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Eliteserien Runde 9 – Midfield Madness

One of the many peculiar aspects of Fantasy Football is where the lines between fantasy and reality merge. This what I call the Modric-Bohinen Void. (I’ll explain about Bohinen later). Modric has always been a world-class player, has been for as long as I can remember, but he was never going to be a good Fantasy pick. He’s the guy who would get a move going, pass it around a bit, then either assist the assister or the guy before that. But he was always heavily involved in a team’s success. Kind of like a better version of Jordan Henderson/Gini Wijnaldum who have both undisputedly been integral to Liverpool’s phenomenal title charge this season. Even if it has gone a bit rubbish lately.

For Norwegian football, for at least this season, I think of Emil Bohinen (5.9m). If he’s still at Stabaek next season it’ll be a tragedy. There’s quite a few people raging on about Anton Saletros (4.9m) – and not without good reason – but Emil Bohinen has been insanely good. His heatmap covers pretty much the entire pitch, excluding penalty areas. He has run his legs into the ground for his team, allowing players such as Hugo Vetlesen (5.6m), Oliver Valaker Edvardsen (6.5m) and the very much in-form Kornelius Normann Hansen (5.1m) to prosper ahead of him. He has less points than all of them – bar Edvardsen – but eight of his 31pts have come in the form of bonus points (the exact total bonus points of his teammates).

While he has not had an awful start to this campaign by any means, there’s simply not much reason to own him in Fantasy Football. He has a goal and an assist and even though he’s scored thirteen points in the last two games, there are undoubtedly better options out there. Six players who are cheaper than him have scored more points than him, as well as there being a handful of other players who play in more advanced positions who should return more over the course of the season. Of course, this is just my opinion, based on what I’ve seen so far. He could be given more set-piece duties, be pushed higher up the pitch and start contributing more directly to attacks, at which point you’d have to be very stubborn to ignore him from a Fantasy point of view. For now, at least, he looks set to remain a pass or two away from acceptable points.

As it stands, it’s fairly obvious who the best players to own are. I’m focusing primarily on midfielders in this article as that’s where the biggest points spread seems to be. The go-to defenders are pretty self-explanatory at this point, and only three forwards have scored more than 35 points. So for now at least, I’ll be focusing on the players in the middle of the pitch and usually right in the thick of it.

Exactly ten midfielders have scored 40pts or more. That’s an average points return of at least five a game. Regarding ignored, overlooked potential, we’d probably be better off looking those players dragging behind the leading pack, but for now, I want to see how well or elite group are actually performing in real life, no just in the world of Fantasy Football.

The 10 midfielders we’ll be focusing on are the highest scoring midfielders in the game:

1. Philip Zinckernagel (73pts)

2. Jens Hauge (66pts)

3. Amahl Pellegrino (64pts)

4. Ulrik Saltnes (56pts)

5. Magnus Wolf Eikrem (52pts)

6. Gilbert Koomson (49pts)

7. Etzaz Hussain (44pts)

8. Niklas Sandberg (43pts)

9. Patrik Berg (40pts)

10. Mikkel Maigaard (40pts)

I’ll be focusing on the following categories:

1. Goals

2. Assists (Total)

3. Shots/Shots on Target

4. Passing Accuracy

5. Accurate Opposition Half Passes/Final Third

6. Key Chances and Big Chances Created

1) Goals

Six of our top ten feature in the ‘Top 10 Goal Scorers’ in the league with Eikrem, Berg, Sandberg and Maigaard all missing out. This is quite conclusive that real-world exploits of scoring goals leads to very real fantasy points. The four goal scorers to replace them are Kasper Junker (66pts), Torgeir Borven (54pts), Leke James (33pts) Holmbert Fridjonsson (31pts). This strong correlation between goals and Fantasy points makes sense – forwards get 4pts per goal, and midfielders 5pts. Not much insight to be gained from this other than pick the players who are scoring the goals, dummy.

When we take minutes played into consideration, it’s clear that a couple of players are pushing the boat much farther out than others. Pellegrino is averaging 1.5 goals every 90 minutes played. That’s pretty insane. He’s not even played 500 minutes this season. To contrast, Borven is currently on a goal a game and Junker is slightly over, on 1.2. Somewhat surprisingly, Fridjonsson matches Junker for efficiency and he’s only one behind Zinckernagel for total goals scored. If he keeps getting starts for Aalesunds, he could very quickly become a lot of people’s go to third striker.

(Goals: Zinckernagel 6, Hauge 4, Pellegrino 8, Saltnes 4, Eikrem 2, Koomson 5, Hussain 4, Sandberg 3, Berg 2, Maigaard 3).

2) Assists (Fantasy and Actual)

I was going to focus on just actual assists but I think it serves us more to take both real and Fantasy assists into consideration. Zinckernagel doesn’t need any help here, all seven of his assists being very real indeed. That’s almost one a game and puts his direct goal contribution to 13 in just 8 games. Hauge benefits by another two to match his flying teammate while Saltnes lags a bit behind on 5(3). Eikrem also sits on 5 but has played over 200 minutes less than Saltnes, showing that while some may see him as being a bit too expensive (even though he is one of the best, if not the best player in the league) he is still incredibly efficient when on the pitch.

Zinckernagel, Hauge, Eikrem, Saltnes and Maigaard make the Top Ten for both lists – Real and Real plus Fantasy – and are joined by a few well-known names as well as a surprise or two. Junker makes both lists with 4(3) along with Pal Andre ‘I Wish I Was Eden Hazard’ Helland 3. What’s quite interesting is that while Erling Knudtzon doesn’t have an actual assist, he has three fantasy assists. Make what you will of that. He’s played just ten minutes less than Helland this season which makes them pretty even for usefulness. It also shows that while Helland commands a heftier price tag, Knudtzon offers much better value for money. (They’re both on 29pts).

Hussain is the biggest winner from our Top Scorers, gaining two assists from the land of Fantasy to bring him up to, two… Pellegrino is all about the goals and not much else to be honest but at least a real assist whereas Berg and Koomson don’t have either. At least half our group are the top providers in the league and it makes sense much like in the same sense for those players who score more goals to end up being the highest points scorers in the league. It’s also worth mentioning another Aalesunds player when talking about assists: Simen Bolkan Nordli. He got four attacking returns in his first five games but has blanked in his last three. Still, he sits just inside our top ten for total assists. At 7.0m he may be seen as slightly overpriced by some, a shrewd investment by others.

Players like Helland and Kristoffer Tokstad and Knudtzon might do well for assists, but if that’s genuinely all they’re doing, they’re never going to be scoring highly. Three assists at this stage is clearly not bad going but it’s not a direct reflection of game involvement and potentially only indicative of a game or two’s performance. I’d be wary of chasing players on the back of their Fantasy assist potential alone, as we all know far too well not every Fantasy assist means much more than points. And if you want a consistent, go-to kind of a player, a fluky one is far from a solid choice.

(Total assists: Zinckernagel 7, Hauge 7, Saltnes 5, Eikrem 5, Junker 4, Knudtzon 3, Helland 3, Tokstad 3, Nordlii 3, Maigaard 2).

3) Shots/Shots on Target

This is where the true nature of things starts to be seen. He tops the charts for both total shots and shots on target, yes, it’s him again, Philip Zinckernagel. The man is a machine. With 22 shots (14 on target) he’s joined by Lars Jorgen Salvesen, also on 22, at the top of our mini-table. Maigaard (16) and Pellegrino (15) are the two other players to make the top ten for most shots, with the former being replaced in the ‘shots on target’ table by Hauge 13(9). There’s certainly some correlation between shots and points – only Patrik Berg has averaged less than one shot a game, and 6/10 of the top scorers registered more than 2/3’s of their shots on target.

Two names stick out from these tables and they are Tobias Lauritsen of Odd, and FK Haugesund’s Kristoffer Velde. Velde is experiencing a brilliant start to 2020, earning himself 27pts thus far, while Lauritsen – Odd’s replacement for recently-departed Borven – is a mere 8pts behind James despite having played only forty minutes more. They both scream potential and are being given the chance to make a name for themselves. While their contribution hasn’t gone unnoticed, they are not reaching the loftier heights of their peers even though they are clearly having similar, if not more opportunities to do so.

There’s less correlation in this area and it probably shouldn’t be too surprising. These are midfielders we’re focusing on and so they’re less likely to find themselves in the area, waiting to pounce on a striker’s dinner. Still, efficiency is king, and it’s clear that our elite don’t let too many chances go begging. Maigaard’s poor conversion rate is a cause for concern. Is he missing easy chances or simply taking too many shots? Does he not have the ability to see a better alternative, or has he been unfortunate in not being able to find the back of the net? He’s a player that goes down on my list of one’s to watch, though I’m far from convinced he’s worth the outlay right now.

(Shots/on target: Zinckernagel 22(14), Hauge 13(9), Pellegrino 15(10), Saltnes 12(8), Eikrem 12(8), Koomson 10(8), Hussain 9(5), Sandberg 12(5), Berg 6(3), Maigaard 16(7)).

4) Passing Accuracy

I’m running out of ways to say the words Philip and Zinckernagel. If you hadn’t worked it out, yes he is the best passer in the league. He’s not even in the top ten for most passes played but he doesn’t need to play 400 pointless passes – pretty much everyone one of them is incredibly important. When we look at accurate passes in the opposition half it’ll all become much clearer. Only Berg (674) Hussain (458) and Maigaard (404) make the top ten for overall passes (excluding defenders) in the league. All three are truly part of the passing elite as they all make the top ten most accurate passers list too.

Berg has played more passes than anyone else – defenders included – and a whopping 606 of his 674 attempted passes have been on target. That’s almost 90% success rate. Ridiculous. That will become a synonym for Bodo/Glimt come the end of the season I’m sure. Hussain has is fourth for both passes and completed passes, with an accuracy rating of 82.5% and Maigaard is some way off with just under 77% of his passes find their intended target.

Only Koomson, Sandberg (surprisingly) and Pellegrino have less than 81% passing accuracy from the remainder of our top ten and while Saltnes (339), Zinckernagel (222), Hauge (357) and Eikrem (296) might not be up there with the likes of Fredrik Aursnes, Martin Ellingsen or Saletros for passes played, it’s the kind of passes they play that is what really matters and how many of those important passes they send out. We’ll get to that in just a minute.

Saletros’ value speaks for itself. He’s 4.9m, owned by just over 10% of players and is one of his side’s most important players. Sarpsborg love to shoot and he’s more than happy to be feeding his colleagues with as many passes as they want. He offers great value for money as a midfielder who likes to get involved with build-up play both directly and indirectly. Another player that catches the eye in this regard is Johan Hove. He’s a mere 4pts behind teammate Maigaard and he’s played almost 100 minutes less. His passing 383(305) is not to be sniffed at and he’s scored 3 goals already this campaign. He’s just 5.6m and not in even 5% of teams. His passing capability is clearly showing him to be a player who hasn’t fluked his points – it’s just a matter of time before he registers his first assist to go with his overlooked three goals.

(Zinckernagel 180/222(81.1%), Hauge 296/357(82.9%), Pellegrino 73/105(69.5%), Saltnes 285/339(84.1%), Eikrem 240/296(81.1%), Koomson 157/208(75.5%), Hussain 378/458(82.5%), Sandberg 142/228(62.3%), Berg 606/674(89.9%), Maigaard 308/404(76.2%).

5) Accurate Opposition Half Passes/Final Third

Zinckernagel clearly is not one of the most indulgent passers in the game. Judging him solely on how many passes he makes, you’d be forgiven for wondering how on Earth he’s made so many assists. This is where we delve deeper into the statistics and find out. The guy is an animal. 179 of his 222 passes – or 80.6% – have been accurate passes made in the opposition half. 102 of those 222 passes have been accurate passes made in the final third. That’s almost 50% of his passes played in the final third, finding their target. That is absolutely outrageous. To put that into perspective, Zinckernagel’s wunderkind teammate Jens Hauge has accurately played 62.7% of his 357 passes in the opposition half. That’s almost 20% less accuracy. Staggering.

While Zinckernagel can’t claim most accurate passes in the opposition half or in the final third, no-one comes close to his accuracy. Whatever this guy does, he does it well. He simply doesn’t need 400 attempts at finding the right ball. He’ll do it in half that number. It may be not too surprising to see more of our ten in these lists as they are predominantly attack-minded midfielder/forward players. Berg tops the list for most accurate passes in the opposition half with 324 (almost 50% of his passes) closely followed by Aursnes (279) and Saletros (234). Hove (205) and Bohinen (177) complete the list. (Pellegrino, Koomson, Saltnes and Sandberg missing out).

At this point, I’d like to apologise for the expression of all this data. Tables were one way to go but I simply didn’t have the time. I’m hoping brackets with a short explanation are adequate but my apologies if it’s beginning to get a little bit confusing/muddled!

To fully appreciate how efficient Zinckernagel is, we can even look at how many accurate opposition half passes and final third passes he plays per 90 minutes. At 23.7 and 13.5 respectively, his numbers are less than Bohinen, Hove, Saletros. Which begs the question, how? The answer, however, is incredibly simple. The man is a genius. He provides less service but the quality of his service is quite literally twice as good as anyone else around. It really is that simple.

Hove’s numbers really are impressive. If he was playing for a better team, he’d have more Fantasy points and more direct goal involvements. I’m 100% sure of it. He’s playing almost 30 accurate passes in the opposition half every game as well as 17 in the final third. Only a handful of players beat him in both these categories – he’s got points in him. After looking into this information myself, I am starting to think whether or not I’m missing a very plain and simple, very obvious-looking trick by not having him in my team. I’m convinced it’s only a matter of time before he becomes my 5th midfielder.

We shouldn’t leave out Patrik Berg when we discuss these things. He might only have one goal but it should become very clear why he’s amassed such an array of bonus points this season. His passing is exceptional. Most passes, most accurate passes, most accurate passes in opposition half, second most accurate passes in final third. It’s almost mind-boggling how he is still yet to register a single assist. He’s 4.6m. RIDICULOUS. No wonder he’s in 30.2% of all teams. He could be a very cheap enabler to fill a Hauge-shaped void in the Bodo/Glimt team in just a matter of weeks if indeed the move is still on.

(Zinckernagel 179(102), Hauge 224(156), Pellegrino 58(35), Saltnes 155(96), Eikrem 177(110), Koomson 111(70), Hussain 188(93), Sandberg 127(89), Berg 324(138), Maigaard 227(134).

6) Key Chances/Big Chances Created

Can anyone confirm if Philip Zinckernagel’s middle name is Ridiculous or some variation on that? Because that’s exactly what he is. You can stick an ‘utterly’ in front of that if you want. With 30 key passes, he’s played 6 more than anyone else (Eikrem – 24) and not only that, but it means 13.5% of all of his passes have been understood to be classified as ‘key.’ Eikrem has an exceptional rate of playing key passes himself, but only racks up 8.1% conversion rate. These are both crazy numbers and show how the best of the best approach the game. Quality over quantity. Efficiency over running around like a headless chicken. Playing the best pass rather than the backwards one, or the sideward ones or, well, the wrong ones.

Per 90 minutes these two are in a league of their own. Zinckernagel provides 4 and Eikrem 4.2 every ‘game.’ Quite surprisingly, Maigaard is third for key passes made with 23, just one short of Magnificent Magnus. He clocks up almost 3 per 90 minutes for a total of 5.7% of his total passes. This is a stat I was totally unaware of coming into this research. That’s phenomenal. And I think this is another stat we can use to point towards Stromsgodset massively, massively underperforming. With Hove and Maigaard providing such incredible service, it’s worrying how they are not higher up the table with more goals scored and games won.

Budget midfield option Saletros is here once more. In amongst the big boys. 21 key passes played – 2.8 every 90 minutes. That’s as much creativity as a player over 3m more expensive than him. He’s certainly shaping up to be one of the best bench options available. At least, at this point it doesn’t seem like a fluke he’s so involved. Although he has just half of Pellegrino’s points, Kristiansund midfielder Liridon Kalludra seems to be massively overlooked this season. He’s played 20 key passes in not even 450 minutes and already has 4 attacking Fantasy returns. He looks a cheap way into a potentially high-scoring side at just 6.1m and owned by 4.4% of managers.

Sandefjord’s William Kurtovic has been surprisingly creative, playing a 2.4 key passes every 90 minutes to sit in 8th place for total key passes played ahead of both Jens Hauge and Kasper Junker. That’s no mean feat especially when you consider the difference in style of play and quality in both sides. He’s not returned since his opening day assist, but he can’t be accused of not putting in the legwork. I wouldn’t expect too much from him as Sandefjord are particularly goal-shy, but he could very well be one to watch for 5.0m.

Before we get on to big chances created I want to quickly talk about Amahl Pellegrino. I’m struggling to understand how this guy plays football. As we’ve seen from his figures – even taking his shortened playing time into consideration – he doesn’t do passing. To his credit, he has played 9 key passes (a huge 8.6% of his total passes) but the fact he’s played so few passes is cause for concern. He’s not the same type of player as Zinckernagel. While he has a mean right foot and is capable of scoring great goals, he’s much less involved in the game than his peers. I’m not sure whether this means he’s just brilliantly talented and will continue scoring, or whether this is nothing more than a purple patch and will fade away. He’s one of the most talented players in Norwegian football – but does he need to get a bit more involved with moving the ball around? Maybe, maybe not.

While Berg is a phenomenal and dangerous passer, he’s yet to get an assist and it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise after being told he’s played just 7 key passes – just 1% of his total passes – which means he’s averaged less than 1 a game. He’ll no doubt earn bonus points for moving the ball around more effectively and dangerously than most, but he seems to fall into our Bohinen-Modric Void, where he’s destined to assist the assister or not even that. This also seems to be the case for Etzaz Hussain. I am a big fan of his but with just 4 key passes in 582 minutes, he needs to be far more decisive if he’s to be considered a great ESN asset.

Finally we come to big chances created. We are nearly done – stay with me. Eikrem leads the way with 7 (1.2 a game – crazy), Maigaard in second with 5 (0.6 a game) and Zinckernagel, Hauge and Pellegrino make up the top 5, all with 4. Salvesen 4, Junker, Niklas Castro, Tokstad and the severely underrated Markus Kaasa complete our list, having all provided 3 big chances.

Eikrem is way out ahead in this category and it’s potentially one of the most important categories in the game. This is why he is priced so highly. As good as Zinckernagel has been (for me he’s the best player in the league to this point) Eikrem has almost double the number of big chances created and in 164 minutes less football let’s not forget. The guy is all about getting plates, throwing them in front of his teammates and putting the ball on it. It’s what he does. Is it enough to justify his price tag? Do big chances created mean as much as we think it does? Maigaard has just two less – an entirely credible figure. The difference is, he is part of a much weaker, less attacking, less efficient team. It’s not just about the individual. A good provider needs those ahead of them to finish what they start. Not every creative, hardworking, talented player has the luxury of being blessed with equally talented co-workers.

(Zinckernagel 30KP/4BCC, Hauge 14/4, Pellegrino 9/4, Saltnes 17/2, Eikrem 24/7, Koomson 6/1, Hussain 4/0, Sandberg 17/2, Berg 7/1, Maigaard 23/5).

Conclusion

Zinckernagel is having a laugh. Hauge is exceptional. Eikrem is a beautiful player. Saltnes is somewhat flying under the radar. Pellegrino is a goal-machine. Koomson will score you a few goals but don’t expect too many assists. Sandberg is massively underperforming. Berg loves to pass but will he forever remain in the Modric-Bohinen Void? Hussain has benefitted from being in such a good side – he’ll need to add more to his game going forward. And Maigaard… He should have more points. It’s surely a matter of time. Though, how many times have we said that about other players?

Players to watch: Hove, Velde, Lauritsen, Saletros, Kaasa, Kalludra and Fridjonsson. And Maigaard. If he can start turning his maybes into definites, he could become unstoppable.

 

ReindeerHotdog ESF: https://en.fantasy.eliteserien.no/entry/12433/event/17 Follow me on Twitter: @ReindeerHotdog

150 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    last 4 Kaptaincies has included Eikrem, Junker, Borven & Zinckernagel .... 10 points in total

    shuffle them around and it could have added 74 points 🙁

    Eliteserien is a cruel mistress 🙂

    1. ReindeerHotdog
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I've lost 73pts thus far due to captaincies.

      I would say the majority of those points were up for grabs, too. It wasn't like it would've required me to have picked an obscure player to captain - they were valid choices and ones I had considered.

      You can't account for those points. Sometime's we'll use poor logic/try to find reasons to support an agenda/bias we have, but most of the time it's "in-form, quality player vs poor team" and then we assume = good captaincy pick.

      One of my earlier articles focused on this. I think the most logical way to approach the (K) is to permanently captain one player you think will be one of the highest scoring players in the game, only budging when you think a far better game presents itself.

      Thing is, if we're talking about someone comparable to KDB,Salah etc... (Eikrem/Zinckernagel) - it doesn't really matter who they play against they have the potential to haul. Even if they don't, it's not poor logic to give them they armband.

      Trying to guess when these other players will hit is much harder and you give yourself a new variable each week.

      In a game such as Bodo vs Molde (this weekend) I'm not sure whether you'd want to captian someone from either team. Would you? Both the biggest passers in the league, highest scorers, best defences, both have average possession of 60%+ - it's hard to judge what will happen in that game.

      For me it has to be a captain in another game. But those lesser players could easily blank and then you're staring at a Zinckernagel/Eikrem shaped captaincy hole and have just lost another 10-15pts again.

      It's a great part of the game!

  2. Paul Psychic Octopus
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Unless I'm mistaken, we now have at least 4 penalty-taking defenders in starting elevens:

    Nakkim
    Henche-Olsen
    Hopmark
    Stolas.

    1. Eytexi
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Nakkim is backup to Brochmann. Hopmark is back up to Pellegrino (& I believe one other). Hanche-Olsen is backup to Bohinen. Pretty sure Sandberg will continue to take penalties despite losing corners & free-kicks.

      1. Paul Psychic Octopus
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        You're probably right. But they are still penalty takers!

        If you saw the coolness and technique with which Hopmark despatched his penalty against Molde, I would keep him on them. Superb technique. And Bohinen can hardly take a penalty if he's stuck on the bench.

        1. Eytexi
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Absolutely see the appeal, just pointing out that none of these become significantly more appealing just because they can score a penalty as they're unlikely to be taking them anyway. Definitely ones to look out for though, especially Hanche-Olsen if Bohinen remains on the bench. All options if injuries disrupt things.

    2. Ramboros
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Nakkim is likely 3rd choice behind Gauseth (Missed pen against Molde) and Brochmann.

      Bohinen is ahead of Hanche-Olsen on penalties.

      Hopmark might be KBK's best taker, but Kastrati is their regular taker. Pellegrino could also take them when he's on the pitch.

      Sandberg is 100% ahead of Stølås on penalties. Sandberg is a fantastic penalty taker. Stølås is not. I'm not sure why people even think

      1. Ramboros
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Let me end that sentence. I'm not sure why people even think Stølås is on penalties. He has taken one. In 2017, and he missed it.

  3. TallestJohn
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Sandberg→Pellegrino on the cards this week (no attacking returns since I got him, doubly annoying that I took Hussain out on WC after two 1pters) but wondering if there's a case to take Hauge out instead. Latest Eurosport article suggests the transfer is very much on but he'll stay "at least for the rest of the month" i.e. Molde (H), Stabæk (A) https://www.eurosport.no/fotball/eliteserien/2020/kan-bli-cercle-brugge-spiller-innen-kort-tid-blir-iallfall-i-bodo-ut-maneden_sto7811788/story.shtml

    Sandberg's fixtures okay in the mid-term, return of Wadji and Stølås could seriously improve their attack. Increasingly looks like Rich Uncle in GW12 with no Molde players which would mean I could easily get Hauge back for Godset (H) if he's still around.

    Fun fact: Hauge has the same agent as Odion Ighalo, Chidera Ejuke and 20+ other Eliteserien players.

    1. MTPockets
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Yeah Aneke Atta. Who's a business partner of Jim Solbakken, an agent for another 20+ Eliteserien players.
        Google him/them - a lot of shady stuff that includes Solskjaer.

      • ReindeerHotdog
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Cheers for this mate. Very helpful being given a few updates regarding transfers etc...

        Hauge is one of those players I just want to move on but you fear taking him out before he's left. Him and Zinckernagel are in a world of their own right now.

        Wadji is certainly someone to watch along with Stolas. Haugesund, unfortunately, are playing like a team that have no interested in scoring goals lately. That's far from convenient when thinking about bringing those two players in,

        I'd be looking to move Sandberg on. If funds are an issue the jump back across to Hussain is an easy, obvious one though if you're thinking about Pellegrino that's certainly a more explosive, higher-ceiling move.

        I'm kind of frustrated that I used my two captains chip as early as I did now. But I've seen some people use it in the last couple of weeks on players who got around 8-10 points each. You wouldn't turn your nose up at that. I think I got around the same points return but one of those captains blanked. Not too sure when RU will be a thing for me. It's a very intimidating chip as it's so powerful.

      • Team Cruel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I'm really struggling to see why Hauge is so desperate for the Cercle Brugge move. Better league, sure. More money, probably. But better team? No chance at all. Glimt would easily be top half in that league, most likely pushing for Europa. Cercle are barely treading water. He's going from a table topper averaging 4.5 goals per game to a relegation candidate scoring less than a goal per game.

        The guy is from Bodø so he's playing for his local team. It's not like he's a merchant with no attachment to the club. I lived a year in Bodø not that long ago and they're extremely passionate about their football (I wish we had half of that passion here in Oslo for Vålerenga but that's never going to happen with there being so many clubs in the Oslo region, and Oslo being a melting pot of people from all around the country). They speak fondly and proudly of all their supposedly great and exciting teams over the years... but they've never actually won the league. If this team won the league it would achieve instant legendary status.

        If Hauge leaves that's the end of Glimt's title challenge imo. Saw it last year too with Layouni leaving how they fell apart attacking wise. They won't stand a chance in the EL qualifiers either.

        From a sporting perspective it doesn't make sense. Help Glimt win the league and potentially reach the EL group stages and far better clubs than Circle Brugge will be interested and offer you more money. But I guess in these corona times it's extra tempting to jump on the first big offer you get because no one knows what the football landscape will look like in the next 6-18 months.

        1. El Puqi
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Oh its Cercle Brugge that’s interested... I thought it was Club Brugge.

          But you’re right. Makes absolutely no sence. Ofc, we have seen in before, Belgium is a great path for youngster to go on and achieve bigger moves. Him being a local lad and part of this almost ”legendary” Bodo side, It’s very hard to see why he wants a move now? It’s not like Cercle Brugge is going offer enormous amount of money...

    2. FPL Bielsa
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      What is the current view on forwards ?

      I've got Junker (going nowhere unless long term injured) and Borven. Borven is not really producing the points for his price and wondering if i should downgrade, James i think is too much also, anyone looking better value than these two ?

      My current midfield is Zinch / Saltnes / Koomson / Zach / Pelle so not really messing with that except to get Hauge back in for Saltnes probably with one of my free transfers this week.

      Thanks in advance for any views.

      1. Eytexi
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I agree with you 100% on Junker, but Børven has looked anonymous since joining RBK. He has to go imo, whether now or prior to GW12. I sold him for Leke James at FT in the most recent RBK game to avoid debating it all week as James is a must for me when in-form. Without Eikrem in your side, I'd definitely have James (I have both).

        In terms of value, it's highly unpredictable. Lauritsen stands out to me, but James & Junker are enough for me - not playing around with anyone else for now.

        1. ReindeerHotdog
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Going forward James will have to be in (especially as I have no intention of getting Eikrem).

          If Borven could find some form then he's a must-have due to being cheaper. But it's not even up for debate that Molde are far better than Rosenborg at attacking football. Far more goals and points on the horizon for James than Borven.

          What a waste of a great player. Tragic.

      2. FPL Bielsa
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Thanks for the comments might have to consider James.

        Do you think i'm going to suffer having Saltnes over Hauge for a week or two ?

        1. El Puqi
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Probably yes but you would have to transfer out Hauge after two weeks so I don’t think it’s worth it. Well maybe if your team is good elsewhere.

          1. Eytexi
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 8 months ago

            Is it confirmed that Hauge is leaving on August 1st then? I hadn't seen this.

            1. El Puqi
              • 4 Years
              3 years, 8 months ago

              Not confirmed I think but it looks very likely, sadly.

      3. TallestJohn
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Børven is annoying now but not my priority to sell, plus I like his heading ability in a team with Helland and Hedenstad. James would probably still be in my team if he didn't get sent off on the opening day. Didn't he get a hat-trick as a sub in a game last season?

        If Junker is out for a while Boniface could be a must own but totally dependent on that injury news, also if Hauge goes it could be one sale too many.

        Took a while for him to score but I like owning Salvesen, you know if he gets the ball in space he'll have a go, gave Mjøndalen huge problems and came very close against RBK and Molde. It was hugely scary not owning Bamba against Start but got away with it.

        Feels like make or break for Lauritsen already with a great fixture next and Rashani back in the team but at least he's cheap. Would rather have Shuaibu for the fixtures tbh.

        Not considering him until he breaks his duck but Kastrati has a long run of good fixtures with KBK.

    3. ReindeerHotdog
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Junker didn't train today.
      To echo the above conversation, I find it hard to ship him unless long-term injured which means I have to decide whether to ship Borven (Haugesund away) for James (Bodo away - not sure that's the move I'd make) or someone else. Or do I keep Borven for a game Rosenborg should he winning? Bear in mind Rosenborg only managed FIVE shots against Sandefjord at home last weekend...

      https://twitter.com/Jotjar/status/1285926350570782721?s=19

      1. Sebinhooooo
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I hope this isn’t another Gregersen saga, where it looks like he’s going to be back ever GW and then missed out

      2. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I will be holding Borven for FKH & VIK before a reshuffle that sees Bringaker come in for GW12 to finance Eikrem ... maybe 🙂

        Molde seem to have many mids and forwards that can rotate but a bunch of injured defenders and it’s tricky to identify nailed on starters for both dgw games, outside of a few obvious players. Annoyingly I can not bring myself to get James at that price if Ohi is going to take minutes off him and I am not going to captain him.

        1. FPL Bielsa
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Yes I've come to the same conclusion, I'll give Borven 2 more games to prove himself.

          1. ReindeerHotdog
            • 3 Years
            3 years, 8 months ago

            The issue is I don't think it's got anything to do with him proving himself, it's the team around him proving themselves.

            He's not operating in the same way as at Odd and doesn't have the same level of service.

            In some ways it's been a step down moving to Rosenborg. Zachariassen has flattered Rosenborg's recent scorelines. If it weren't for him it would be a very, very different story.

            My main concerns about moving him on are a) Rosenborg IMMEDIATELY start playing well (this is something irrational thinking and not much statistical data to back this up), b) he turns into the one-man army that Rosenborg need and pulls incredible performances out of nowhere and c) Rosenborg don't necessarily start playing brilliantly, but they actually start utilising Borven well enough to get some end product out of him - something they're yet to do.

            A huge concern is whether or not Islamovic will start alongside him or not. And then Borven pushed out wide again? Maybe if Borven fails to score (and Dino has looked good in training) he gets benched and Islamovic starts ahead of him? Perhaps quite unlikely but teams are not always determined by form and the data we have - training plays a big part of team selection who knows what happens behind closed doors.

            Right now there's a lot of uncertainty around Borven and he's a premium player. I don't like that at all. I'm actually quite tempted to ship him for Wadji this week but I think it might be a bit too soon for him. Still, that would be a nice twist if FKH beat RBK with Wadji coming back from his time out with a bang and Borven blanking once more.

      3. ReindeerHotdog
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        My top priority for the DGW is Linde. 100%.

        As you say rotation may be a factor, but Linde looks safe for both starts and you'd be desperately unlucky not to get a clean sheet out of those games.

        I've been looking at what kind of team I can get going forward if I have him and I'm potentially happy to keep him long-term.

        Borven is a hard one to ship before those games but Rosenborg are producing so little it is quite worrying.

        Not sure I'll move him on this week as I need to ship Hedenstad but for who... that's what I'll primarily be focusing on this week. So if you've got any issues with defenders, I'll hopefully have something up regarding that before the next GW.

        Defenders are the bane of ESN. Far more tricky to know who to bring in than in FPL!

    4. ReindeerHotdog
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Some info on Kallman and Wadji here.
      Sounds to me like Wadji is going to be the main man but question marks over his fitness to play much in the upcoming games.

      I'm definitely looking to bring him in (could be a shrewd replacement for Borven) but I think it's too soon for him right now.
      Wouldn't be surprised to see Amitzboll start with Wadji coming on later in the game.

      https://twitter.com/EurosportNorge/status/1286330447769763840?s=19

      1. El Puqi
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Wadji certainly an interesting option.

        Personally, I dont care who is up top, I just want someone to finish from a beautiful Lord Stølas cross! 😉

    5. The FPL Units
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I am going to play my WC this week. 4 weeks of very ordinary results despite taking hits to try and fix my team means I have had enuff. There is a dbl GW 12.....anything else to be mindful of?

      1. The FPL Units
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Here is my WC draft after reading the comments here.......any suggestions most welcome!

        Makani
        Stolas – Nasberg – Daland
        Zinckernagel – Eikram – Berg – Pellegrino – Hussain
        Junker – Wadji

        (Nilsen) (Shuaibu – Foss – Heggheim)
        1.0itb

        1. Hotdogs for Tea
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          With the double in mind is it Eikrem or James really ? both are so expensive without Rich Uncle

          Makani, Eikrem, Berg
          or
          Linde,, Koomson, Saltnes (Zach, Hauge ... any choice really)?

          Bringaker, Heggheim ...

          1. The FPL Units
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 8 months ago

            Thanks for the ideas. Have put in the suggestions......sure does enable spreading of the cash.

            Linde
            Stolas – Nasberg – Daland
            Zinckernagel – Koomson – Huage – Pellegrino – Hussain
            Junker – Wadji
            (Nilsen) (Brinaker – Foss – Heggheim)
            1.7itb

            I could upgrade def but they are scoring inconsistently compared to mids or fwd and not providing value. Upgrade mids? But who and to who?

            Actually quite like this team.

            What do you think?

            1. Hotdogs for Tea
              • 8 Years
              3 years, 8 months ago

              Looks great, and a few free transfers before GW 12 so thoughts on double captain ? Do you need an easy route James? he will be heavily captained in 12

              Double captain chip in 12 to be used ?
              Linde & Hussain ?
              James & Hussain ?

              1. The FPL Units
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 8 months ago

                Yeah I'll need to work out a 2FT move for James I reckon - maybe upgrade Junker for the DGW.

            2. El Puqi
              • 4 Years
              3 years, 8 months ago

              Really decent team.

              Having Stølas and Wadji is very risky but could be huge. Kinda like it.

              Your defence is something I don’t like tho. Näsberg is not the one imo. Has been good, but Borch is a better option from Valerenga. Altough I wouldn’t go there. I’d look at KBK options, Aasbak & Sormo. Both fantastic value, KBK solid defensively at home, great fixture especially at home, a lot of attacking threat. Also, Betten Hansen from Mjondalen is a better 4.0 option than Foss. Attacking and plays in a better team.

              For double, I think you need at least one of James & Eikrem. Ofc, it could go well going without them but could also go horribly wrong.

              And Bringaker just for the double is not for me. Hasn’t looked great in the last few weeks. Did Samatta & McBurnie do great in the double in FPL? No. So wouldn’t go there. He also plays as a winger, not even striker.

              Good luck! 😉

              1. Hotdogs for Tea
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 8 months ago

                in a 352 third forward is a tricky spot, but 352 looks where the strength and value is, but you still need a nailed forward on your bench imho ... Bringaker, Lauritsen & Shuaibu seem to be the best choices and will get the odd goal probably

                I have been on Lund
                Borchgrevink, Bjørnbak, Hanche-Olsen ... but I can see Lund & Bjørnbak becoming Linde & one of Daland/ Heggheim/ D. Ulvestad as my starting third defender

                1. The FPL Units
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 14 Years
                  3 years, 8 months ago

                  Agree with what you saying about the third fwd in a 3-5-2. I had Hustad pre WC and was not good at all as lucky to get on the pitch but cheap. Also had D. Ulvestad as a playing def and was pretty underwhelming and I'd go a 4.0 rather.

              2. The FPL Units
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 8 months ago

                Thanks for the feedback.

                I have decided to take a risk to get up the rankings as hovering bwt 7k to 11k. Also get away from point chasing transfers that have not been working out.

                Betten Hansen is 0.1 cheaper than Foss so I'll take that! Are you saying KBK def for the third, rather than Daland?

                I just wanted a playing fwd on the bench and Bringaker is relatively cheap and hopefully scores when I need him to.

                Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

                1. El Puqi
                  • 4 Years
                  3 years, 8 months ago

                  No problem!

                  KBK defender over Näsberg imo.

                  Yeah playing striker is good but don’t see the value there really... But if you want to go there then Lauritsen over Bringaker.

                  And have a plan to get James/Eikrem for the double.

                  Those are my thoughts. 🙂

            3. Eytexi
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 8 months ago

              I personally wouldn't punt on Wadji just yet given how little we know about his fitness and, after a year out of football, ability.

              The defence seems completely unbalanced - in my opinion, Stølas isn't worth that. I much prefer a back line of: Desler, Borchgrevink, Aasbak/Sørmo, Daland & Foss (or something similar, a quick example). If Stølas returns to his former self, however, he could be worth the sacrifice.

              The lack of Eikrem & James is my only other concern. Downgrading Bringaker to Hustad could provide some more money - haven't seen enough to be convinced by Bringaker or even that spending on an 8th attacker is worth it when there's so many top premium options. As RH has said before though, there are many ways to play this.

              Here's my planned GW12 team as I feel it can express my opinions itself:

              Deumeland;
              MOL, Daland, Sørmo;
              Zinck, Hauge, Pelle, Eikrem, Edvardsen;
              Junker, James.

              Good luck mate!

              1. The FPL Units
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 8 months ago

                OK I have another draft and have squeezed James in. Have taken a risk with cheap Def with a couple of big hitters.

                Linde
                Stolas – Betten Hansen – Daland
                Zinckernagel – Koomson – J Hauge – Pellegrino – Hussain
                Junker – James
                (Nilsen) (Hustad – Foss – Heggheim)

                0.3itb

                Think I will lock this one in.

                Thoughts?

                1. ReindeerHotdog
                  • 3 Years
                  3 years, 8 months ago

                  The midfield is pretty standard and up front you're covered quite well if you're happy for Hustad to be pretty much a write-off. He'll get a few minutes here and there but any points he might earn you should 100% be seen as a bonus.

                  I think it's just far too early to have Stolas in your team. He's hardly played and even though he provided 6 key passes in his last game, it's early days regarding him returning to full fitness. Haugesund are very inconsistent, too. There's much better options who are currently performing at a higher level for much cheaper.

                  Playing with three 4m defenders seems unnecessarily risky to me. Yes, they are all playing defenders but there's no guarantee that will continue to be the case and they don't really offer too much more than a few points here and there.

                  If you're happy leaving Hustad in, I'd say look to compromise somehow by replacing Stolas with someone a bit cheaper so you can upgrade one of your 4m defenders. Other than that it's looking quite nice. If you've stacked yourself with 3 Molde players due to the DGW, I'd personally have another keeper for the Glimt game and look at bringing Linde in after. (I'll make sure he's in my team for the double, 100%).

                  Stolas might pay off beautifully. Don't be put off because I'm hesitant. I just feel like it's an unnecessary risk to take at this point, that's all. Betten Hansen is a better choice than you probably think, but you've certainly got a very weak defence for very little reason.

                  I have a similar team (Zachariassen for Pellegrino, Borven/Lauritsen up front alongside Junker). I don't have Linde (but can afford him) and my defence is Sormo, Hopmark, Hanche-Olsen, Borchgrevink and Daland. I'm not sure you've got more points in your team than I have, just because you have James and Pellegrino.

                  1. The FPL Units
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 14 Years
                    3 years, 8 months ago

                    Thanks for the insights. I have been tinkering all day have landed on keeping Stolas and go with a MOL def instead of Linde. Also sticking with Hustad and a wafer thin bench.

                    Backline: Mbaye - Stolas – Kitolano – Daland (3.9 - Betten Hansen – Heggheim)

                2. Eytexi
                  • 5 Years
                  3 years, 8 months ago

                  Definitely an improvement. I'd be looking to swap Stølas & Heggheim (possibly along with Foss) for a couple 4.5-6.0m defenders, but evidently you back Stølas to return so fair play on the risk.

                  1. The FPL Units
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 14 Years
                    3 years, 8 months ago

                    Thanks all. I will finalise my tinkering (go risky or the "norm") and post the team I went with! You have all be of great help and really good discussion.

                3. Hotdogs for Tea
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 8 months ago

                  with the exception of Stølås that will be close to my GW12 team ... may have different defenders and bench

                  1. The FPL Units
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 14 Years
                    3 years, 8 months ago

                    There are so many good mids to choose from.

                    Would you prefer Pellegrino or Zachariassen? or Both? Koomson would make way for both.

                    1. Hotdogs for Tea
                      • 8 Years
                      3 years, 8 months ago

                      Koomson is a nice price point to go with Pellegrino, both seem more consistent than Zachariassen

                      1. The FPL Units
                        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                        • 14 Years
                        3 years, 8 months ago

                        Thanks have stuck with Pelle.

      1. El Puqi
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Hmm...

      2. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        if he can’t shoot ?

        1. Eytexi
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          All looking good, Sørmo first sub so more than happy to hold even if Junker misses one more GW.

        2. The FPL Units
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Looks to be very positive.

    6. The FPL Units
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      With MOL vs BG what is the thinking around Kaptains? Stick with Zinckernagel/Junker/James or look elsewhere?

      1. Team Cruel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I have Lauritsen who has the best fixture this week. I love differential captains so slightly tempted... but it's a no from me. First game of the week, if I captain and he blanks that’s the rest of the weekend ruined. If I don’t captain and he hauls that’s a solid green arrow anyway.

        Zink or Hauge for me. Best attack in the league. Molde don’t have a settled defence, for the past few weeks they haven’t even been using defenders in defence.

        1. Team Cruel
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Junker is a no go imo. I captained him for his second hat-trick and if he was fully fit I'd give him the armband easily. But is he 100 %? Will probably start but will he last more than 60 mins? Too many question marks atm

      2. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Borven ?

      3. El Puqi
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Going with Hauge. Most consistant and a nice differential!

      4. ReindeerHotdog
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Lauritsen for me. If there was ever a good time to captain him its AAFK at home.

        1. Hotdogs for Tea
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Lauritsen first on my bench

      5. Eytexi
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        James for me - B/G's defence isn't up to the standard of their attack. If Molde step up their game here, I back them to put 3 or 4 past Glimt.

      6. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        just to note, Junker & Zinck have 50+ % ownership ... if they both haul and you haven't captained one of them 🙁

        sometimes it is best not to overthink things 😉

      7. Sebinhooooo
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Pelle for me

    7. The FPL Units
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      With all the help I got for my WC Team this week I promised to post it.......

      Mbaye
      Stolas – Kitolano – Daland
      Zinckernagel – Koomson – J Hauge – Pellegrino – Hussain
      Junker – James
      (Haug) (Betten Hansen – Heggheim - Hustad)

      Wasn't sure on the keeper but thought KBK keeper would be ok - budget constraints and all.

      It's 10pm here so this is locked and loaded.

      Thanks again and GL!

    8. Eytexi
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      1FT: Børven to James. OR: 375.

      I am sure Børven will score goals eventually, but his lack of presence in a weak RBK attack leaves me with no doubt that he needs to go. Regardless of the outcome of this move, I would do it again.

      Deumeland, (Haug); 
      Nakkim, Foss, Solheim, (Sørmo, Daland); 
      Zinck, Hauge, Pelle, Eikrem, Edvardsen; 
      Junker, James (K), (Hustad).

      B/G vs. Molde has the potential to be a high-scoring thriller, in my eyes. Glimt have been fantastic, but have a fairly poor 'goals conceded' record relative to their league position, often conceding chances on the counter and to opposition strikers. I back an in-form Leke James to convert when supplied. Pellegrino (V): an equally good option, I reckon.

    9. Hotdogs for Tea
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      As with these types of games, B/G vs. Molde has 0-0 written all over it 😉

      1. Eytexi
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I can't see it disappointing but it's anyone's guess. My prediction would be: 2-4 (or 1-3).

      2. Team Cruel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        These two attacks are just too good compared to the two defences they're up against

        4-2 home win

        1. Hotdogs for Tea
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          It could be argued that BG & Molde goals have come against very poor defences and they are now each up against two of the strongest defences in the league 😉

          1. Team Cruel
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 8 months ago

            Alternatively these two defences appear better than they actually are because they haven't faced each other yet and they can't face themselves. Meanwhile most other teams have suffered spankings at the hand of either one or both of these teams 😉

          2. Eytexi
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 8 months ago

            The B/G defence is definitely not one of the best in the league.

    10. New Eliteserien Article