Dugout Discussion

Three £4.0m defenders start in Saturday’s 3pm matches

Three £4.0m defenders have earned Gameweek 1 starts, two of them coming in the same match.

As predicted from our research of pre-season, John Lundstram (£4.0m) is deployed in the central midfield trio of Sheffield United, while Diego Rico (£4.0m) starts at left wing-back for Bournemouth.

The match at the Vitality Stadium also includes a Premier League debut for Cherries goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale (£4.5m) who appears to have won the hotly contested race to start between the sticks.

Fantasy managers backing Ryan Fraser (£7.5m), Callum Wilson (£8.0m) and Josh King (£6.5m) will be happy to see them on the team sheet.

Callum Robinson (£5.5m) starts up front for Sheffield United alongside David McGoldrick (£5.5m).

Meanwhile, Martin Kelly (£4.0m) features at centre-back alongside Scott Dann (£4.5m) for Crystal Palace.

The Eagles are still without Wilfried Zaha (£7.0m), who sitds on the bench. Christian Benteke (£6.0m) and Jordan Ayew (£5.0m) lead the attack.

There are few surprises for visitors Everton as Seamus Coleman (£5.5m) holds onto his right-back berth for now and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) starts up front with Moise Kean (£7.0m) on the bench,.

Those unfamiliar with Graham Potter’s version of Pep Roulette were given a harsh introduction to it on Saturday afternoon.

After naming an unchanged 3-4-3 line-up for the last two pre-season friendlies, which included starts for Leandro Trossard (£6.0m) in the front trio, he has gone with 3-5-2 for the trip to Watford and benched the new Belgian signing.

Glenn Murray (£6.0m) and Jurgen Locadia (£5.5m) start in the front two while Pascal Groß (£6.5m) comes into central midfield alongside Davy Pröpper (£5.0m) and Dale Stephens (£4.5m).

Dan Burn (£4.5m) joins Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) and Shane Duffy (£5.0m) in the three-man defence while Solly March (£5.0m) and Martin Montoya (£4.5m) are the wing-backs.

Hosts Watford have gone with a 4-4-2 formation but Gerard Deulofeu (£6.5m), reclassified as a forward for 2019/20, has been named on the left wing of midfield.

Troy Deeney (£6.5m) and Andre Gray (£6.0m) lead the Hornets’ line.

TEAMS IN FULL

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale; Aké, S Cook, Mepham; Rico, Billing, Lerman, Smith; Fraser, Wilson, King.

Sheffield United XI: Henderson; O’Connell, Egan, Basham; Stevens, Fleck, Norwood, Lundstram, Baldock; Robinson, McGoldrick.

Burnley XI: Pope; Pieters, Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; McNeil, Westwood, Cork, Gudmundsson; Wood, Barnes.

Southampton XI: Gunn; Bednarek, Stephens, Vestergaard; Valery, Ward-Prowse(C), Oriol Romeu, Bertrand; Adams, Redmond; Ings.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita; van Aanholt, Dann, Kelly, Ward; Meyer, McArthur, Milivojevic, Townsend; Ayew, Benteke.

Everton XI: Pickford; Digne, Keane, Mina, Coleman; Schneiderlin, A Gomes; Bernard, Sigurdsson, Richarlison; Calvert-Lewin.

Watford XI: Foster; Kiko Femenía, Dawson, Cathcart, Holebas; Capoue, Doucouré; Hughes, Deulofeu; Deeney(C), Gray.

Brighton XI: Ryan; Duffy, Dunk(C), Burn; Montoya, Pröpper, Stephens, Groß, March; Locadia, Murray.

1,670 Comments Post a Comment
  1. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Lol, Howe. Imagine not using a sub and drawing Sheffield

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      They’ll probably beat city in GW3 just because that’s how unpredictable they are, too

  2. George Sillett
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Come on The Blades.

  3. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Oh piss off, had forgotten how awful it is to lose late CS to some bull..

    1. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      🙁

  4. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Wilson subbed off

    Solanke on

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Boo

  5. Bielsa's Bucket
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    King is the Bournemouth Barkley

    1. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      don't know what that means

      i have both lol

      1. Bielsa's Bucket
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        All promise, no product

        1. Bruce Lee
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          12 goals last season... okay

  6. gedda
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Honestly though, were we expecting a CS and a bap for 4.0m Rico?

    1. Athletic Nasherbo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Yes but irrelevant now.

  7. Gravy_Davey
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Wilson subbed

  8. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Concede Brighton you bast*rds

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Pls

    2. Weeb Kakashi
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Boooo

  9. Weasel Boy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Where the hell is this Guilbert chap for AV?

  10. Nicks93
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    What happened with Deulofeu?

    Was he injured or just crap?

    1. Hits from the Bong
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Crap

  11. moment
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    C'mon Fraser and King, 4 mins to do something

  12. Saïss Doesn't Mat…
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    LOL! benched both coleman and dunk for kiko femenia haha

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Joking right?

    2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Why??

      1. Saïss Doesn't Mat…
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        I thought brighton were gonna be dross this season

        1. ENZO SZN™
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Then why picked a Brighton defender? Logic.

    3. Grand Thibauto
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      But why would you bench Coleman

  13. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Oh no Rico

  14. skybluecam
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    fack off Sheff U

  15. Zilla
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    3PM games a stinker

  16. Vlad Tepes
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    How did Ings look? Saw he was subbed early

    1. Saïss Doesn't Mat…
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      He looked strange

  17. Yank Revolution
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Free kick up close for Bmouth

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Not Fraser not Fraser not Fraser not Fraser

  18. Ribus
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Hold Ryan my son!

  19. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Rico taking corners and free kicks

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Good heh? 😉

    2. Athletic Nasherbo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Really? Seems favoured by Howe then. Shame about losing it at the death (clean sheet)

    3. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Blimey. Maybe he was the pick of the 4.0s

  20. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Minutes from Coleman Digne double CS glory

    Come on

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Seconds now

  21. Athletic Nasherbo
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Wish I’d gone Kelly over Rico. He’s on for 8! Shame both options will probably not be options next week or two.

  22. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Zaha is alive!

  23. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Fraser skies

  24. BigBillyBass
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    I don’t own Guilbert thankfully but my theory is he’s too attacking to play against a top 6 side away from home. He’ll start at home against a lesser team I’m sure

  25. just a man
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Zaha’s looked dangerous and confident since he came on

    1. BigBillyBass
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      1 point incoming

  26. Yank Revolution
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Fraser over the crossbar

  27. sirmorbach
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Lads, to those of you who are watching: how did my punts (a) Che Adams and (b) Robinson look?

    I know they did nothing relevant, but, like, where they sh--e to the point of getting dropped?

    1. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Robinson looked serviceable, but how many goals will his team score?

  28. goriuanx
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Trossard did his job, Rico didn't do his.

    🙁

  29. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    I hate the bitter people jinxing Everton and Brighton cleanies.

  30. Ten Season Wonder
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Vertonghen injured??