Scout Notes

The Jota injury latest as Doherty rediscovers goal touch

Wolverhampton Wanderers secured their first win of 2019/20 as they beat bottom-of-the-table Watford at Molineux.

We look back at the key Fantasy talking points from Saturday’s game in the Scout Notes article below.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Watford

  • Goals: Matt Doherty (£6.0m), Daryl Janmaat (£4.3m) own-goal
  • Assists: Pedro Neto (£5.0m), Morgan Gibbs-White (£4.8m)
  • Bonus: Doherty x3, Rui Patricio (£5.0m) x2, Conor Coady (£5.0m), Willy Boly (£5.0m) x1

After watching his side beat fellow Premier League strugglers Watford on Saturday, Nuno Espirito Santo provided us with an update on Diogo Jota‘s (£6.2m) fitness.

The mid-price FPL forward was nowhere to be seen in the hosts’ matchday squad and Santo, who hinted at “small injuries” in his pre-match presser on Friday, confirmed his absence was enforced.

Santo said:

Diogo had a knock before the game at Crystal Palace, he played the game, but wasn’t totally well so we decided to not play him and see if it’s evolved on Thursday [for the Europa League].

After their early-season struggles, we highlighted the improvement that Wolves had made in their last-gasp draw with Palace last weekend.

While Saturday’s win over Watford was far from perfect – the Hornets enjoyed over 60% of possession and twice as many chances – there were further positives to take.

Defensively, Wolves have looked more secure in their last two games.

It is perhaps no coincidence that, in the five matches with Matt Doherty (£6.0m) and Jonny (£5.4m) both in the starting XI at wing-back, Wolves have shipped only three goals.

With that balance disrupted in the other two matches in question, Santo’s troops have conceded on eight occasions.

It is not quite as simplistic as that, of course, and teams such as Palace and Watford offer greater chances of clean sheets than Chelsea do.

However, striking a balance between defensive nous and attacking flair has posed a dilemma this season, particularly given the fine form of Adama Traore (£5.0m).

The budget FPL midfielder has been electric down the right flank on the domestic front and in Europe but isn’t quite as reliable from a defensive perspective, so choosing between him and Doherty for the right wing-back role in a 3-5-2 has posed Santo problems.

The switch to a 3-4-3 has given the Wolves boss the chance to field both, however, and it is no surprise that the West Midlands club have looked more secure down that flank in Gameweeks 6 and 7.

Indeed, both of Saturday’s goals owed heavily to Doherty’s underlapping runs – the Ireland international tapping in Pedro Neto‘s (£5.0m) low cross to give his side the lead before providing the delivery that Morgan Gibbs-White (£4.8m) headed in via a sizeable deflection off Daryl Janmaat (£4.3m).

It is too early to say whether Doherty (who now looks back to full fitness after his struggles over the last six weeks) will become the threat he was last season – his goal represented his only shot and penalty box touch of the game – but the 3-4-3 set-up does offer either he or Traore the opportunity to bomb into the box while the other covers the right flank.

A settled side always helps cohesion at the back and that is something Wolves haven’t had this season, mostly due to their Europa League involvement.

Having made multiple changes in previous weeks, Santo’s only alteration from the side that drew at Palace was an enforced one: Neto in for Jota.

With Jesus Vallejo (£4.8m) struggling to get to grips with life in the Premier League and Ryan Bennett (£4.9m) having been cast aside by Santo in the last three league matches, the back three of Willy Boly (£5.0m), Conor Coady (£5.0m) and Romain Saiss (£4.4m) have looked solid in the last two Gameweeks – save for the latter’s red card at Selhurst Park.

Jonny, meanwhile, was excellent at left wing-back.

Rui Patricio (£5.1m) was forced into five stops but all of them were fairly routine, with his diving save from a Danny Welbeck (£5.9m) strike eye-catching but ultimately one that he would expect to handle.

Even Watford’s one ‘big chance’ wasn’t really a gilt-edged opportunity – Patricio smothering Tom Cleverley‘s (£4.9m) effort before the Hornets’ midfielder could get a proper shot in.

On his side’s defensive display, Santo said:

The clean sheet is the final result of something, sometimes you are not well-organised and you get a clean sheet, but today I think we were organised.

It’s something we need to improve. We had moments where we lost focus, things we cannot repeat again. Today we did it, but we know how hard it is to sustain and Thursday we go again. We want to compete, we want to play.

They [Watford] managed the ball well, they didn’t create many chances, but there was always the feeling that they were going to break us, but defensively we did very well against a very good team with very good players. Until we got the second goal, Watford were very tough.

Watford were back in a 4-2-3-1 for this encounter, with Welbeck and Ismaila Sarr (£6.3m) getting their first league starts of the season.

Welbeck carried much of Watford’s goal threat with limited service but there weren’t too many stand-out performers from a Fantasy perspective in this game, even there was a slight improvement from the 8-0 humiliation at the Etihad.

Gerard Deulofeu (£6.1m), so eye-catching in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal a fortnight ago, was hooked at half-time, with the rousing performance that Quique Sanchez Flores’ side served up against the Gunners now slipping from memory.

It is maybe no coincidence that the teams in 19th and 20th in the table are struggling for an identity under their new managers.

While Steve Bruce’s dismissive comments about tactics are a world apart from Rafael Benitez’s meticulous managerial style, Sanchez Flores seems to be struggling to meld his own pragmatic approach with getting the best from the wealth of attacking options at his disposal.

The Watford manager’s post-match remarks were hardly ringing endorsements of his ability to get across a message to his players:

Now we are looking for some kind of style, some way we’re going to play, but at the moment we’re not playing in that way. We concede very easy goals and these destroy all the plans. We are playing [catch-up] behind the score so it’s difficult for the players right now.

It’s difficult to know. In this kind of situation sometimes the players are confused. Sometimes they’ll understand very well the orders; in the second half, for example, the plan was for the striker to get down the sides because they are more faster than the central defender, but they didn’t understand it in the first half. Maybe after the first goal, they forget or they are not completely clear?


Members Analysis


Wolves XI (3-4-3): Patricio; Boly, Coady, Saiss; Jonny, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Doherty; Neto (Gibbs-White 57′), Traore (Neves 87′), Jimenez (Cutrone 80′).

Watford XI (4-3-3): Foster; Janmaat, Dawson, Cathcart, Holebas; Capoue, Doucoure; Deulofeu (Pereyra 45′), Cleverley, Sarr (Gray 71′); Welbeck.

Lessons Learned from Gameweek 7

372 Comments Post a Comment
  1. troller
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Dilva or mahrez or bilva best pick from these 3

    1. Relaxing
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Mahrez is looking spicy

    2. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Mahrez now. Some other one soon

    3. fgdu
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      bilva only really returned once, so one of the other two

  2. Maddamotha
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pep says there are no injures before the CL game, but KDB is not seen at training. What is this???

    1. mikess
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      He was being sarcastic implying they all claim to be fit for the CL

    2. MTPockets
        4 years, 6 months ago

        a rest?

      • NATSTER
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        If he really got minor injury from the last match, it's not surprised for him to get a rest.

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

          If he really...thing is we dont really know.

      • FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        He was taking the photo

    3. Live Scoutcast 8pm Tues - leave your questions here
      J0E
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Scoutcast 8pm Tuesday evening.

      Let us know your questions for us here.

      Which player, team and talking point should we discuss?

      1. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Is Sterling>Mahrez or Bilva a viable option?

      2. Miguel Sanchez
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Is Mahrez returning as a credible FPL prospect and a cheaper ticket to the Pep roulette?

      3. FPL Zlatan
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Is the Pukki Party over?

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

        Mahrez

        Watford, are they this season's whipping boys?

        Pep roulette...can players such as Mahrez be useful in a squad of 15 with inevitable benchings?

      5. Warbling Wendy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Are people forgetting the bigger picture regarding Sterling?

      6. FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Is it worth getting Mahrez for next four matches (3 at home) based on recent form (45points in under 400mins)

        West Ham midfield worth discussing as tasty fixtures: Yarmolenko, Lanzini or Anderson. Who should we get if any?

        Talking point: Leicester players now or after pool?

      7. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Best Budget Basement Bargain Bouquet Bucket Basket, option.
        2019/20

      8. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I want to ask another question about Mahrez

      9. FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        When will the Captain GW8 poll be open?

        1. J0E
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          best ask elsewhere. This is just for scoutcast questions. Cheers.

          Geoff, David, Neale may be able to help if around.

      10. EMBOLOFAN
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        favourite crisp flavour

      11. EMBOLOFAN
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        and what do you think dendonckers favourite crisp flavour is

        1. Ask Yourself
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Will he eat more crisps after his price fall?

          1. FPL Forward Thinker
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            Best ask elsewhere. This is just for Scoutcast questions. Gary Lineker may be able to help if around?

      12. andres
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Can we afford to participate in the Pep roulette?

        Is it worth having kdb, aguero and sterling?

        Which city players are esentially worth having?

      13. Relaxing
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Can Jamie Vardy and continue to do the business with his favourable fixture run or was did Newcastle exaggerate the need to bring in Leicester assets?

        1. Relaxing
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          or did a poor Newcastle performance*

      14. XabiAlonso
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Is aubameyang essential over the next month

      15. Tigers Time
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Bearing in mind the 'Dream Team' in FPL of 123 points was made up of entirely players owned by less than 10% is this the time to stop focusing at the highly priced players and concentrate on building a team of middle tier players who have form and fixtures?

        1. RedLightning
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          That's just the Dream Team for GW7.

          The Dream Team for the season (507 points) is Fabianski (6.5%) / Patricio (9.0%); Pereira (6.9%), Alexander-Arnold (29.4%), Lundstram (28.8%); De Bruyne (43.3%), Salah (41.6%), Sterling (37.8%), Mahrez (3.3%); Aguero (29.9%), Pukki (44.6%), Abraham (37.4%).

          The only players below 25% are Fabianski or Patricio, Pereira and Mahrez.

      16. The_Socca_Philosopha
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Is the double/triple up on Man City attacker’s a bad idea now with rotation threats?
        Is Pukki still a good option if he only scores at home?

        1. Flynny
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Players to target for those considering a wildcard in the international break....

          In particular strikers....

          Kun auba vardy abraham pukki Wilson all seem viable...

      17. mixology
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        What are some outside-the-box (maverick) strategies you’ve been thinking about implementing but shy away from because it’s out of the norm?

      18. Hardly Athletic
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Player - Mo Salah

        Mo Salah or No Salah?

        With Salah only scoring 1 goal in his last 4 games, is he justifying his £12.5m price tag? With Liverpool having a difficult run of fixtures, should we be looking at getting rid of the Egyptian King?

      19. Pray for Mojo
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Is Salah needed over the next few weeks. Tough fixtures, big price, poor form. Particularly if you have your wildcard to get him back in?

      20. ZaZaZu
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Time to ditch Sterling Salah combo for cheaper options - Mane, Mahrez and use that extra cash for another combo- say that of Vardy and Wilson up front or Robertson and Trent backline?

      21. Eze Really?
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Enablers:
        These guys allow us to have as much money on the pitch as possible.
        At the moment we have 2 "a" grade, Lundstum and Cantwell and 2 "b" graders, Kelly and Rico. It can be argued there are others but my look upon the subject is they are the lowest priced assets that have asset value. Obviously to become an enabler, the chances are they have risen slightly in price.
        When these guys gain this status, do you:
        a) Treat them like any other player who will generally play?
        b) Still view them as fodder and permanently leave them on you bench?
        c) Move the "a" grades on for the profit and move down to "b"?

        It can be argued Cantwell and Lundstrum are part of your main 11 but it is weird how few treat them this way. Rotation time atm and they come in handy one way or the other. It could be argued outside of the right captain choices, getting lucky from the bench is the best rank improver this year.

        1

      22. Kalou
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Magnus Carlsen( world chess chsmpion)is now 137th overall rank.
        Is there any correlation between chess and fpl?

        1. how now brown cow
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Plenty.

          I'm not in the top million chess players either.

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

            Haha good one!

      23. Alchim1sT
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Best Leicester Coverage für their good run of fixtures beside Vardy?

        Is it worth to go Pukki -> Abraham long term?

        1. Alchim1sT
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Is it worth to ditch one of the template premiums of KDB, Sterling and Salah to get Auba? He keeps scoring ... and scoring

      24. Drexl Spivey
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Aubameyang: In terms of PPM, does he justify the extra £3m+ over Abraham and Wilson, given the options available in midfield?

        Liverpool: Are their fixtures really that sticky, or the perfect opportunity to punish hesitant sellers?

        Defensive Structure: Is perhaps just a one premium backline the way forward?

      25. Ambu
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        If KDB is injured who are the replacements we should target? Will Bsilva take his place in midfield? Does this mean Mahrez will play more if Bsilva is employed in midfield?

    4. andres
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Pope
      TAA Pieters Lund
      KDB Sterling Mount Cantwell
      Kun Tammy Pukki

      Ceballos, Kelly, Soy 1FT, 2.9M

      A Ceballos => Yarmolenko and play ahead of Cantwell
      B Pieters => Cresswell/ other to avoid Burnley double up
      C sell one of aguero/ sterling to auba? Pieter to OTA (-4)

      1. mikess
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Wait to champions league to see the city lineup

        1. andres
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          True. But that aside I dont think i can afford the roulette every week and see salah and auba start and score..

    5. royals forever
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Would you roll a FT this week with this team

      Leno Button

      Otamendi Lundstram Lowton Soyuncu Montoya

      Salah KDB Sterling Mount McGinn

      Abraham Pukki Barnes

      Any ideas would be welcomed

      1. FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Yes: roll it

      2. mikess
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Roll

      3. Arteta
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Easy save.

      4. fgdu
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        barnes out

        1. FPL Forward Thinker
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          John?

          1. fgdu
            • 10 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            ????

    6. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Not jumping on the Doherty wagon was detrimental last season.

      1. mikess
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I'll happily avoid the next stop

        1. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Will be avoiding also.

      2. FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Forget about it. It’s a new season with 31 weeks to go

      3. Arteta
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        He was FPL gold. What a bargain!

      4. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Now we have Söyüncü lol

      5. Old Man
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        About the only good thing I did all season - get him at 4.4

      6. Murder On Zidanesfloor
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        We have Lundy this season

    7. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      KDB absent from training ffs. Will be watching Pepe closely again then

      1. FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Kev was there taking the photo of training

        1. Ask Yourself
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Nice of him to do that whilst he’s injured

      2. Miguel Sanchez
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Cheeky 'injury' this week so he gets to miss the international games?

        1. Markus
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Got to be. Waiting for the other international break 'injuries' to emerge at the weekend. A sterling knock would be welcomed

        2. NATSTER
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Wow.. That's so proactive.

      3. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Logging out.

      4. Murder On Zidanesfloor
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        You would be crazy to transfer him out, especially for Pepe

    8. FPL Forward Thinker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Southall, Woods

      Stevens, Butcher, McGrath, Samson

      Robson Wilkins Waddle

      Beardsley Lineker Rush

      GTG (1985)

    9. Rhodes your boat
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Short of a few ideas apart from diop to tomori, 2ft 0.2itb

      Pope
      Taa diop lundstram
      Salah sterling(c) kdb son cantwell
      Abraham Pukki

      Button greenwood soyuncu rico

    10. fgdu
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Is having Otamendi actually a good idea, or are we limiting ourselves by having 2 city attackers

      1. ZaZaZu
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        i'd say yes! City are conceding annoyingly but over the course of a season, they will keep the most clean sheets and he's nailed on. He will get you consistent points imo