Scout Notes

Fernandes in demand after first double-digit FPL haul

Manchester United 3-0 Watford

  • Goals: Bruno Fernandes (£8.2m), Anthony Martial (£8.0m), Mason Greenwood (£4.3m)
  • Assists: Fernandes
  • Bonus: Fernandes x3, Greenwood x2, Luke Shaw (£5.4m) x1

The stock of Bruno Fernandes (£8.2m) is on the rise after the Portuguese midfielder delivered his first double-digit FPL haul in Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Watford on Sunday.

The January signing from Sporting Lisbon had risen in price once last week and has already done so again ahead of Blank Gameweek 28, with his number of ‘transfers in’ comfortably passing the 100,000-mark in just 48 hours.

Fernandes arrived in the UK with a reputation for both scoring and creating goals but there was always the possibility that he would take a little time to adapt to his new surroundings and adjust to the tempo of the Premier League.

We needn’t have worried, it seems.

The Portugal international opened his United account from 12 yards on Sunday, coolly slotting his spot-kick past Ben Foster (£4.9m) having been brought down by the Watford goalkeeper for the penalty award.

Fernandes was also the creator of Mason Greenwood‘s (£4.3m) second-half goal and would have claimed the assist for Anthony Martial‘s (£8.0m) 57th-minute strike had the Frenchman finished at the first attempt and not needed two bites at the cherry.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was effusive in his praise after the match, saying:

He’s come in and done really well. He’s given everyone a boost. It means more than just getting a player in. You can see the supporters, they’re used to players with that personality, mentality and quality so he’s been a big plus.

He’s come in from day one, the first minute, and felt like a presence in the group. First training session, demanding the ball. Some players take some time in warming up but he felt confident straight away.

He’s a bit of a mix between (Paul) Scholes and (Juan Sebastian) Veron, to be fair. He’s got the temperament maybe of Veron and a lot of the quality of him and Scholesy.

Fernandes was again deployed in the number ten role behind Martial, roaming about the pitch and gravitating towards the left flank, but Solskjaer highlighted his ability to play in other positions, saying:

He’s a box-to-box midfielder, he can do everything a midfielder can. Some games he’ll play in a two, some games he’ll play attacking midfielder, some games he’ll be a 10. He’s played every position in midfield.

It remains to be seen what the penalty-taking pecking order at United is when the likes of Paul Pogba (£8.3m) and Marcus Rashford (£8.9m) are back to full fitness but, given the struggles of those two players from the spot and Fernandes’ fine record from 12 yards (21 from 23 penalties scored), the Portuguese midfielder surely stands a good chance of being first in line.

Having already asserted his dominance at other set-piece situations, regular penalty-taking duties would only further enhance his Fantasy appeal.

Solskjaer said:

He has been known for his set plays. He has practised quite a few penalties and I wasn’t in doubt that he would score.

There are the cautionary tales of Angel di Maria and Juan Sebastian Veron to acknowledge, with both big-money signings making positive starts at Old Trafford before falling away.

There also has to be an appreciation of the limitations of Fernandes’ goal threat (his xG from open play since his Gameweek 25 debut is only 0.24), although there was another very decent opportunity for the Portugal international to double his tally on the stroke of half-time when he was teed up by Martial.

Party-pooping aside, there is little doubt that Fernandes freshens up the mid-price/premium midfield bracket when other options are perhaps going stale.

Then there is also the benefit he brings to other United options, particularly Martial.

The France international’s movement and attitude can be questionable at times but he seems to have developed a nice understanding with his new teammate, with Fernandes supplying the initial through-ball for Martial’s goal.

Martial’s beautifully taken dinked goal was a reminder of what he is capable of on his day, with Solskjaer saying of his number nine:

He’s so skilful, is Anthony. I thought he’d ran offside, but the timing from Bruno’s pass was perfect and the skill there is just incredible. He does that in training, so you’re not that surprised. I’m delighted with the week Anthony has had. He has his critics – I’m probably the biggest. He scored a great header against Chelsea, did everything to score against Brugge and today was more classic Anthony. But I want more from him.

Elsewhere, Greenwood made his first league start of 2020 on the right flank and scored his fifth goal of the campaign, although the ongoing rotation risk and the plethora of nailed, budget/mid-price alternatives elsewhere in FPL continues to limit his appeal and indeed led to an overnight price drop.

Another budget United asset, Brandon Williams (£4.1m), may also struggle for regular game-time, with Luke Shaw (£5.4m) having turned in a fine display at left-back.

Solskjaer’s occasional use of a wing-back system allows both options to play in the same side but, in a back four, the more senior Shaw does seem set to start more often than not.

The United boss said of the England international:

Luke did fantastic, Luke’s performance today was absolutely top.

I think Luke has been excellent when he has played in that position (left centre-back). He has got more options outside and inside. I think that line sometimes closes him off and he goes back too often as a full-back.

Today as well; the two or three, four times when he surges forward he is unstoppable and he should do that more. I keep encouraging them to do more of what they’re good at and when they listen we’ll be a good team.

Shaw had bailed United’s defence out early on after some sloppy play from his teammates and Watford briefly threatened to cause United some issues, with Abdoulaye Doucoure (£5.7m) firing into the side netting in the 12th minute.

Bar a disallowed Troy Deeney (£6.2m) goal – the VAR spotting a handball from Craig Dawson (£4.8m) in the build-up – United’s goal was seldom threatened after their visitors’ bright start and the Red Devils went on to bank their fifth clean sheet in eight Gameweeks, a total that only Liverpool can beat over the same period.

It was never going to be completely plain sailing for Nigel Pearson at Watford but the wheels have slightly come off over the last month, with the Hornets picking up only two points from their last five matches.

Nine goals conceded in four games is a worry from a defensive perspective (especially with Liverpool up next), while there was little of the attacking swagger we saw from Deeney and co over Christmas and New Year, with Pearson’s troops mustering only two shots on target on Sunday – one of which came from 30 yards out.

The return of Ismaila Sarr (£6.2m) could be important, however, given how crucial he had been to the Hornets’ renaissance.

Sarr emerged as a late substitute at Old Trafford, with Pearson saying:

Nowhere near, he wasn’t close [to starting]. Likewise Kiko [Femenia]. Sarr was always somebody we felt maybe would be able to give us 20 minutes in the game.

I think he did OK. Hopefully some exposure today will give him the confidence to go out and play next week if he has a good week of training.

Pearson said of the match overall:

It’s a frustrating day in the sense that, when you play the bigger clubs, it’s very important that when you create chances or have opportunities, you do everything you can to take them.

We didn’t take the chances we had early in the game. I think our attempts to press them high up the pitch caused them a few problems in terms of frustrating them at times.

It’s a difficult one to reflect on until I see it again in its entirety. I know we’ve been a little bit wasteful when we’ve had chances, I know we’ve been countered too often ourselves during the game.

Manchester United XI (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Matic, Fred (McTominay 78′); Greenwood (Chong 78′), Fernandes, James; Martial (Ighalo 78′).

Watford XI (4-2-3-1): Foster; Dawson, Kabasele, Cathcart, Masina; Hughes, Capoue; Pereyra (Sarr 68′), Doucoure, Deulofeu; Deeney (Welbeck 75′).

Members Analysis

791 Comments Post a Comment
  1. andres
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Not looking good with this team.. what move(s) would you advise?

    Hedno*
    Stephens TAA VVD boly
    Cantwell Salah Traore mooy
    Jimi Ings

    KUN, KDB, sidibe 2.8, 1 FT

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Kun to Jota

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

        Nice one, 3 wolves already 😉

        Could upgrade traore though

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

      I feel like I need to WC..

    3. kennethrhcp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      who's your sub GK?

      either Hendo to someone or non playing sub gk to McCarthy

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

        Button,
        Is the keepr worth it though?

        Maybe leave as is and upgrade in mid?

        1. kennethrhcp
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          your call, I'd prefer 11 players with no hits over 10 but I get that someone may score a lot better than 1 of your cheap mids.

          I wouldn't WC any that's for sure. will come in handy when proper blanks & doubles happen

      2. Zenith UK
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Mooy > Barnes if you're happy to field 10.
        Otherwise upgrade non-playing goalkeeper and find someone who has nice fixtures in comparison to Henderson if you can

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

      Aguero to Vardy?

  2. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Would it be wise to go for a Leicester triple-up with those fixtures coming up? Already have Chilwell, and looking to do Grealish/Auba to Barnes/Vardy.

    1. Zenith UK
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      I have Barnes.
      I'm picking up Vardy this week in place of Auba (most likely) and I do fancy Chilwell

  3. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Perez is high risk reward option... compared to Barnes

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

      not until they show some more form

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

        that was meant to be in reply to above!

    2. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Reply fail

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

    Did someone on here really ask if the Coronavirus will affect PL games? Do these people not know what Swine Flu is?

    1. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Wind up.

    2. Drop Dead Tsimikas
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      What does one have to do with the other?

      1. FOO FIGHTER
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Seeking attention.

      2. Qaiss
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Swine Flu was way worse than the Coronavirus will be. Killed 200k people around the world in a year and 1000 people in the UK had it. 20 died. Last week 9 people in the UK got the Coronavirus and 8 of them had been discharged from hospital.

        1. FOO FIGHTER
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Hippo's are a major cause of human deaths. So are car crashes, lightning strikes etc etc etc.

          You do not know when it is your turn.

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

            And scare mongering about a virus that's killed 2600 people in a month, in China with a population of 1.3 billion people isn't good either. People should know better.

            1. FOO FIGHTER
              • 4 Years
              4 years, 1 month ago

              Plenty of face masks sold, billions in to profit.

              Not sure this the forum to get deep into this discussion mate.

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

                I agree it's not. Yes, people buying face masks cause they're terrified of it. Yet those same people would go to the toilet before all this started and not wash their hands after. People only care about hygiene when the news is highlighting it. Companies that sell masks and hand sanitisers making tons of money. Last thing, Chinese economy was about to overtake USA, and now everything has sunk. Makes you wonder.

    3. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Well obviously it could happen if it gets a lot worse, they have already called off four Serie A games this weekend and Inter are looking to play their Europa game behind closed doors.

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

        Well hopefully it does not get worse. But China is seeing a decline in cases thankfully so I'm sure in a month or two, this would all have passed.

        1. FOO FIGHTER
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Yesterdays news. Next biliionaires into action.

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

            What are you on about

            1. FOO FIGHTER
              • 4 Years
              4 years, 1 month ago

              Getting to deep

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

                Then don’t reply, and ignore, lol

                1. Citizenkane91
                  • 9 Years
                  4 years, 1 month ago

                  Bill Gates reference for sure.

                2. FOO FIGHTER
                  • 4 Years
                  4 years, 1 month ago

                  Like I said, death happens every day. You can die from a heart attack in the next minute.

                  The next million/billionaires will prevail after the dust has settled 😉

                  To give you an idea, here in South Africa even a simple FFP1 dust mask is hard to come by.

                  1. FOO FIGHTER
                    • 4 Years
                    4 years, 1 month ago

                    And those dust mask are not for purposes in South Africa 😉

      2. bitm2007
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Yes. It's only going to take a small number of cases in a city with a PL team for a game to be called off, if Italy is anything to by.

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

          Well Brighton had 5 cases and they played Watford the same weekend. All those people have now got better. So, heh

          1. bitm2007
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 1 month ago

            They have, but that was still enough for medical centres and a school to be temporarily closed on the south coast as a precaution. It's not a big jump to a sports events, it's already happened in Italy and numerous countries in the far east.

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

              A medical centre* not centres. I live in Brighton, and a medical centre where the GP worked was shut. Sensible thing to do. Media, fake and old videos of apparent cases and things going on cause of the virus, are making people lose their minds

              1. FOO FIGHTER
                • 4 Years
                4 years, 1 month ago

                Money making racket.

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

                  OooO didn’t see that. Ah well, nothing drastic changed here. And they’ve all recovered remember

  5. Drop Dead Tsimikas
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Stick or twist?

    McCarthy
    TAA - Williams - Saiss - Dunk - Stephens
    Salah - Cantwell
    Vardy - Ings - Firmino

    Button, Donk, KdB, Maz

    2.6 ITB, 0 FT

    1. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      For the love of FPL, do something about your midfield!!!

      1. kennethrhcp
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        no need this week. no hits & 11 playing

        1. FOO FIGHTER
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Gotta go with your gut.

          Williams could blank though.

          1. kennethrhcp
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            4 years, 1 month ago

            indeed he could but he's got 1 playing sub (as long as Nuno plays Dendonker)

            would be a pointless hit imo… I woulda said Dendonker to Traore would have been worth a hit but he seems to have lost his place

            1. Citizenkane91
              • 9 Years
              4 years, 1 month ago

              Whole different game plan for Wolves when they face TOT than NOR at home. Nuno wanted territorial advantage, which limits space behind for Traore to oppose, so he moved Jota centrally to increase presence in the box around Jimenez and pushed Doherty wide to provide width. At Spurs, Wolves will want to counter and TOT will be expected to have the ball and try to achieve territorial advantage. Traore will start and Doherty will drift inside.

              1. FOO FIGHTER
                • 4 Years
                4 years, 1 month ago

                Spurs will be chasing their own shawdows vs Wolves. Nuno will make sure of that.

                1. Citizenkane91
                  • 9 Years
                  4 years, 1 month ago

                  TOT are at their weakest when they have to dictate games. Falls straight into Nuno's back pocket.

                  Ofc, Moutinho is well aware of this and their limitations, we might just see a home team that refuses to take risk and a press conference where he talks it away with Wolves being a legitimate top 4 contender and lack of striker options forcing his hand ...

                  1. FOO FIGHTER
                    • 4 Years
                    4 years, 1 month ago

                    I would love for Wolves to qualify for CL.

                    They are the differentials.

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

                    Wolves dictated the reverse fixture IMO.

              2. kennethrhcp
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 13 Years
                4 years, 1 month ago

                very true! point well made sir 🙂

  6. Lumberjack
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Is Pope worth the extra over McCarthy? Really just cover for the Hendo blanks, but I guess Pope might get the nod a couple of other weeks

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

      Yep

    2. kennethrhcp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      comes down to your future plans (which no doubt will change 🙂 ). I'd go cheap as cover for 28 & 31

    3. Lumberjack
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Thanks both. Need to look at fixtures in more detail...

  7. Citizenkane91
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    KdB Robertson to Mane Reece or Mahrez Rico to Rich/Barnes Reece?

    Give a short evaluation of why you prefer one over the other.

    1. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      KDB out Mahrez in?

      1. FOO FIGHTER
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Oops, just the way I read it...

      2. Citizenkane91
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Hehe I haven't had that many drinks this Monday ... 😛

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

      2nd one. Way bigger improvement and if you already have Mo, Mane as well just a headache.

      1. Citizenkane91
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks Fulch. I agree short term. The thing is I will want to move from Robertson to Mane in gw 29, 30, . . . and so on as well. LIV have been overperforming defensively when you compare CS results to actual chance limitation performance.

        1. Citizenkane91
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Will be a hard decision.

  8. Eze Really?
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    I don't have a free hit so bear this in mind when looking at my squad.

    Pope Mccarthy
    Laporte TAA VVD Robbo Perreira
    Bruno Richa KDB Mahrez (Saka)
    DCL Ings Jimmi

    i have 1.1 ITB and happy to C KDB or a Pool back.

    KDB Laporte Mahrez and Saka not in GW 28. Hoping for a DGW 29 with 3 expected double ups.
    What should I do for a starting 11?

    1. Eze Really?
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Thinking of Wolves player to replace Saka

      1. FOO FIGHTER
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Saka is a decent player to have in your squad. At 4.5m ultra value.

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

          Would be more interested if he was designated as a defender