Scout Notes

Wolves defence impresses as popular FPL forwards blank

Owners of attacking assets from Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers were left disappointed as the two clubs played out a goalless draw at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

We’ll assess how Messrs Vardy, Jota and Jimenez performed in our Scout Notes article below, as well as looking at the other Fantasy talking points – including a disallowed goal after VAR intervention – from the Gameweek 1 stalemate.

Leicester City 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Defences were on top at the King Power Stadium in a match that featured just three shots on target.

Of the two sides’ backlines, it was arguably Wolves’ that impressed the most.

The now-familiar back three of Willy Boly, Conor Coady and Ryan Bennett (all £5.0m) were imperious, limiting the hosts’ attacking trio of James Maddison (£7.0m), Ayoze Perez (£6.5m) and Jamie Vardy (£9.0m) to just one shot in the box all game.

Boly deservedly walked away with maximum bonus points as Wolves banked a well-earned clean sheet, with Rui Patricio (£5.0m) barely dirtying his gloves and only having to deal with one effort on target from the Foxes – an ambitious 25-yard effort from substitute Harvey Barnes (£6.0m).

The one glaring chance that Leicester had wasn’t even a shot: Vardy failing to make contact from three yards out when Youri Tielemans (£6.5m) fired over a low cross from the right.

The fact that Vardy had fewer touches than any of the 22 starting players in this match, and indeed one fewer than substitute Marc Albrighton (£5.5m) managed in a 14-minute cameo, was a testament to how expertly Boly and co handled the 32-year-old striker and his teammates.

Last week we wrote how Wolves had arguably underachieved on the clean sheet front in 2018/19 given their otherwise excellent underlying defensive stats, and there is every chance that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will crack double figures for shut-outs this campaign on the further evidence of Sunday.

Santo said of the game and his defence:

I think it was a very good game of football. Leicester are a very good team in possession of the ball.

It requires a lot of effort from us, playing together, in shape. We defended well and didn’t allow too many chances to a very good team, and we had some good chances.

Despite the Foxes having 70% of the possession, it was Wolves that looked the more likely to score.

Caglar Soyuncu (£4.5m) earned praise for his display at the heart of the Leicester defence but as a collective, the Foxes’ high backline was exposed on a handful of occasions by a direct Wolves attack.

Brendan Rodgers’ insistence on his side playing out from the back also led to a dicey moment or two.

Raul Jimenez (£7.5m) and Diogo Jota (£6.5m) both broke free of the home side’s defence early in the second half but made a hash of their chances, Jimenez dallying before producing a tame shot that was comfortably saved before Jota screwed an effort horribly wide when racing clear of Jonny Evans (£5.0m).

Jota had earlier dispossessed Ricardo Pereira (£6.0m) on the touchline but could only stumble into the turf when bearing down on Kasper Schmeichel (£5.0m).

The Portuguese striker’s shooting boots may have been misplaced this weekend but he was by far Wolves’ biggest threat on Sunday, his now-familiar driving runs from deep causing problems in the hosts’ backline and leading to another chance for the recently reclassified FPL forward on 40 minutes.

Indeed, no Premier League player registered more successful take-ons than Jota in Gameweek 1.

Jimenez was relatively anonymous by comparison and certainly has much to do to convince Fantasy managers that he is worth one million extra than Jota in FPL, even if he does take the odd spot-kick.

Like Wolves’ strike duo, Leander Dendoncker (£4.5m) is owned by more than 10% of managers in FPL.

No Fantasy midfielder priced under £6.5m is owned by more FPL bosses and the budget Belgian almost rewarded those who started him in Gameweek 1 with the perfect gift, only for his 52nd-minute goal to be chalked off after VAR intervention following a Boly ‘handball’.

Boly would have been given an assist for that goal, had it stood, and the French stopper had earlier been in thick of the action when a Wolves set-piece caused havoc in the Leicester box.

FPL managers may baulk at the price rises handed out to Matt Doherty (£6.0m) and Jonny (£5.5m) – neither of whom, for once, was involved in the opposition box on Sunday – but Boly, who scored the same number of goals as the Irish wing-back in 2018/19, is an intriguing cheaper alternative.

Boly and his fellow defenders pretty much nullified all four of Vardy, Maddison, Tielemans and Perez, with Rodgers saying of the latter’s debut:

Just going to take that bit of time. Just that little bit of fitness, he’s a little bit behind because he’s missed a little bit of pre-season. But he’s always a threat, he finds the spaces and he’s always looking to link the game and he wants to get in and score. It’s just time with him.

The Leicester boss was perhaps wary of Wolves’ attacking threat, meanwhile, opting to start defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi (£5.0m) over Albrighton and roll out a 4-3-3.

Explaining his formation, Rodgers said:

We played what would be 4-3-3 and that would put our front three up against their central defenders. Then, obviously, we looked to control that midfield area.

The threat that they have is that when they win it, they get two strikers through the middle and they spin out off that

I thought, in all fairness, that the players coped with it well. Cags (Soyuncu), who came in, I was really pleased for him.

Members Analysis

Leicester City XI (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Pereira, Soyuncu, Evans, Chilwell; Ndidi, Tielemans, Choudhury (Barnes 61′), Perez (Albrighton 76′), Maddison, Vardy.

Wolves XI (3-5-2): Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neves (Saiss 81′), Jonny; Jimenez, Jota (Cutrone 76′).

Lessons learned from Gameweek 1

890 Comments Post a Comment
  1. RustyBz
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Anyone know what the deal is with Trossard? Worth keeping him in?

    1. The Wise Owl
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Rotation I suspect. I don't think he's nailed yet, but could earn his spot.

    2. Buck The Trent
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Non owner, but probably keep .. at home vs side that leaked 5 goals

    3. Drexl Spivey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      If your bench is strong enough, yeah. Three great home fixtures ahead.

    4. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Its a tough position to be in with him.
      Im considering selling for McGinn but also tempted to save FT.

      1. Mortinho
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Same here..

      2. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Yeah. Fellow Trossard owner.

        I reckon save the transfer this week and see if he plays this weekend.

        If not then sell away.

        I'm likely to sell him anyway either straight out swap or downgrade as part of a package to get Son for GW3.

  2. Ronaldo 7
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Pope
    Vbd, AWB, digne, zinc, Montoya
    Sterling, Salah, Perez,
    Kane, king

    Button, trossard, gwood, donk

    A) save ft
    B) kane -} aub
    C) something else?!

    1. Tshelby
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      A

  3. kime67
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    I did the same mistake again. Martial and Rashford in for -4 . Maybe this is uniteds season?

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

      Who did you take out?

    2. Shaw must go on
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      and u already saying that was a mistake?? 🙂

    3. kime67
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Fraser and Wilson. Bit worryimg they did nothing against sheffield.

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

        There are no words

    4. farmerfat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      This is the exact kind of move you will regret

      1. Shaw must go on
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        the worst is that he already did...

  4. farmerfat
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    wish I wasn't stuck with Moura after an unsuccessful 1 week punt

    1. kime67
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      well mark has lamelaxD

    2. The Wise Owl
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      It was inevitable. We took that risk when we went for Moura.

      1. farmerfat
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        yeah true, not knee-jerking and getting Martial in.
        I will wait until GW 3 and make the move then, may even keep him if it feels like he will start vs Newcastle

    3. The Man Pastore
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      very happy I finally did not go with him

  5. jackx13
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Wesley nailed for Villa? Looking at him to replace Ings... any other suggestions in that price bracket? Little put off of Barnes fixtures.

    1. Shaw must go on
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      what´s wrong with Ings?? injured??

      1. jackx13
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Nah, just a bad fixture and not entirely convinced by his stats.

  6. Shaw must go on
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Any time frame for when bellerin could be back??

  7. New Post
  8. Lukey27
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    What do people think of this transfer B Silva>Martial?
    Means holding on to Moura,Perez and Wood up front.

    1. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I'm pondering the same kind of move.. What are the chances that Bilva starts against Spurs instead of Mahrez to give City a bit more solidity.!? Its giving me a headache owning him 🙁

      1. Lukey27
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Martial better long term over B Silva.

  9. TeddiPonza
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Decent round (102 points) but need to get rid of Trossard. Want Martial in. Wait one round and do it for free or do it now for -4 points? Team for gw2 is currently:

    Pope
    Zinchenko VvD Digne Montoya
    Dendoncker Salah Sterling Perez
    Kane Wilson
    (Button Lundstram Tosshard Greenwood)

    Thanks.

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

    I think McGinn could be the bargain of the season, expect him in most squads after 10 games.

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

      More like gw1 trap of the season

  11. cescpistols111
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    What should I do with my FT this week (0.0 ITB)? Thinking of saving.

    Heaton
    Robbo Digne Aarons
    Salah (c) Sterling (v) Trossard Perez
    Kane Jota King

    Button Lundstram Dendoncker Lowton

  12. Cojones of Destiny
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    after gw 2 Wilson + Fraser + RObbo -> Pukki + KDB + Laporte no brainer ?

  13. 1966
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Hey, does anyone know how you find out if a player is going to go up in price?

    Thanks for any info in advance 🙂

  14. Olaf Sabres
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    To get me 0.5 in the bank change Robbo to VVD cost -4? Thoughts?

  15. eamon_2010
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Smooth: Last minute transfer of Pulisic to Moura. Getting Salah and Sterling in the team and going cheap on the keeper (Ryan and Pope).

    Rough: Dunk being my first choice sub and the excruciating pain felt when I checked to see if Doherty and Perez were starting on Sunday.