angle but he was incorrectly adjudged to be offside. Other than that, Gray did not register a single shot, which could count against him in his hopes to displace Deulofeu as the second striker in Watford’s team.

It was QPR who were busier in front of goal, although they could not actually find the net.

Nakhi Wells had two great two chances to score but saw one effort saved by Gomes, and placed the other over the bar, while Massimo Luongo spurned an opportunity too.

Crucially, QPR captain Toni Leistner had the chance to level things in the dying moments at the back-post. A Darnell Furlong shot fizzed across goal and the centre-back only needed to get his touch right to make the net bulge, but it cannoned off his right leg and went wide.

For all those reasons, it’s worth saying that Watford were fortunate to record another clean sheet. Much is being made of their recent defensive form in the national media, as they now have six shutouts in their last league and cup matches. Also, the five clean sheets kept in their last six games in all competitions is as many as they mustered in their previous 24.

The Hornets have now come through three away FA Cup ties without conceding a goal, but it must be remembered their opposition were National League outfit Woking, a goal-shy Newcastle side, and now low mid-table Championship club QPR.

And on this occasion, as already mentioned, they probably should have conceded. It’s worth adding that both of those Wells chances were handed to him after mistakes from Jose Holebas (£4.8m) and Kabasele.

We recently highlighted after their 1-0 win over Everton, that the Hornets have belied their defensive data of late to keep three clean sheets in their last four Premier League matches. In that time, just four teams have allowed more shots in the box than them, and with Liverpool and Manchester City two of their next four opponents, Watford’s shutouts could dry up fairly soon.

That said, Gomes did have a strong performance on Friday night deputising for Foster again, earning praise from Gracia on his birthday.

“Heurelho shows his best face in every game he plays. He collected high balls & was in control of his area along with the defence. Today is a good gift for him.” – Javi Gracia

“Today I think Heurelho, Britos and Christian Kabasele were very important to defend well the long balls. They showed their qualities. The rest of the team as well had commitment as usual with big desire to carry on in this competition.” – Javi Gracia

Watford XI (4-4-2): H Gomes; Holebas, Britos, Kabasele, Janmaat; Sema (Mariappa 74′), Capoue, Cleverley (Quina 84′), Hughes; Deeney, A Gray (Doucouré 74′).

275 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Amey
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Pitch is awesome for City match 😀

    1. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      A lot of top tier pitches used to be like that. I remember a game at Derby’s old Baseball Ground when there was a penalty awarded and the groundsman had to come to paint a new penalty spot as the old one had vanished in the mud 😀

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

        used to be rough there. in the good old days (70s) you'd literally pitches with hardly a blade of grass on them

  2. Lionel Ronaldo
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    If Man City beat Newport today, it's blank for both Man City and Man United in GW31, aye?

    1. Gringo Kid
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Yeah

    2. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Or if Man Utd beat Chelsea on Monday.

  3. Kasper the ghost keeper
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Can't believe I'm considering Mhikitaryan as a differential. Scored twice in the reverse fixture Vs Southampton last year. Hasn't gotten enough game time to prove he can score points

    1. Majestic Chanka
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Or hasn’t gotten enough game time because of the same reason he doesn’t score points often.

      Namely, that he is pants in 7/10 games he plays.

    2. LSK
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I wouldn't. Transfers are so valuable over the next few weeks with the upcoming blanks. Mhikitaryan would only be worth a punt if you were using your free hit and wanted a differential this week only.

  4. QUEN
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    How does this sound

    Sane Llorente to vardy and fraser

    Trying to plan for the blanks

    1. LSK
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I think I would prefer Mane and Rondon. Personally, I'm not tempted by Vardy, I feel like he's too expensive for what he'll return. Could be wrong obviously.

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

        This

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

          Hmm Rondon isn’t confirmed single game week for 33 that’s my problem.

  5. Patch
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Newport teaching Man City how to play football?

  6. King Kohli
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Crazy to do Salah + Rashford > Mane + Aguero (-4) in gw 28?

    Would leave me with this:
    Sterling Mane Eriksen Son Pogba
    Aguero Rondon

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

      You’ll want Mo back in 31 for sure. Make that a minus 8.

      Are you confident Kun has better fixtures and will play 270 minutes between now and then and not get subbed off after scoring one.

  7. tisza
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Newport better organized than Fulham at the back

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

    Can’t help but love city

    1. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Fake united fan

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

        I can admire the way another side supports man

        1. Twisted Saltergater
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Is that why teams are franchises in the US? They move the team to where some fans may support them?

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

            Haha definitely not the reason bro!

            1. Twisted Saltergater
              • 14 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Imagine being a 49ers fan and the owner relocated them to Green Bay 😯

  9. Captain Robert Hatch
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    So the free hit chip is more like a temporary wild card this season?

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

      Every season

    2. Party time
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Was it a permanent wildcard the season before?

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

        Is GW32 correct?

        1. Twisted Saltergater
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          TBC but likely. I’ll update once confirmed.

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

            Last season was the opposite.

            1. Twisted Saltergater
              • 14 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Sorry TM, in what way? The BGW31 fixtures moved to 35?

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

                Yeah, GW37 etc.

                1. Twisted Saltergater
                  • 14 Years
                  5 years, 1 month ago

                  Ah ok. Yes, I’ve preempted some of the rearrangements but only a couple. I’ll update the sheet once we know for sure. But yes, very valid points.

    3. CSF150473
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Thinking it might be better to play wildcard on Gameweek 30 in prep for the double GW 32, free hit for the blank 31 GW, then that way I can use the TC for the 32 GW and bench boost for DGW 35..what’s every ones thoughts ?

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

        31 isn't that appealing if say Wolves and Chelsea out and 33 probably not much either so not really bothered having great team for 31 if as above

      2. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        I think this is very close to the optimum strategy if you have all your chips. WC in GW34 is ideal for BB in DGW35 but it kinda feels too late to play it then. You can start to benefit from your WC in GW29/30 and use two FTs to sort out DGW35. Its riskier but could be more rewarding if your team needs the WC now.

    4. Big_Andy_GAWA
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Õzil or Mané for Hazard replacement? I know who is the *safest* pick, but am happy to hear your thoughts on the matter... 🙂

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

        NOzil

      2. Kiwivillan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Ozil not even sure to start. Emery not a fan it seems. Mane vs Ozil not a legitimate question. Also why sell Hazard now?

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

          'Cos he has a blank. And Chelsea are pure keek. He's done nothing in this period of ownership, bar his Hudds haul. Am fed up with him now...

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

            Yeah I sold ages ago and been funny. Fulham in 2 weeks though. If you must sell definitely Mane not Ozil

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

        No mention of Kosc after 2 goals last 3 starts lol

    5. PepSala
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Should I wildcard to cap Aguero vs Norwich or hold?

      Current team

      Button Pope
      Robbo TAA Digne Lund Rico
      Salah Sterling KDB Mount Dendo
      Pukki Haller Greenwood

      Wildcard

      Button Pope
      TAA Matip Masauku Lund Kelly
      Salah Sterling KDB Cantwell Hayden
      Aguero(c) Pukki Greenwood