Competitions

World Cup of FPL – Group E

Our World Cup of FPL tournament continues with Group E, as Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling, Nemanja Vidic and Marcos Alonso all vie for a place in the round of 16.

In this series, we’re giving Fantasy Football Scout site users the chance to vote for the greatest Fantasy Premier League asset of all time.

We’re operating on a group-by-group basis at first, with 32 of the most popular FPL players sorted into eight foursomes.

Readers can vote for their two favourite assets from each group, with the two options garnering the greatest share of the vote qualifying for the knockout rounds.

We’re at the halfway point of the group stage, with eight FPL legends past and present having already progressed to the last 16.

Group AGroup BGroup CGroup D
1. Frank Lampard1. Thierry Henry1. Harry Kane1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Robin van Persie2. Gareth Bale2. Didier Drogba 2. Trent Alexander-Arnold
3. Branislav Ivanovic3. Steven Gerrard3. Gylfi Sigurdsson 3. Eden Hazard
4. Patrice Evra4. Carlos Tevez4. Romelu Lukaku4. Andrew Robertson
Group EGroup FGroup GGroup H
Marcos AlonsoClint DempseyCesc FabregasAlexis Sánchez
Nemanja VidicGareth McAuleyJamie VardyMohamed Salah
Raheem SterlingJohn TerryKevin De BruynePetr Cech
Wayne RooneyLuis SuarezLeighton BainesSergio Aguero

Our latest article below takes a closer look at each option in Group E.

The poll can be found at the bottom of the piece and in the sidebar of the homepage.

Marcos Alonso

The Scout Squad picks for FPL Gameweek 30

Revered by FPL managers more than Chelsea fans, Marcos Alonso is the classic example of a player who receives a lot more acclaim for his Fantasy returns than for his overall displays on the pitch.

He has long ceased to be a “must-have” in Fantasy Premier League but even in the current campaign, in which he has mustered only 858 minutes of pitch-time, Alonso has hinted at what he is capable of: in not one of his nine Premier League starts in 2019/20 has the Chelsea left-back blanked.

Only four FPL defenders, all of whom have clocked up more than twice as many minutes in the top flight, have more attacking returns to their names than Alonso (seven) this season.

Before the rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson, Alonso was perhaps the go-to premium defender.

The Spaniard averaged five goals, five assists and 14 clean sheets per season in the three campaigns before this one, racking up over 160 FPL points in each of them.

There have been numerous individual highlights, including a brace against Spurs in August 2017, five assists in four Gameweeks at the beginning of 2018/19 and a 16-point haul against Bournemouth in February of this year.

Perhaps his most memorable day came in Gameweek 21 of 2016/17 against Leicester City.

Alonso scored two of Chelsea’s goals in a 3-0 win over the Foxes, collecting clean sheet points and maximum bonus for a bumper 21-point return.

The Blues defender has twice featured in FPL’s end-of-season Dream Team and he has never been initially priced up under £6.0m in each of his four years in west London, reaching a career-high of £7.4m midway through 2017/18.

Nemanja Vidic

Likely to be the rank outsider in Group E, Nemanja Vidic is not the first player to spring to mind when we think back to our favourite Fantasy hall of famers.

It’s easy to forget that Vidic was on more than one occasion more expensive than Trent Alexander-Arnold is now, however, even if FPL’s pricing structure for defenders has been slightly tweaked since the glory days at Old Trafford.

The Serbia international began 2009/10 at £8.0m and, in the following campaign, rose from a starting price of £7.0m to a season-high £8.2m, finishing at £8.1m in May 2011.

Vidic was a fixture of the Manchester United defence for the best part of a decade, even if injury curtailed his pitch-time on occasion – especially towards the tail-end of his time in England.

When he was fit, he was a defensive asset to be reckoned with.

The rugged centre-half scored on 14 occasions from 2006/07 to 2010/11, notching a career-best five goals in the last of those seasons.

This was a halcyon era for the United backline and, alongside Rio Ferdinand, Vidic formed one of the Premier League’s most effective central defensive partnerships.

In 2008/09, the Red Devils racked up an incredible 24 clean sheets – of which Vidic was present for all bar the very last of them.

That season featured a run of 14 consecutive shut-outs for Alex Ferguson’s side, with Vidic finding the back of the net on four occasions.

The Serb finished the campaign as FPL’s highest-scoring defender and that was to be his one and only appearance in the Dream Team.

Vidic had personally racked up 20 clean sheets in 2007/08, too, with United’s defence conceding fewer than 30 goals in each of his first four full seasons in Manchester.

Raheem Sterling

Our World Cup of FPL perhaps comes at an inopportune time for Raheem Sterling, given how far his stock has fallen in Fantasy circles this season.

Still, it should be reiterated just how superb the Manchester City winger was in the previous two campaigns.

Sterling plundered 67 attacking returns in 2017/18 and 2018/19 combined, easily cracking the 200-point mark on each occasion and featuring in FPL’s Dream Team in both of those seasons.

The 2017/18 campaign was a particularly memorable one, as Sterling registered 18 goals and 17 assists having been initially listed at a cut-price £8.0m.

There was a substantial price rise last season but Sterling still proved good value even in the premium bracket, going on to record a career-best total of 234 points.

We go way further back with the England international, of course.

Sterling first came to prominence as a £4.5m midfielder in 2012/13, registering eight attacking returns in his breakthrough season at Liverpool, before contributing nine goals and seven assists in the following campaign.

That was the season in which Brendan Rodgers’ free-scoring team almost clinched a first-ever Premier League title and Sterling was an integral part of the Liverpool side from December onwards, starting all bar three of the Reds’ final 26 matches.

Sterling could have been snapped up for a now unthinkable £5.5m at the start of 2013/14 and was swiftly handed a price hike in his final season on Merseyside, before departing for Manchester the following year.

In total, Sterling has racked up 1,201 FPL points over the last decade.

Two 21-point hauls last season, an opening-day treble in the current campaign and a Gameweek 9 hat-trick in 2015/16 are just some of the stand-out displays that put his current dry spell in context.

Wayne Rooney

FPL’s all-time leading points-scorer, Wayne Rooney has amassed 1,835 points since records were first kept in 2006/07.

England’s record goalscorer already had four seasons in FPL under his belt before that point (the game having been launched in its current guise in 2002/03) and had scored on 42 occasions in the top flight before we had reached the stage of historical returns being logged for posterity.

On two occasions did Rooney pass the 200-point mark, in 2009/10 and 2011/12, although he came close to the hat-trick in 2013/14.

The former Everton and Manchester United striker made the FPL Dream Team in all three of those campaigns and had done so in 2006/07, too, when registering 26 attacking returns en route to a season total of 184 points.

No FPL forward past or present can better Rooney’s four appearances in the end-of-season Dream Team.

The Derby County player/coach’s best-ever campaign came in 2011/12, with his 27 goals and eight assists helping him to an FPL points tally of 230.

Perhaps his most-remembered season is 2009/10, however.

Rooney supplemented his 32 attacking returns with a staggering 46 bonus points and recorded FPL’s highest-ever Double Gameweek score in January of that campaign, scoring five goals (four of them against Hull City) and banking an assist on the way to a 32-point haul.

The Liverpudlian never started an FPL campaign under £10.5m from 2006/07 right the way through to 2015/16 but there was good reason for that, with Rooney plundering at least 19 attacking returns in the first nine of those seasons.

Aside from that four-goal salvo against Hull, there were a further six hat-tricks for his owners to enjoy, including back-to-back trebles in Gameweeks 3 and 4 of 2011/12.

Another FPL career highlight included his run of 18 attacking returns in Gameweeks 4 to 18 of 2013/14, although there are plenty of high-points to choose from throughout his stay in the north-west.


86 Comments Post a Comment
  1. goriuanx
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Rooney and ermm..

    1. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Sterling for me.

    2. Eddie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Alonso, obvs.

    3. Rotation's Alter Ego
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      None of the others really deserve to go through

    4. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Alonso

  2. All For One
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Guaita
    Maguire. Taa, Lundstram
    Fernandes, Salah, KDB, Traore
    Auba, Ings, Jimenez

    Button, Dunk, Dendoncker, Kelly

    1FT 0.7 ITB

    FH, Wilcard, BB still available

    What should I do with my transfer?

    Kelly> Holgate?

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Nothing.

    2. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      About about a cheeky hit for the bants?

      1. FPL Pillars
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        How about. Ugh forget it.

        Season over!

        1. All For One
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          Lmao would be pissed of the seasons over as a Liverpool fan!

          1. All For One
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            Pissed off

    3. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Only 1 FT so save this GW

      1. All For One
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Cool thanks

  3. FPL Pillars
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Alonso going to finish top 🙂

  4. dunas_dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Is mobile version of Football Manager 2020 available as download from Apple Store to iPhone good?

    1. THFC4LIFE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      I’ve got the mobile version on iPad, quite like it, obviously nowhere near as in depth at the PC version but still decent

      1. dunas_dog
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Thanks that’s good to know

  5. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Sterling lol

  6. The 12th Man
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    Just Rooney

  7. FPL Virgin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 12 months ago

    A article series on retired players.

    An article about someone watching the Oceans Eleven trilogy.

    An article on a video game.

    I'm on a slow wildcard here. Please can I have an article that will help my FPL team. There are 29 gameweeks and tonnes of data from this season that can be written about.

    1. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Then you shouldn’t have a problem doing some research.
      Stop whinging.

      1. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        I'm frustrated. People need things to read to fill their time while stuck at home. The content on here should be scaled up, not back.

        1. The 12th Man
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          Have you no other interests to amuse yourself?
          If not try something new.
          I’m getting back into my ink drawing .

        2. Pinturicchio10
            3 years, 12 months ago

            How boring a person must you be to be in a situation where given all the time in the world, you can't find anything to do.

      2. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        I thought you were an elite player?

        1. FPL Virgin
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          I have actually been thinking about writing the ruddy things myself!

          1. The 12th Man
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            I don’t mind some of your articles Virg but some of your complaints and persistent requests do get tiresome.

      3. Rotation's Alter Ego
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Getting tiresome Virg.

        Pretty sure I've talked to you about this before, but to make it perfectly clear so you don't need to ask again:

        With no clear return for football content articles are going to be slowed down until we can see football returning - don't want to burn through everything now and be left with nothing when people are actively interested!

        With no football currently on and such a big gap forming, player form is pretty dead in the water so a lot of data analysis is bordering on wasted effort. Without knowing the fixtures, it's not that easy to look at the other side of the coin either.

        Next week we will have a couple of members articles with some interesting research for the community to read, but you really can't be surprised that content is lower at this time!

        Take some time off, join in with a bit of reminiscing if you want, and hopefully we'll all be fresh and hungry for FPL when football finally returns.

    2. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      The Wuhan wet (i.e. Live animals) meat market has reopened.

      I don't understand why this story isn't leading the news and on the front page of every newspaper.

      Why don't people care how covid 19 started?

      Why don't people care about making sure this never happens again?

      1. Concrete
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Maybe it didn’t start from a bat?

        1. Epic Fail
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          Even if it didn't, it probably shouldn't be opening just yet while all this is going on. Both to give more time for a thorough investigation and because, well, it's a bit crass under the circumstances.

          1. Concrete
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            Fair point

          2. ringwraith
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            I didn't realize Trump was in charge of China's markets. $$$$

      2. FPL Pillars
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Chinese have a lot of backwards practices, their markets, foods, traditional medicine. They media should be putting pressure on them if they had any credibility.

        1. DOG GOD IT - KEANE 15
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          That's a bit racist innit?

          Apart from the so-called 'enlightened' west, most other nations/people have what i personally consider questionable issues.

          South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc) isn't exactly the cleanest.

          Africa - don't get me started.

          South/Central America - not fantastic either.

          Russia and other eastern European former USSR satellite states - lack of resources mostly leading to questionable practices.

          Middle East and other neighboring Moslem countries - see South Asia above

          Some parts of South East Asia & Polynesia - see South Asia above

          FYI, Chinese Traditional Medicine is kinda widely accepted in the some 'developed' countries.

          I do strongly agree that those wet markets should not be re-opened yet, and certain animals should be off the menu but hey, i think the issue is more of a balance - humans versus mother nature. When man practices development - building, deforestation, etc, the balance is lost and things that used to be confined to animals perhaps spread to humans as well. And who is guilty of this development? All of us, I'm afraid.

          And i am a half-Indian half-Chinese living in South east Asia.

          1. Renegade3
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            No, it isn't racist because Chinese isn't a race it's a nationality.
            Just like you making generalizations about Russians and S. Americans and all the rest isn't racist either.

            1. GreennRed
              • 12 Years
              3 years, 12 months ago

              It's a key takeaway....

            2. DOG GOD IT - KEANE 15
              • 10 Years
              3 years, 12 months ago

              Chinese from China could be deemed as a nationality.

              Anywhere else in the world, they are considered a race. Here in Malaysia we have Malays, Chinese and Indians and some minorities. These are races.

              Know your facts.

              As for my 'racist' generalizations, yes, i was trying to make my point to you about being racist ... glad you caught that one 🙂

          2. FPL Pillars
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            There’s a medial “cure” involving some rhino and some other endangered animal. Absolute BS, medieval thinking. Not proven, just backwards practices from a past time. They need to get their act together. Make stuff like that illegal with jail time.

      3. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Did you stop eating sausages after the swine flu?

      4. DOG GOD IT - KEANE 15
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Human nature. I.e. we never learn.

    3. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Just cancel the bloody thing

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52140204

      1. g40steve
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        They can’t, if they do the teams repay £750m, let’s see the clubs pay £350k a week with that hanging over them.

      2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        This...

        Have faith mate. They just going through the motions. It will be cancelled soon enough i am sure

      3. Poseidon.
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Why?

        1. Now I'm Panicking
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          The same reason anyone wants the season null and voided - because their team are having a shite season.

          1. Poseidon.
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            This is the reason I was anticipating really. Was interested if there was a more genuine reason as to why people are in such a rush to cancel this season when it’s not like we can start the next one any sooner anyway.

            1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 12 months ago

              I think it's a fair enough genuine reason though . Don't think i could blame anyone for wanting it to be cancelled if their team isn't doing so well and teams they can't stand are doing good. I bet there are many more that want it cancelled than want it to continue in all honesty.

              1. Poseidon.
                • 5 Years
                3 years, 12 months ago

                I don’t blame them for wanting it - doesn’t make it a justifiable reason for doing it though.

                1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
                  • 14 Years
                  3 years, 12 months ago

                  The only justifiable reason is because people are more important. Obviosly i would rather people be ok and they carry on , but that doesn't seem to be a choice because it will still be here over the summer..for me cancelling the season is a very small positive coming from a very tragic negative.

                2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
                  • 14 Years
                  3 years, 12 months ago

                  I couldn't care less about FPL either . I would rather it be cancelled and in the chance i get my entry fees back from incomplete cash leagues.

                  1. TorresMagic™
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • Has Moderation Rights
                    • 14 Years
                    3 years, 12 months ago

                    Would you care more if you were leading?

                    1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
                      • 14 Years
                      3 years, 12 months ago

                      Depends how much i had to win. Like i would care more if my team was doing well in the prem.

                      Id rather not let this awful season affect the next one and its real life football over FPL always for me. So if the table were as it stands i would have to be in a position of winning a lot cash in fpl to want it to carry on.

                      If i was just top 10 OR and in no cash league id rather give spurs a fresh start as most people know OR doesn't impress me one bit

                      1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
                        • 14 Years
                        3 years, 12 months ago

                        If i was leading FPL i would probably want to in all honesty then i could probably steal fame and cash by creating a dodgy patreon and some YouTube channel to entice the noobs to part with their cash 😆

                        1. Now I'm Panicking
                          • 9 Years
                          3 years, 12 months ago

                          You could team up with Woy Is Back and do a podcast together 😉

                        2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
                          • 14 Years
                          3 years, 12 months ago

                          Not sure an hour of A or B questions would get the numbers. Would you listen??? Think id rather go it alone.

          2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            Spot on

      4. Ser Davos
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Surely finishing 19-20 league season is more important than the 20-21 cups (perhaps Europe aside)

    4. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      I've voted with huge bias 😛

      1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        I negated your votes with the same bias ... sorry Amey 😆

        1. Amey
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          Nooooooooooo
          😀

      2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        I voted before you though 😉

        1. Amey
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          So it was me who negated yours 😛

          1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 12 months ago

            Now the hunter has become the hunted. I feel so void and null 🙁

            1. Amey
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 12 months ago

              Ha ha
              Good one mate 😀

    5. Poseidon.
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Voted for Rooney and Vidic. #Loyal

    6. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Looks like no Footie till June/July at the earliest.

      1. Hect.OR 98th
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        I don't see the season completing. I think they'll just void it. I think we're in this restriction mode for months yet.

        1. Ser Davos
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 12 months ago

          After Levy and Ashley's furloughing I'm slowly losing interest in football.

          The amount of work that goes into football behind the scenes by those workers combined with players earning obscene amounts while the world faces economic meltdown...

    7. SweepaKeepa
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Let’s look forward. Next season (whenever and whatever that looks like) price up the goalies... I see a lot of 5.0s... Alisson the premium and promoted players at 4.5. But in between, who doesn’t deserve 5.0?

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Bournemouth goalkeepers

      2. Lucky Z
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Krul

      3. HashAttack
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 11 months ago

        If there is not promotion / demotion, we might not have any bargain players next season

    8. FCSB
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Henderson Pope
      TAA VVD Lundstram Doherty Soyuncu
      Salah KDB Sarr Traore Hayden
      Ings Jimenez Vardy

      2 FT, 0.2 ITB

      Who to use my FT on so I don’t burn it?

      Thanks

      1. dunas_dog
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Ings to DCL?

      2. tucaoneo
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        I would just use 1 FT to ditch Ings or Lund to free up a little bit of money.

    9. Ser Davos
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      At least we have a slight idea of what Bury fans have been going through since they went bust

      1. Amey
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Must be heartbreaking ....

    10. rainy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 12 months ago

      Price Changes - 3rd April 2020

      🔻  Mavropanos (4.3), Zappacosta (4.2), M.Kelly (4.1), Woodman (3.9), Tielemans (6.1), Lössl (4.2), Phillips (3.9)

      1. TorresMagic™
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Cheers Rainy 🙂

      2. waldo666
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Cheers Rainy.

      3. asquishypotato
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 12 months ago

        Mad that these are still happening, some poor person is going to get royally screwed by these at some point!

        1. CroatianHammer
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 11 months ago

          People are shaping their teams for the unlikely return of FPL. Doesn't matter that any of these *might* be good for those games, because of the nature of any possible GWs; they'll all be TGWs.

    11. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 11 months ago

      Hazard misses out so one of this lot can go through to the next round?

      Weak sauce.

    12. pierri13
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 11 months ago

      Please can someone explain to me how TAA gets through ahead of Hazard or Robertson. This competition is a look at who is the best ever ito FPL - TAA has only done it this season and a bit last, if anything Robertson should even be ahead of him as he scored more points last year in their breakthrough seasons than any defender ever! This is a look at the the best of FPL ever - not based on current form - surprised Ryan Fraser is not here then hahaha