Scout Notes

Lundstram goal adds to remaining owners’ dilemma after another benching

Sheffield United 2-1 Bournemouth

  • Goals: Billy Sharp (£5.6m), John Lundstram (£5.0m)| Callum Wilson (£7.4m)
  • Assists: John Egan (£4.6m), Lys Mousset (£4.6m)| Harry Wilson (£5.8m)
  • Bonus: Sharp x3, C. Wilson x2, Egan x1

Having suffered more transfers out ahead of Gameweek 26 than at any other stage of the season, John Lundstram (£5.0m) almost inevitably popped up with a goal in Sunday’s clash between Sheffield United and Bournemouth.

The decision to sell Lundstram looked – and may still turn out to be – a sage move when the teamsheets were released on Sunday lunchtime, with the budget Fantasy Premier League defender benched for the third league match in a row.

Lundstram duly emerged as a second-half substitute to grab his side’s late winner, finishing neatly after being teed up by fellow replacement Lys Mousset (£4.6m).

His goal will leave many of his remaining owners pretty much where they were ahead of this weekend, in a sell-or-keep dilemma.

On the one hand, Lundstram’s chances of starting in Gameweek 27 and beyond look as uncertain as ever. Does one match-winning goal suddenly catapult him back into Chris Wilder’s plans and ahead of club-record signing Sander Berge (£5.0m) in the central midfield pecking order?

Lundstram had looked almost too eager to impress before his goal, taking a succession of heavy touches and producing an air-kick from close range not long after his introduction.

Then again, Berge, perhaps still getting to grips with the tempo of the Premier League, didn’t particularly excel in his stead and played an errant pass in the lead-up to Bournemouth’s opener.

Team value might be one understandable reservation owners have about selling given Lundstram’s million-pound rise since August but sentimentality is possibly another, given the remarkable narrative of his debut FPL campaign.

The romanticists might be tempted to give him “just one more game” against Brighton in a fortnight’s time (how many of us said the same ahead of Gameweek 26?) but the pragmatists who haven’t already sold him might be tempted to part ways, as the week-to-week uncertainty isn’t ideal.

Wilder wasn’t giving any clues away in his post-match interview, saying:

We took John [Lundstram] out, he needed a breather. He’s had a fabulous first part of the season but we recruited well in January. They’ve all got to go again and try and get back in the team.

John can’t do anything more than what he has done over the last two games. He has a decision to make: does he feel sorry for himself or does he got out and contribute for the team? And he did that for us.

The Sheffield United boss added in his press conference:

He’s played a huge part in us gaining us six valuable points [in Gameweeks 25 and 26]. It’s not always that you start, it’s a group. I’ve got some other players that are really knocking on the door and desperate to get involved but that’s the difficult job that I have.

We try to pick the right team and pick the right bench. You always want a really good positive attitude from those boys that maybe aren’t playing and certainly, Mousset and John have shown that, as have all the other boys.

Those who ditched Lundstram for another Sheffield United defender were largely left empty-handed, with the Blades losing their clean sheet as early as the 12th minute.

John Egan (£4.6m) did grab a rebound assist for the hosts’ equaliser, though, with Billy Sharp (£5.6m) following up the centre-half’s blocked header on the stroke of half-time.

Enda Stevens (£5.1m) underscored his own creativity without getting any reward, firstly crossing for Sharp to fire into the side-netting in the 15th minute and then “assisting the assister” for the Blades’ first goal.

Overlapping centre-half Chris Basham (£4.5m) was also involved at the business end of the pitch, creating Lundstram’s first chance that the match-winner fluffed.

It was, quite simply, just one of those days where what was probably the right move conspired to work against Lundstram’s sellers.

The positive thing about Sheffield United’s three centre-halves and two wing-backs is that they are pretty much safe bets for now, with Wilder saying after full-time:

It’s going to have to be a good player to get Basham out of the team, George Baldock, Enda Stevens. Those boys have looked and seen players have been brought in and gone, “here we go, I need to go to the next level”. They’ve gone to the next level in terms of stepping into the Premier League and now they need to go to the next level to keep producing performances to stay in the team.

Security of starts is not something that any of Sheffield United’s forwards can really offer us, with five players competing for two striking spots.

Sharp was handed his third start in a row, though, and rewarded his manager’s faith with a second goal of the campaign.

Oli McBurnie (£5.7m) has started in the last five Gameweeks, meanwhile, but David McGoldrick (£5.4m) was back on the bench after a month-long absence and new signing Richairo Zivkovic (£5.0m) is another name to throw into the mix along with Mousset.

While the Sheffield United love-in continues, the hipster’s choice of yesteryear, Bournemouth, have long since lost their Fantasy appeal.

There have been positive signs in the last three Gameweeks, at least, with the Cherries having recorded back-to-back league wins before Sunday’s match.

The visitors were good value for their lead, too, with Harry Wilson (£5.8m) and Callum Wilson (£7.4m) wasting two early chances before combining for the deadlock-breaking goal: the on-loan Liverpool winger seeing his shot blocked, with his teammate scoring on the rebound.

Ryan Fraser (£6.9m) merits a mention, despite leaving South Yorkshire with nothing but appearance points to his name.

The Scotland international, who was critical of his own early-season form when interviewed last month, looked more like his own self at Bramall Lane and was heavily involved in much of what Bournemouth did.

Fraser had teed Harry Wilson up for his early headed chance and then “assisted the assister” for his side’s goal, later seeing Philip Billing (£5.0m) fluff two of his teasing crosses from the left flank.

The diminutive winger’s radar wasn’t always perfectly aligned and he himself wasted a couple of promising positions but there was almost a second goal of the season for him in the 70th minute, with Dean Henderson (£5.1m) parrying away Fraser’s well-hit effort from 12 yards.

Fantasy managers will need much more convincing before they are to be sure that Bournemouth assets are worthy of consideration again, however, and the Season Ticker makes for pretty grim reading, with all of the top nine bar Sheffield United to come between now and Gameweek 38.

Reflecting on the game, Howe said:

Generally, I thought the performance overall was very good. The two goals we conceded were out of keeping really with the overall performance. The first time they had real genuine pressure in the game, we conceded.

The way we started the game, you wouldn’t know we were in the position we are in. We passed the ball really well, showed good composure coming to a very tough place to play. We scored a really good goal, could have scored more. The early signs of the game were very good.

Genuinely I thought our defensive performance was pretty good. But if you look at the two goals, we’ve made a lot of mistakes to the build-up to those goals. The second goal I thought was a really poor one.

Sheffield United XI (3-5-2): Henderson; Basham, Egan, O’Connell; Baldock, Berge (Lundstram 61′), Norwood, Fleck, Stevens; McBurnie, Sharp (Mousset 74′).

Bournemouth XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Smith, Francis, Ake, Rico; Gosling, Billing, Surman (Solanke 88′); H Wilson (King 72′), C Wilson, Fraser (Stanislas 84′).

Members Analysis

1,236 Comments Post a Comment
  1. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    If no injuries etc do the following with 2ft:

    A)Martial & Greenwood > Hayden & Jimmy
    B) Save or something else

    Ryan Button
    Taa Boly Stephens (Lascelles, Aurier)
    Salah Mane Kdb Traore Martial*
    Vardy Ings Greenwood*

    1. Fulchester's New Centr…
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Seem decent enough

    2. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      On an almost identical set up - Kun for Vardy basically and slightly different defence. Ty for idea. Tempting.

      1. BobbyDoesNotLook
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Kept Vardy through the bad times so hopefully will get something with the good fixtures.

        1. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Yep the Kun gamble didn’t pay off - holding Vardy looks like the better play right now. Just felt he was the most dispensable big hitter and wanted to restructure in the next few weeks - with more money on my near zero bench and no keeper!

  2. HonestBlatter
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    When Citeh-WHU game is played? This cannot take so long to decide...

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      No update

    2. jtreble
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Cancelling, easy; re-scheduling, not so much. 🙂

    3. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      FA are on a winter break

  3. Debauchy
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Im so tired of questions this season. In better seasons I will offer. Just do it ffs

    1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Where can I buy Rum and Raisin chocolate, I can't find it anymore?

        1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Cheers! 🙂
          Very Kind. Looking forward to that.

    2. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      How do I find contentment when there is so much existential doom?

  4. kamdaraji
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    bit off topic but who would you choose between Lewandowski (v chelsea) or Mbappe (v dortmund) in uefa champions league fantasy?

    1. I Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Mbappe

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

      Lewandowski, trying to break Ronaldo's record, big dog for a good Bayern team v a poor Chelsea defence.

      PSG not a great team, Mbappe has more scoring competition from teammates.

      1. I Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        PSG are better than Bayern.

        1. GreennRed
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          We won't know unless they play each other. For me PSG are a fairweather team in a poor league. Can get to last 4 or 8 in Champions League then flatter to decieve. Not saying Bayern will go far in this CL either though. But pick the player not the team unless it's a keeper or defender. Lewandiwski top of CL goals with 10, M'bappe has 5. M'bappe needs to get out of French League to show his magic.

  5. Debauchy
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Smashed , every 50/50 a fail I will fight on but understand why some want to throw in the towel

    1. RoysCallerAnne
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Throwing in the towel is for spineless weasels (to borrow a phrase from our old pal JK is the one)

    2. Colonel Shoe 肝池
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      same, this week oconnel vs egan..........went o connel, no cleanie and egan gets assist and bap

  6. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Greatest radio has just reported Sadio and Milner back in training!

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Only a few days late.

    2. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Whoops Greatest Hits Radio - must get the crucial source right

  7. ZimZalabim
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    They should add an act of god chip

    so if there are any games called off during the season u can activate the chip and transfer the players missing that game week and you have to activate it within 24 hrs of the announcement that the game is off, so u dont just cherry pick the top scorers and then ur original players are restored for the next game week.

    what do u guys think ?

    1. RoysCallerAnne
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Would disadvantage the less active players that only log on once a week, so will never happen.

    2. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      I can't use it, I'm an atheist.

    3. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      No. DGWs later cover those games. It's a game of skill and luck.

  8. El Presidente
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Lundstram is SHU most bought in player... LOL

    1. RoysCallerAnne
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      The joint top goal scoring FPL defender alongside the much lauded VVD. lol indeed.

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

      Could be on bench the next day and no bench the day after that....

  9. Jullepuu
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Any ideas? I have 2 free transfers and 1.2 in the bank

    Guaita Button
    TAA Robertson Sidibe Lund Reid
    Salah Son KDB Grealish Hayden
    Vardy Ings DCL

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Reid to Fernandez and save other FT

      1. Holmes
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Or Lascellas

    2. nolard
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Sidibe to Ritchie?

  10. fc_skrald
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    When will owning Patrick van Aanholt be good this season? - or is it already too late?

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Looking at their fixtures till end, its probably too late.

      1. fc_skrald
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        I remember having some good runs with him scoring a lot of points in a few gameweeks. Would like to try that again...

    2. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      not for now

      Expensive, doesn't keep CS and Palace don't score

      Maybe they will have a better run when they are in trouble

      1. fc_skrald
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Yes, might be better later on!

    3. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Worst attacking stats in the league and the bus they keep parking is now looking seriously battered.

    4. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      He famously scored to relegate teams - from memory he’s done it something like 3 years on the trot.

      35 against Villa it is
      Unless of course it’s an OG this time.

      Palace look horrendous but suspect cs will happen. SU were very very dim in attack against them and got a very lucky OG

      1. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Ah here’s the stat. The goals PvA has scored to relegate teams. He’s essential in GW35 against Villa

        2017 Hull
        2018 Stoke
        2019 Huddersfield and Cardiff

  11. TRIPOS TOPPER
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    three seismic GW

    GW6 the Sterling bench/ KdB vc
    GW24 Mane TC injury
    GW26 say no more

    Came out ahead on the last two but shows the randomness of it all

  12. Woy_is_back
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    I think I´m going to gamble on the Lord starting next game.

    1. Lord.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      I’m ready. Put me in

  13. HNI
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Reqlly tempted with Auba + Grealish to Vardy + Maddison in blank gw. They will be cheaper but just need some.spark in wol/mcity matches to decide

  14. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Keep DCL or move out for Jimenez?

    1. HNI
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      go Jim if you can be patient with him for next 8gws. he will.pay over long term

  15. @persecuted_by_mods
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Do we have any inkling of when the premier League will at least make their decision on City West ham?

    • OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Fplstats showing Rashford to Jimenez the biggest net transfers for forwards. Who are these people?? They still have Rashford?

      1. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        They have Jimenez.

    • THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Blimey! Brighton Health Centre closed as member of staff found infected with Corona Virus!

      IT'S HERE!

      1. OverTinker
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        OMG

        1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Brighton should be sealed off Immediately.

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

        Better switch to Heineken.

      3. Fpl Richie
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        The virus attacking an NHS nurse in a city with a green mp. The corona virus is working for the baddies!

    • The Yorkshire Pirlo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      What to do?

      A) Lundstram > Newcastle def
      B) Vardy > Ings

      Henderson
      TAA, VVD, Stephens
      Salah, KDB, Grealish, Traore
      Auba, Vardy, Jimenez

      Button, Lundstram, Rico, Cantwell