Scout Notes

The formation switch behind Newcastle’s form as Saint-Maximin downs Cherries

Bournemouth 1-4 Newcastle United

  • Goals: Dan Gosling (£4.9m) | Dwight Gayle (£5.0m), Sean Longstaff (£5.0m), Miguel Almiron (£5.8m), Valentino Lazaro (£5.3m)
  • Assists: Nathan Ake (£4.9m) | Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.5m) x3, Jonjo Shelvey (£4.9m)
  • Bonus: Saint-Maximin x3, Shelvey, Gayle x2

There are a number of attractive Gameweek 33+ fixtures this weekend, with Chelsea hosting Watford, Liverpool entertaining Aston Villa and Manchester City facing a Southampton side who have the poorest home record in the division.

Manchester United v Bournemouth might be the pick of the bunch, however, if Wednesday night’s match at the Vitality Stadium was anything to go by.

While Villa have shown a bit of defensive resilience since the mid-June restart, the Cherries have been abysmal.

Home fixtures against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United in Gameweeks 30+ and 32+ would have been ones that Eddie Howe will have targeted given the horror show of a schedule that now follows but his side have emerged pointless from those two games, having shipped six goals to two of the lowest-scoring teams in the Premier League in the process.

Perhaps it was the ‘must-win’ nature of those two matches that opened up space for their opposition, and perhaps Howe will adopt a more conservative approach when his side head to Old Trafford on Saturday.

Bournemouth had made life difficult for Wolverhampton Wanderers last Wednesday, for example, restricting them to just two shots on target and one big chance.

But it’s difficult to overstate just how atrocious they were against Steve Bruce’s mid-table outfit last night.

The heads seem to drop far too quickly: this was the 17th Premier League game this season in which the Cherries have conceded first and they are winless in all of them, drawing only twice.

Howe now faces a monumental task to pick his beleaguered troops up with less than 72 hours separating their Gameweek 32+ and 33+ fixtures.

Speaking after the match, the Bournemouth head coach said:

A really disappointing night, we never recovered from the early goal. The manner of it, as well, was a tough one for us to take, in a game where the onus was on us to make the running in the game. Newcastle counter-attacked very well.

I don’t doubt that [the players are giving me everything]. I can see close at hand what it means to the players, how much they’re hurting.

It’s more psychologically is the big thing for us, the confidence, the expectation – all these things linked together I think are damaging us at the moment.

The next few games are very difficult on paper but maybe they’re the types of games that we need. We’ve picked up points against the big teams, we’ve done well against them.

The opening goal on Wednesday was self-inflicted, with Jefferson Lerma (£4.8m) giving away possession just outside his box; five seconds later, Dwight Gayle (£5.0m) had slotted under Aaron Ramsdale (£4.5m) to put the visitors 1-0 up.

Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.5m) was the provider of Gayle’s strike and went on to register a hat-trick of assists, next teeing up Sean Longstaff (£5.0m) with some superb work near the by-line and then setting substitute Miguel Almiron (£5.8m) free to chip Ramsdale after the break.

Valentino Lazaro (£5.3m) rounded off the scoring for the Magpies with a dinked finish in the final quarter of an hour and it could have even been worse for the Cherries: Saint-Maximin and Andy Carroll (£5.4m) both tested the reflexes of Ramsdale, Lazaro struck the underside of the bar and Isaac Hayden (£4.4m) missed horribly from six yards with the goal gaping.

Bear in mind, this is Newcastle we’re talking about: a side that had scored more than two goals on only two occasions this season, one of which was against ten-man Sheffield United in Gameweek 30+.

For all that Bournemouth were woeful, immense credit has to go to an atypically gung-ho Newcastle and Bruce.

Saint-Maximin was outstanding, registering his third double-digit haul in four Gameweeks and handed a breather after 61 minutes ahead of the visit of a West Ham United side without a clean sheet in 11 matches.

Since the Premier League’s resumption last month, only Manchester City (nine) have scored more goals than the Magpies (eight).

So what has changed?

Firstly, it’s very important to acknowledge the standard of opposition: Newcastle have faced three of the most out-of-form teams in the division since the restart in the shape of ten-man Sheffield United, Villa and Bournemouth.

Against Manchester City in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final, a team they take on in Gameweek 34+, they were absolutely battered; as well as Pep Guardiola’s side, the Magpies also have to face Spurs and Liverpool in the run-in.

But integral to their recent performances has been a formation change.

Adopting Rafael Benitez’s 5-4-1 set-up for much of the season and operating with a defence-first mindset, Bruce finally threw off the shackles in Gameweek 28, rolling out a 4-2-3-1 for the visit of Burnley.

Nothing much changed at first, with the Clarets holding Newcastle to a 0-0 draw, but there have been more encouraging signs since, with ten goals scored against West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United and Bournemouth in three league and cup games.

Asked about his system change after the game, Bruce said:

After watching us against Leicester [in Gameweek 7, when the Magpies briefly moved to a back four] I didn’t think we were ready for change. The players had played a certain way, had played deep, had played on the counter-attack and were really comfortable in it. So I didn’t really want to change much too quickly.

When we became less of a goal threat, that’s when I decided to we needed our flair players up the pitch, rather than defending.

On Saint-Maximin, Bruce revealed that the Frenchman had been close to being benched:

He’s such a naturally good footballer and yesterday I wasn’t planning on starting him because he’s already played three games and to play four in 11 days I thought is maybe too much.

But he bounced into training yesterday and he was full of himself, so I said ‘why not, let’s see if we can get another hour out of him’. He was terrific.

The only downside for the Magpies was the loss of a clean sheet in stoppage time, with Martin Dubravka (£5.1m) having previously been scarcely troubled save for a long-range David Brooks (£6.2m) effort that clipped the bar and a Josh King (£6.1m) header correctly ruled out for offside.

It was ex-Mag Dan Gosling (£4.9m) who bundled the ball in from on the goalline in the 93rd minute, depriving Newcastle of an 11th clean sheet of 2019/20.

The in-form Matt Ritchie (£5.3m) was an unused substitute having been an injury doubt for the game, while Longstaff and Javier Manquillo (£4.3m) picked up muscle problems during the match.


Bournemouth XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Smith, S Cook (Mepham 80′), Ake, Kelly; Lerma (Gosling 75′), Billing (L Cook 46′); Danjuma (Stanislas 62′), Brooks (Wilson 62′), King; Solanke.

Newcastle United XI (4-2-3-1): Dubravka; Krafth, Fernandez, Lascelles, Manquillo (Yedlin 73′); Bentaleb, Shelvey; Saint-Maximin (Lazaro 62′), Longstaff (Almiron 34′), Joelinton (Hayden 72′); Gayle (Carroll 62′).

Members Analysis

FPL Lessons Learned from Gameweek 32+

1,217 Comments Post a Comment
  1. DannyDrinkVodka
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    A) Start Sarr
    B) Sarr>Mahrez/Son for -4

    1. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      B

  2. FPL_BUCCANEER
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Pope
    TAA Doh AWB
    Salah Bruno Son Rich
    DCL Rash Jimmy

    2FT 0.0ITB

    Any ideas? TIA.

    I'm thinking Rich, Son -> Pulisic, KDB/Mahrez

    Thoughts?

  3. balint84
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    who would win?
    A) Salah + Greenwood
    B) Pulisic + Rashford

    1. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      A. I don't think Salah is optional. But let's see. Maybe the next two games will refute that.

      1. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Morning Camzy.......I cant decide to if to put the TC on Salah next GW.......what do you reckon ??

  4. Koroko990
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Help please

    Pope
    Taa maguire saiss
    Kdb salah son fernandes
    Dcl jiminez nketiah

    Button lascelles saka holgate

    0 in bank. 2 free transfers and free hit left

    Where can I improve for game week upcoming?

    Thanks

    1. kime67
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      i guess you have to take nketiah out and downgrade someone like son to martial or pulisic.

  5. Chelsea91
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Pope
    Taa,Saiss,Soy,Aurier
    Mane,Kdb,Bruno(c),Son,Pulisic
    Ings

    Good to go for GW33+ guys? Any changes needed?

  6. Muller Reus Corner
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    How’s my free hit looking?
    DDG, Martin
    TAA, VVD, Doherty, Lascelles, Lamptey
    Salah, KDB, Mahrez, Martial, Pulisic
    Rashford, Maupay, Connolly

    1. Stormbringer22
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Love the midfield. Good team for FH

      1. Muller Reus Corner
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Thanks. My team will revert to:
        Pope, Martinez
        TAA, Doherty, Lascelles, Taylor, Robinson
        KDB, Bruno, Son, Richarlison, Douglas Luiz
        Rashford, Jiminez, Vardy.
        I am going to get rid of Richarlison and Vardy asap.

  7. Stormbringer22
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    How's this for a plan. Keep Salah(C) for the Villa game and WC the week after to the below team. Rely on the power midfield and the attacking Utd triple up and play Bench Boost at some point.

    Pope
    TAA • Doherty • Aurier
    KDB • Mahrez • Bruno • Martial • Pulisic
    Rashford • Jimenez

    Bench: Martinez • Origi • Lascelles • C.Taylor
    £0.8itb

  8. kime67
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Even if salah starts against villa i expect some rotation wich will weaken the team.

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

      Won't weaken Salah though. A point worth making, as poor as it was/is, Villa's defence is much improved on pre lockdown.

    2. kime67
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      ofc it affects him too

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

        Explain how, if Pool are rotated against Aston Villa, that it will affect him? If Mane is rested then Salah is a better FPL pick for that game.

        1. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          Would you risk TC Salh v Villa ??

          1. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            *Salah

          2. GreennRed
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            Options are running out now. See how he does v City but probably as good a pick as there is left and beware of Villains bearing defensive gifts but he's going for 3/3 golden boots. Could be Ings v Brighton. The reboot games are so unpredictable, prob the biggest FPL will be out of the blue.

    3. kime67
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      lets say minamino plays on left and milner left back theres no way they will get same amoutn of chnces

  9. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Auba to: Kane/Jesus or

    Sarr to: ASM/Foden

    1. Stormbringer22
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I am doing Sarr to ASM as one week punt before WC

    2. Maddamotha
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Who is ASM?

      1. aapoman
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Saint_maximin

  10. ElliotJHP
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    For draft

    Who would you rather have Sarr or Mount?

    1. kime67
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      neither

      1. ElliotJHP
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        It's for a 10 man draft so it's not always gonna be an ideal player haha

    2. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Sarr

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

      Mount

    4. LAMELA_AND_CONSUELA
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Sarr at least he is nailed

  11. John Colby (Capt)
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Morning all!!
    Quick question. As a KDB owner would you bring in Mahrez or Jesus to double-up in City assets?

    1. ElliotJHP
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Mahrez

    2. Stormbringer22
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Morning - contemplating bringing Mahrez on a WC next to KDB, see my post above

      1. John Colby (Capt)
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Cheers lads - nice squad Stormbringer

  12. HurriKane
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Who would you prefer for rest of season after gw33+?

    A) Digne- SOT wol AVL shu BOU

    B) Aurier- bou ARS new LEI cpl

    1. ElliotJHP
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      A

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Digne

    3. Stormbringer22
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      B

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

      A

    5. teneighty
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Tight call but I think Spurs have more CS in them than Everton and both are threats offensively so I would go with Aurier.

  13. Atimis
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Which one sounds best ?

    1) Rash DCL to Auba Greenwood
    2) DCL Guendo to 4.2 ASM
    3) Rash Guendo to 4.2 Martial/Greenwood Mahrez
    4) Rash Guendo to Greenwood Pulisic

    1. Bucket Man
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      3 With Martial

  14. EL_FENOMENO
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    How did DCL look these couple of games, no returns and poor stats is a bit worrying, potentially looking at Son + DCL for Mahrez and Ings for next week

  15. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Salah or Mane?

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

      Let's see after tonight. At the moment, I'd say Salah.

  16. Lignja
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    2ft 0.0m itb

    Pope
    Taa, Doherty, Saiss, Lascales
    Kdb, Salah, Son, Fernandes
    Vardy, Jimenez

    Martin, Holgate, Guendouzi, Connolly

    A. Vardy to Rashford
    B. Vardy, Guendouzi to Martial/ Mahrez/ Wilian, Greenwood
    C. Keep Vardy

    1. Steiger
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      B with Willian. Think you need Chelsea cover

      1. ElliotJHP
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        As a Chelsea fan I beg to differ ha!

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

    RMWCT (BB in 34)

    Pope, Foster
    TAA, VVD, Boly, Saiss, Kiko
    Salah, KDB, Bruno, Martial, Pulisic
    Jimmy, Ings, Greenwood

    1. LAMELA_AND_CONSUELA
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I'm not sure about Foster Martinez maybe?

  18. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Anyone looking at WH players? Their fixtures are almost as good as MU.

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

      Nope, but if I prefer I'd want Bowen.

    2. balint84
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      i also consider Bowen. they won't relegate, they will fight

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

      Their team isn't though. Antonio looked lively last night. Avoid their defence.

      1. The Train Driver
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Antonio OOP is the one I'm looking at

    4. LAMELA_AND_CONSUELA
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I consider 3 options:
      1) Haller if healthy,
      2) Antonio if Haller stay injured;
      3) Bowen the cheapest and on set pieces

  19. balint84
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    sacrifice Jimenez or Rahford?

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

      Neither. Who are you looking to get in?

      1. balint84
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        salah or mané

  20. Dele
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Asked Jose Mourinho what he plans to do at right-back with so many games and just Serge Aurier fit in the role. He said it's a problem but that he's been working with Oliver Skipp and Gedson in the position during training and that Alderweireld and Sissoko can also play there.

    Aurier not so nailed then...

    1. Maddamotha
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Hopefully he sits out on the bench tonight so I can get my Dendo points

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

    Shelvey 7 pointer laughing at me from the bench. Why cant I have the luck of Saka owners? Mount and Nketiah 1 pointers... Fat Frank and the Fraud Impersonator can do one

  22. wonkeydonkey
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Pope or Fabianski to rotate with Martinez for the rest of the season?

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

      Pope doesn't rotate well with Martinez but you can play Pope in almost every game except Liverpool away.

      1. wonkeydonkey
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Who scores more then? Could WH start keeping a few clean sheets to match Burnley?

    2. Bucket Man
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Pope

  23. Rover
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    My biggest concern on WC is that if I pick players "guaranteed" to start in 33+ then these same players are also more likely not to start in 34+
    I'm hoping for a 90-minute appearance from one of the City wingers so that I can get them in and bench them this week trusting them to start in 34+

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

    So many options each gw and the ones i leave out tend to haul (as expected lol)

    Given that 2 x utd attackers and Jimmy are template, this leaves space for 4 attackers...which 4 would you want from these with a budget of around 36m

    Salah, Kdb, Pulisic, Mahrez, Foden, Son, Kane, DCL, Jesus

    I am leaning towards either
    Salah, KDB, Pulisic, DCL or
    Mahrez KDB Pulisic Son

  25. Bucket Man
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Thoughts please. 2FT 0.3ITB
    Pope
    TAA, Aurier, Boly
    Salah, KDB, Fernandes, Barnes*
    Auba*, Jiminez, Ings
    Lascelles, Stevens, Luiz

    Auba and Barnes to
    A) Greenwood and Mahrez. Luiz to Martial GW34
    B) Rashford and Pulisic

    1. caldracula
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I’m looking at something similar to B but considering Jesus and Willian.

      1. Bucket Man
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Still prefer Pulisic to Willian but your preference. Jesus is a good shout but not sure on minutes, suppose it is the same with Mahrez. B allows me to save a transfer as well which is a plus.

  26. Rt505
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Worth an 8 point hit?

    Soy/Grealish/Auba to AWB/Puli/Jesus

    1. caldracula
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I would say so

  27. caldracula
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Auba + Barnes > Jesus + Willian?

    Also, what to do with DCL?

  28. LAMELA_AND_CONSUELA
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Hi guys I need help. I wildcarded 2 weeks ago but my team does not look good. Currently looks like this:
    Foster/3.9
    Soyuncu/AWB/Doherty/TAA/Lascelles
    Richarlison/Mane/KdB/Fernandes/Luiz
    Vardy/Jimenez/DCL
    I have 2 FT and 0,1 ITB. Who should I offload first:
    a)Vardy - Rashford,
    b)DCL- to I dont know who Greenwood?
    c)Richarlison - Martial
    d) Vardy - Jesus and Richarlison to Martial
    e) Va rdy plus Richarlison - Kane Greenwood
    f) just Foster to Pope and roll a FT

  29. G Banger
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Pope Button
    Doherty Taa Lascelles Holgate Robinson
    Salah Bruno Son KDB Guendouzi
    Rashford Jimmy DCL

    a) J Robinson + DCL => AWB + Nketiah (4-4-2)
    b) Lascelles + Son => AWB + Mahrez (4-3-3)

  30. Stef rocks
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Which one - Sarr to:
    A) Antonio
    B) Willian
    C) Pulisic

    1. balint84
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      c