Dugout Discussion

Masuaku set for attacking midfield in Gameweek 22 opener

David Moyes has re-opened the door to an avenue once thought firmly closed.

Fantasy Premier League defender Arthur Masuaku (£4.2m) looks set for a return to the attacking midfield role he played during Moyes’ first spell as the West Ham manager.

He has been named in the same side as Aaron Cresswell (£4.7m) while attacking midfielders Robert Snodgrass (£5.2m) and Pablo Fornals (£6.0m) are both on the bench.

With the Hammers preparing for two fixtures in Double Gameweek 24, all eyes will be on Masuaku tonight.

Meanwhile, there is just one change to the Sheffield United side that lost at Liverpool.

Lys Mousset (£4.8m) drops to the bench so that Oli McBurnie (£5.7m) can star alongside David McGoldrick (£5.4m) up-front.

That means key Fantasy assets such as John Lundstram (£5.1m) and Dean Henderson (£4.9m) keep their places in the starting line-up.

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

West Ham United XI: Fabianski; Cresswell, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Zabaleta; Noble, Rice; Masuaku, Lanzini, Anderson; Haller.

1,581 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Baps hunter
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Is West Ham going to by another gk before dgw? Keeping Henderson and buying Martin for dgw might be an option now.

    1. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Probably depends on the severity of the injury, and if any other keepers are available.
      Joe Hart anyone?

    2. onceuponatyne
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      That's a really good point.

    3. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Randolph in from boro. Better than Roberto and Martin - but no Fabs

    4. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      I’d be absolutely shocked if we don’t buy a keeper ASAP.

      Did you see Martins blunder which gifted Sheff U the goal?

      1. Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Yes, and this is the reason why I asked. I had no idea if it was one time error or not. Besides that issue he seems to be able to do saves unlike Roberto, who has been perhaps "the least good gk in PL I've seen".

        1. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Martin is definitely better than Roberto! Roberto isn’t even a goalkeeper.

          I just think it will be a position Moyes will have to strengthen as Fabianski is never fit lately.

  2. SB007
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Can someone explain to me why teams are playing out from the back these days. Fine for Citeh doing it but invites mistakes no?

    1. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Because the keeper kicking a long ball out results in losing posession 60% of the time

    2. goriuanx
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      It forces teams to press and thus be out of position ready for space to be crested and exploited.

      Not every team who adopts it is successful, but every successful team does it.

      1. goriuanx
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Created*

      2. SB007
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Thank you.

    3. Says
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      because giving up possession for a 50/50 chance of retaining it is stupid?

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        A huge amount of people on here have no understanding of the real game at all

      2. Party time
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Gotta agree with this

      3. Now I'm Panicking
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Those foreigners coming over here and ruining our long ball game.

        1. Dr Dream
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Exactly.

          Salah > Norman Hunter (-4).

        2. Albrightondknight
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          🙂

        3. Baps hunter
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Barcelona started it? Why not go back to your old better long ball system?!? 😉

    4. Says
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Was it VAR, the rules or what?
      Moyes: "It doesn't matter because it was a good goal"

      He's in denial, hasn't seen it or doesn't know the rules.

      From real managers all the way down to salty FPL players, no one is facing reality.

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Saying it doesn’t matter is just plain stupid whether he’s seen it or not. Of course it matters

      2. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        The rules are shoite but it was definitely the correct call going by the current rules. No argument really.

        1. dontyouknowimloko
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Rice should have realised straight away and just not bothered attacking. Get possession then go backwards.

          It’ll be like this in future once players get used to this nonsense.

          VAR works, it’s the rules that are messed up.

          1. Says
            • 13 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            It seemed from Rice's interview he doesn't understand the rule, or like Moyes was just in denial

          2. Epic Fail
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            I thought this at first but someone made the point that in the moment of the game it's unlikely anyone would purposely give up possession. Especially on such a pressing attack. I reckon that's probably true.

      3. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Of course he knows the rules. Hes just making a point that the new rule is moronic.

    5. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      How injured is Fabianski?

      1. SB007
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Hamstring. Out for DGW I suspect.

      2. goriuanx
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        A recurrence of the same injury is always bad news. A hip injury in particular is concerning for GKs.

        Sucks for those who bought him in, they'll almost certainly have to transfer him out.

        1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Fraid so but McCarthy price and fixtures look appealing. 0.6 banked

          1. GreennRed
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            Have Martin as fodder. Will skip move for Cresswell or Anderson in 24 and expect very little.

    6. dontyouknowimloko
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Missed the game, was planning to get Kiko in at 4.2 but...

      Just saw the last post, was Masuaku any good tonight? Likely to stay in midfield?

      1. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        WHU were all crap.

        1. GreennRed
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Relegatable crap or crap that will imprive?

          1. Epic Fail
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            Definitely relegation crap, because even SHU weren't great but they looked miles better than WHU.

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

          Looks like Kiko then before Willems price drop.

          Any other suggestions welcome!

      2. Fpl Richie
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Don't do it

      3. SB007
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        After Snod who came on sub he looked a little lively but all rubbish.

        Why have him in ?

        1. GreennRed
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          You know how we say here a player is class but a poor FPL pick. Do real managers think Snodgrass is just a decent FPL player?

      4. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Masuaku won’t keep Snodgrass out of the team.

        Snodgrass was the only one that actually put some energy onto the field.

        If Moyes persists with Haller then he needs to play our best crosser which is Snoddy.

    7. Riverside Red
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      There's a lot of winding up going on over VAR by people who are more interested on its impact on their FF score. A real football fan is more worried about its impact on the game.

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Anyone who thinks tonight's decision was a good decision for football has no interest in the long term health of the game

        1. goriuanx
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          What if that was a FA cup semi between a big side and Rochdale and the latter benefit from the correct decision. That does more good than harm. It's all dependent upon the situation at hand. VAR has room for improvement, it's not going to be like this forever.

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

            Agree. It will obviously be reconsidered at the end of the season - this one is something of a learning curve. In principle it is the absolutely correct way forward.

            1. Bird Raymond
              • 12 Years
              4 years, 2 months ago

              It's an absolute car crash and should be ditched now. Wouldn't affect the integrity of the competition if all clubs agreed.

          2. Brosstan
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            Im talking specifically about the "any ball touching the hand in the build up is a disallowed goal".

            The Laporte disallowed handball earlier in the season was just as dumb, and theres probably more that I dont remember.

            Who even wanted this rule? I havent seen anyone advocating it and suddenly its here upon us...

            1. goriuanx
              • 13 Years
              4 years, 2 months ago

              Then that's a handball law issue, not a VAR issue

              1. Riverside Red
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 4 Years
                4 years, 2 months ago

                All goals are now checked via VAR...It would have stood if no VAR ..Not as clear cut as you are indicating. The handball rule is clearly wrong and also needs to be changed.

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

              Totally agree with Berbs. You are confusing the two.

      2. Bird Raymond
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        I haven't met anyone who supports a team and/or attends live games at any level who support the way var has been used this season.

    8. SB007
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Excited about DSilva my differential

      1. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        No One:
        Absolutely no one ever:

        You: Im excited for Dilva

    9. Football Heaven
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      I’m 2nd in ml. Guy above me has triple sheff Utd defence. Credit to him but I feel like it just sums up the season. How West Ham didn’t score I just don’t know. Anyways feel like I can succumb to defeat and start making some interesting transfers. Anyone with me?

      1. SB007
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Well they hardly created any chances for themselves. They got a couple of free kicks and a slip up.

        Anyone thinking of loading up on WH need to be careful.

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

        Thanks . You told us the same thing 6 minutes ago.

        1. goriuanx
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Stay tuned for further confirmation

    10. SB007
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Hendo
      Lundy TAA. Soy
      KDB. DSilva. Mane. Martial
      Rashford. Jiminez. Vardy.

      1. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        B

        1. SB007
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          ?

      2. goriuanx
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Tough one, B

      3. Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        A is much better

    11. Says
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      This rule which applies equally to both teams is clearly unfair and penalises MY team.

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Nearly all the whinging is based on FPL a lack of understanding of the real game and a lack of knowledge of the rules of both

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

          And it will continue week after week frequently involving some obvious culprits/ignorant pillocks.

      2. Albrightondknight
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        There is always an angle to find to have a moan if you want to ..
        Not down to MY decision to pick the wrong player in MY team 🙂
        Also not like luck has any influence on this game
        And guess what 50% of VAR decisions will eventually end up favouring your real life and FPL team but won’t hear any complaining about the other 50%

    12. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Anyone partly blame Balbuana for that goal? Wanted the pass then looked like Bambi on ice trying to get to it

      1. Albrightondknight
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Not really he just had his weight on he wrong foot expecting where the pass should have been and the ball is going away from him too so maybe a bit harsh but I can see where you are coming from
        .

        1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Fair point. Thing is he had nothing to gain by wanting it there anyway. Martin was always better off clearing it

          1. Albrightondknight
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            Yeah he did that turn looking for it so should be prepared I suppose.

    13. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      New Article.

      Find it yourself

      1. Albrightondknight
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        No at least give me link or something or I am going to moan 🙂

      2. HamezMace
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        YOU'RE NO HORSE

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          You will be with all that shouting.