Scout Notes

Jimenez and Ings on the Fantasy forward radar as Wolves toil to draw

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Southampton

  • Goals: Raul Jimenez (£7.1m) | Danny Ings (£5.9m)
  • Assists: Matt Doherty (£6.0m) | Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£4.8m)
  • Bonus: Ings x3, Jimenez x2, Hojbjerg x1

Rotation and injury have dogged our Wolverhampton Wanderers assets this season, with Europa League involvement having a knock-on effect on the domestic front.

Raul Jimenez (£7.1m) has been immune to both of those so far in 2019/20 and is one of just three Wolves players to start all nine Premier League fixtures.

While few players are ever completely rotation-proof, the Mexico international is about as secure a starter as anyone on the West Midlands club’s books outside of defensive mainstays Willy Boly (£5.0m), Conor Coady (£5.0m) and Rui Patricio (£5.2m).

Jimenez has completed 90 minutes in six of those nine matches and any concerns about managed game-time due to Wolves’ exertions in Europe haven’t really materialised – he has been on the pitch for more minutes (765) than he had been in the opening nine Gameweeks of 2018/19 (747).

There is an increasing number of Fantasy managers who are looking at the Mexican striker for his favourable fixture run over the next seven matches, with Jimenez experiencing his first net ownership gain of the season in Gameweek 9.

Certainly, there are promising signs, with Jimenez following up his brace of assists against Manchester City with an equalising goal against Southampton on Saturday.

While sceptics will point out that he only scored from the penalty spot (the Mexican shares spot-kick duties with Ruben Neves (£5.4m) and could feasibly not have taken it had his teammate not been substituted at half-time), Jimenez had certainly earned his goal.

Twice the mid-price FPL striker had been denied by VAR before his equaliser: first being penalised for controlling a Boly pass with his hand and then having a goal struck off after VAR intervention following an offside call on strike partner Patrick Cutrone (£5.7m).

Jimenez aside, there was an “after the Lord Mayor’s Show” feel to Wolves’ performance, two weeks on from their fantastic win at the Etihad.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side saved some of their best displays for matches against ‘big six’ opposition last season, while succumbing to defeats to the likes of Huddersfield (twice), Cardiff and Brighton.

Wolves have most definitely improved over the last four Gameweeks following their early-season struggles but this was a reminder that they can sometimes come unstuck in the “easier” fixtures, of which they have several coming up in the next two months.

Southampton had been clearly taking note of Adama Traore (£5.1m) in Gameweek 9 and gave him special attention at Molineux, with the 3-5-2 that Santo had used at the Etihad and Traore’s role at right wing-back within that set-up not getting much joy.

A half-time change to the 3-4-3 that Santo had used in more encouraging displays against Palace and Watford heralded an improvement and it’ll be interesting to see if the Wolves boss sticks with that system in the more winnable matches ahead, as it gives Traore the license to push forward into a front three and allows Matt Doherty (£6.0m) the opportunity to play in the same side as his in-form teammate.

The Irish wing-back said of his relationship with Traore:

When I came on, I was told to play a bit more inside and let Adama stay out wide. We obviously work on those kinds of things on the training ground all the time, and I managed to get in behind a few times, with one of those leading to the goal.

When I play alongside Adama, we’re told to switch all the time – to never be in the same position. Our movement is quite good, and at times today their defence didn’t know what to do.

As if to prove a point about what we said about rotation earlier, Doherty has started only five of Wolves’ nine league games this season.

The home side lost Ryan Bennett (£4.9m) to an early injury and owners of Wolves’ defensive assets will be hoping that he or Romain Saiss (£4.4m) can recover quickly, as Jesus Vallejo‘s (£4.8m) presence is not a reassuring one at the back: the loanee has struggled to get to grips with English football and a misplaced pass from the young centre-back led to an early chance for Danny Ings (£5.9m).

Another errant Vallejo pass ultimately led to Ings’ opening goal, too, although Coady had to shoulder the most of the blame for that goal when failing to deal with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg‘s (£4.8m) header.

Santo said of his two injured centre-halves:

The moment that Ryan had to go out, we lost a bit of the tempo. We started to rush the game, so it was not good. I hope it’s not too serious. He could not proceed, so let’s see.

Romain is coming back and I hope Ryan is not a big deal. We have a tough schedule and need everybody. We’ve had 18 games already, we have Thursday, then Sunday, it’s non-stop.

In more positive news on the injury front, a lively-looking Diogo Jota (£6.1m) returned from a lay-off in the final half an hour, forming a front three with central striker Jimenez and right-winger Traore.

Jota’s price is eye-catching after a series of drops but rotation and injury have blighted him this season and he has much to prove before we consider him in the same breath as Jimenez again.

Southampton assets are hardly going to be in-demand, either, with Leicester, Chelsea and Arsenal to come in the next four Gameweeks.

The Saints are nevertheless a club we’ll be watching closely over the next month, with their run of fixtures from Gameweeks 14-18 among the best in the division.

Ings is the obvious attraction at present, with the hope being that he can maintain fitness and some semblance of form (he has scored in the last three Gameweeks) to offer us yet another cut-price option in attack from late-November onwards.

The former Liverpool striker certainly looks sharp, with his aggressive pressing from the front causing the Wolves backline problems and, more importantly to FPL managers, a succession of chances falling his way.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s change to a 3-4-2-1 meant that James Ward-Prowse (£5.8m) was allowed to play a more advanced role, joining Nathan Redmond (£6.3m) in the two attacking midfield positions behind Ings.

Southampton registered 14 shots to Wolves’ four but Hasenhuttl highlighted the more secure defensive performance following his side’s struggles of recent weeks, saying:

I think it was a step forward after the last three games where we conceded a lot of goals. I think we were more stabilised in this game and better organised which is what we’ve been working on in the last two weeks. It seemed to look better and I had a good feeling at half-time because I knew we would get a few more chances in the second half.

Members Analysis

Lessons learned from Gameweek 9

185 Comments Post a Comment
  1. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Who would you rather have have folks????
    A- Jimenez
    Or
    B- Cilson

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

      B

    2. KINGS
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Jimi

    3. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Both for me. Good value. Good fixtures. Attacking teams. Nailed as can be.

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

        Getting both is pretty difficult imo since Abraham and Vardy are better picks than both.

        1. Limbo
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Vardy just outside that price level, but I agree.

          For value sake's Jimmy over Wilson then if you want Vardy + Abe as well.

      2. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Yeah I have Vardy and Abraham tho, currently have Wilson but zero in the bank so considering Jimenez so I can upgrade Sterling to Salah in a couple of weeks

        1. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          And upgrade Prödl

    4. POLSKA GOLA
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Jimi for me

  2. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Mahrez has single handedly cost me more points over my FPL than any other player.

    Is he dead as an option again now? Do I need to sell?

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

      Yes

    2. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I’ve never touched him at City because Pep - still too scared to

    3. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I would till bilva ban news

    4. jtreble
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      The three top value players (points/GBP) on MNC are currently, in order: DSilva, KDB and Mahrez. :).

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

        ... now factor in BSilva. :).

      2. jtreble
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        ... add AVL (H) and SOU (H).

    5. No Kane No Gain
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Sell.

      Even if he hauls one game, he can still blank the next 2/3 nullifying any advantage he gave.

  3. Modest Bob
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I'm releasing funds

    1. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Can I have them?

  4. The Senate
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Bottomed
    Really should stop benching Lundy...
    1FT,0.5ITB
    Foster/4.0
    Pereira Digne Otamendi Rico Lund
    Sterling Mount Tielemans
    Auba Abraham
    (Pukki Son Cantwell)

    (A) Son to KDB (after UCL) (442)
    (B) Pukki to Haller (433)
    (C) Pukki to Jimi (after UEL)
    (D) Ota+Pukki to Wilson + Guilbert (-4)

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

      A

      1. The Senate
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Cheers

    2. white heart pain
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A

    3. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A. Got to have him.

  5. white heart pain
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I still have WC... What to do with this lot. Team seems ok for this week?

    Pope
    TAA Otamendi Tomori
    KDB Sterling Salah Mount Cantwell
    Abraham Vardy

    Button Lundestram Kelly Greenwood

    1. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Decent but i would start Lundy over Cantwell

      1. white heart pain
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Cheers... Feeling very templatey. Itchy WC finger.

  6. Ze_Austin
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    GW10 team set. -8 taken on Saturday night, right after my wildcard 🙂

    Pope
    TAA Lund Rico
    Salah (S)terling KDB Mount CHO
    Vardy Tammy

    McGovern Janmaat Connolly Soy

    C Wilson + Tomori + Doug Luiz => Connolly + Janmaat + CHO. Left 2.4m ITB for Soy to Robbo for GW11

    Seems the semi-permacap plan is back. I strayed once and got burned 😀

    At least TV is now up to 104.3... One good thing. Might come in handy when the season normalizes later... If that ever happens

    1. white heart pain
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Crazy TV. Crazy to take a -8 after WC. Go hard or go home huh?

      1. Ze_Austin
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Yup. Taking FPL the fun/crazy way from now on. Until things become a bit more predictable, that is

  7. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Man Utd's fixture run is great (yes I know they are shite though).

    I might get Rashford in on WC or a Man U def. Madness?

    1. KINGS
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Same thought here. But I’m considering either James or Martial

    2. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Wait and see if Tony M is likely to start Sunday - he’s the one if so
      Also AWB and Maguire are defo options - great team defensive stats and one baps magnet, one slab head

    3. goriuanx
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Get Martial. Rashford is a passion merchant, he won't have the motivation of playing Liverpool or Man City every week.

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Good idea

    4. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Prefer Martial

      1. Hy liverpool
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Many option up top tbh... Jiminez Abraham Auba Vardy Ings

        1. Bubz
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Wilson

    5. I Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I'm thinking about getting Maguire or Wan-Bissaka. Still unsure about them as an attacking force but they have the lowest xGC in the league this season. Can see them picking up some clean sheets over the next 5.

      1. FPL_Crisis
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        I think +5m for a non attacking defender is too much

  8. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Save & GTG?

    Gazza
    TAA Otamendi Lundstram Rico
    Salah DSilva Yarmolenko
    Kun(C) Aubameyang Abraham

    Button Cantwell Guendouzi Aurier

    1. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Gtg - maybe go Auba(C) if Kun has a lot of minutes tonight

  9. EL tridente
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Who to start?
    A) McGinn
    B) Connolly

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Connolly 🙂

  10. JP1995
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pope

    Ota - TAA - Tomori - Soy - Lund

    Salah - Mount - KDB - Cantwell - McGinn

    Pukki - Abraham - Aguero

    2FT 0.3ITB - Anything to change after a shocking GW - rank slowly falling?

    Thanks

    1. JP1995
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      As a heads up i'm thinking -
      Pukki > Jiminez

      Ota > Cancelo/WanB/Maguire

      1. St Pauli Walnuts
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Cancelo? What about Walker. Too big a rotation risk for me.

    2. No Kane No Gain
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      ota definitely getting sold?! I'm keeping.

  11. LC1
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Which 1 would you play out of the following 3;
    1)Lundstrum (whu)
    2) Soyuncu (sou)
    3) Rico (wat)

    And what would your bench order be?

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      1

      3, 2

    2. No Kane No Gain
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Agree with above

      1 (he is the top scoring defender)

      then i'd go with 3 over 2, JUST. Soy has 0 attacking threat, rico has some threat and is playing bottom of the league...

  12. No Kane No Gain
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Leicester 2nd since getting rid of Maguire

    Swansea 3rd since getting rid of Daniel James

    Palace 6th since getting rid of AWB.

    Man united 14th Since signing them. :/

    Is it a massive coincidence that these great signings have not affected their clubs they left or improved united?!

    1. The Count of Monte Cristo
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Bit of both. Sometimes losing a player means you can play a system which may be more beneficial to the other 10 guys and not tailored to suit their main man.

      For instance, Neymar leaving made Jordi Alba become insanely good as he no longer had to cover for Neymar, and he and Messi have a telepathic connection now. Something like 15 assists in the last 3 season’s just between those 2.

      1. The Count of Monte Cristo
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        And most of those assists were one-twos diagonal to cutback from 20 yards away

  13. camarozz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I'm usually pretty calm on her but this season is driving me nuts.

    Made a monumental boo boo Saturday nite.

    Ota/Son/Pukki/Wilson OUT

    Rico/Tieleman/Vardy/Auba IN - 8

    Really regret this now. Don't know why u panicked to such an extent.

    1. The Count of Monte Cristo
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      They aren’t bad moves - bit knee jerk but could’ve been a lot worse. So hard to keep emotion out of it.

  14. The Count of Monte Cristo
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Surely Pep will try and win both next 2 games against Atalanta. 12 points in 4 games will see them through and probably top depending on Shakhtar v Zagreb results.

    Surely he gets the job done in the next 2 with the big guns who he can then rest in GW5/6 in Nov / Dec as fixtures start hotting up?

    1. The Count of Monte Cristo
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      As has been saiid, Man City priority is CL. Liverpool, the PL.

      1. No Kane No Gain
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        did you just answer your own question?!

        1. The Count of Monte Cristo
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          It’s been a long week...

          1. No Kane No Gain
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 5 months ago

            i think once he wins today, he'll start playing weaker sides for the next 3. He has liverpool coming up in the league then around the final few of the group stages the likes of chelsea, united etc.

            The other sides in the group aren't really making pep squeel too much.

  15. camarozz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Here * and i*

    Ffs

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Fantasy Football Scout

  16. Hy liverpool
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Anyone still have his WC and planning to play it on gw 12/13 ?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Possibly, though am leaning further and further towards GW19 (with the option of using it earlier if I need to of course)

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

        +1.

    2. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Save if team is OK and you're not missing price rises, that can give you a good team later in the season. TW should be 104+ now my opinion

  17. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Any Arsenal def worth having under 5.0m?

    1. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Shall we stage an intervention?

  18. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Feel I have a good team, but 34 points this week...

    Suggested moves?

    Pope (Button)
    TAA, Otamendi, Lundstram (Söyüncü , Rico)
    Mane, Sterling, KDB, Mount (Cantwell)
    Pukki, Tammy, Wilson

    1 FT, 0.3 in the bank

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

      Pukki->Jimenez/Jota

  19. wulfrunian
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    What would you do here?
    Heaton
    Sokratis Rico Zinchenko
    Sterling Pepe Mount Maddison
    King Kane Abraham

    Button Dendoncker Tarkowski Reid
    1ft 3.5itb

    a)Kane->Kun/Auba
    b)Heaton->Dubravka
    c)Zinchenko->Mendy
    d)a+c(-4)
    e)WC

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Zinch > Mendy is like realizing how badly you shot your left foot, so you shoot your right foot for the sake of equality

      WC.

  20. The Count of Monte Cristo
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    What would you do here? Was thinking of downgrading Otamendi and upgrading Pukki to Tammy?

    Pope
    VVD - Digne - Otamendi - Lundstram
    Salah - Sterling - KDB - Mount
    Wilson - Pukki

    Button - Cantwell - Rico - Greenwood [2FT + 0.4m ITB]

  21. jimbo90
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Which 2 would you play out of Rico, Lundstram and Soyuncu this week?

    1. The Count of Monte Cristo
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Has been asked a few times. Play Lund and bench thebother 2 seems to be th consensus

  22. POLSKA GOLA
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Oh no, pls keep Jimi off everyone’s radar 😉

  23. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Who scores more in the next two??
    A- Heaton(Man City away, Liverpool Home)
    Or
    B- Henderson(West Ham away,Burnley Home)

  24. gergin
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Nor, bour, BHA, shu, AVL...

    ...are MAN UN big enough trap to ignore their players?