Scout Notes

What Salah blank against Sheff Utd means after Mané’s latest FPL score

Liverpool 2-1 Sheff Utd

  • Goals: Roberto Firmino (£9.3m), Diogo Jota (£6.3m) | Sander Berge (£5.0m)
  • Assists: Sadio Mané x2 (£12.0m) | Oli McBurnie (£5.7m)
  • Bonus points: Firmino x3, D Jota x2, Berge x1

Point of Mo Return

Fantasy Premier League managers who captained Mohamed Salah (£12.4m) for Gameweek 6 can certainly feel rather hard done by given the way Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Sheffield United played out.

The heavily-backed Egyptian was not particularly involved in proceedings initially, after the Blades won a controversial 13th-minute penalty. And a move away from the traditional 4-3-3 formation seemed to hinder Salah finding any kind of rhythm.

He was officially deployed as the centre-forward in a 4-2-3-1 with Diogo Jota (£6.3m) operating in his usual right attacking midfield berth, although this development seemed to cause the former Wolves man and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.4m) to get in each other’s way and damage supply to Salah.

But even after the Reds turned things around in the second half, it appeared the FPL gods were truly against the Egyptian.

Alexander-Arnold found Salah with a trademark 62nd-minute through-ball from deep, allowing him to nip in behind the Sheffield United defence and poke beyond Aaron Ramsdale (£4.9m). However, the goal was chalked off by VAR for a very marginal, albeit correct, offside call.

Then, in the 81st minute, Salah peeled an agile turn off the back of John Egan (£4.9m) to get behind the Blades’ defence and go one-on-one with Ramsdale. This time he shimmied inside the six-yard box and flicked his deft shot… onto the post.

Backed by over 40% of the Fantasy Football Scout captain poll for this weekend, Salah’s second blank of the season could be a Gameweek-defining event considering that Harry Kane (£10.8m) proved the most popular skipper in the top 10k.

While it is unlikely to offer too much comfort in the event that Spurs’ key attackers explode on Monday night, the fact that Salah was so unfortunate not to return is surely enough to keep him in the captaincy conversation for Gameweek 7 when West Ham come to Anfield.

Mané of the Moment?

Salah’s blank was made all the more conspicuous by an eight-point haul for Sadio Mané (£12.0m) who has proved a more reliable asset since returning from his coronavirus-related absence in Gameweek 4.

In the last two matches, Salah has registered a total of nine points, while his left-sided colleague has totted up a total of 14.

On the Virg

Against Sheffield United, Fantasy managers got their first look at Liverpool without Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m) in the Premier League.

After keeping out Ajax in the Champions League midweek, the Reds were a little more vulnerable on Saturday evening.

Liverpool were actually boosted by the unexpected return of Alisson (£5.9m) behind a centre-back pairing of Fabinho (£5.5m) and Joe Gomez (£5.4m), although they were still unable to keep a first home clean sheet of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign.

For all the Blades’ struggles in front of goal this season, they still asked questions of Liverpool’s defence on Saturday night.

Oli McBurnie (£5.7m) ghosted in behind Alexander-Arnold in the 20th minute, allowed enough time to fire a left-footed shot across Alisson’s goal.

Then in the 23rd minute, George Baldock (£5.4m) pressed into space left by Andrew Robertson (£7.1m) to loop a cross to the back post where Ben Osborn (£4.9m) fired a powerful volley at the Reds’ goalkeeper.

The right wing-back then had a fierce effort from the edge of the box deflected wide for a corner after John Lundstram‘s (£5.3m) initial ball was cleared.

That said, owners of Alexander-Arnold and Robertson can arguably feel as hard-done-by as those who captained Salah regarding Liverpool’s clean sheet.

None of the aforementioned chances created by Sheffield United found their way into Alisson’s net, the Blades scoring from a controversial penalty, with replays heavily suggesting that Fabinho won the ball when tackling McBurnie, as well as the incident taking place outside the penalty box…

So, is it worth holding onto the Liverpool defensive double-up? It certainly gets more difficult each week, but, forgetting what they have shown in the first five Gameweeks, the clean sheet wipeout feels more about bad luck on this occasion. Sander Berge‘s (£5.0m) spot-kick was the first one Liverpool had faced at Anfield in the Premier League for 37 such matches there.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Robertson, Gomez, Fabinho, Alexander-Arnold; J Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mané, Firmino (Minamino 83′), D Jota (Milner 83′); Salah.

Sheffield United XI: Ramsdale; Ampadu, Egan, Basham; Stevens, Osborn, Berge, Lundstram (McGoldrick 76′), Baldock; Brewster (Burke 54′), McBurnie.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM FPL GAMEWEEK 6

610 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Gregor
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    SOUTHAMPTON TEAM NEWS

    Team to play Everton: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Bertrand, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Redmond, Adams, Ings.

    Subs: Forster, Stephens, Long, Tella, Diallo, Vokins, N'Lundulu.

    EVERTON TEAM NEWS

    Team to play Southampton: Pickford, Digne, Godfrey, Mina, Keane, Allan, Doucoure, Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Rodriguez, Calvert-Lewin.

    Subs: Olsen, Delph, Nkounkou, Bernard, Gomes, Godfrey, Davies.

    1. Simon69
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Yesssss

    2. thegaffer82
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Woo-hoo. J-Rod makes it!

    3. Zilla
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Nice, time for returns now hopefully..

    4. John Nerdelbaum
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Two Godfrey's?

      1. Gregor
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Ooops, that should be Gordon.

        1. John Nerdelbaum
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Gordon's alive!

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

      Who is playing RB for Everton?

      1. Gregor
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Probably Godfrey.

    6. Clintymints
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      it's jroddddd

  2. Forza Papac
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Yes Hamezzzzz

  3. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    He plays boys

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

      Operation Yewtree notified....

      1. Chucky
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        😛

  4. Pukki Blinders
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Iwobi starts!! Oh and James

  5. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    HAMEZZ

  6. Puntillimon
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Here’s hoping for a KWP masterclass

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Don't get your hopes up

  7. Baines on Toast...
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Siggy on pens

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

      Maybe!

  8. tc93
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    1FT for next week- which is the best option?:
    A) Ings + Bissouma —> Brewster + JRod (and switch to 3-5-2, brewster goes on the bench) (-4)
    B) TAA + KWP —> Chillwell + Digne (-4)
    C) Save

    Martinez
    TAA / taylor / Lamptey
    Salah / Son / Zaha / Grealish
    Kane / DCL / Ings

    Button, KWP, Michell, Bissouma

    1. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      c

      1. tc93
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Reasons? why not JRod?

  9. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Hames to double my total

  10. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    JAMESSS

  11. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    YES!!! Rod starts!

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

    Jose ancelottinho

  13. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Son 2.0 coming up

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Fingers crossed

  14. Boomerang V
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Wow Hamez and Siggy start! 🙂

    Gomez benched

  15. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Ings brace incoming.

    1. Hotdogs for Tea
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      maybe, but Everton do have a good attacking team this year, really enjoying their play

  16. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    This is inexcusable. How can they say JRod is out and then he starts?!?!

    First I miss sons haul and now JRod. Hope saints batter them 10-0

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Saints more likely to be battered 10-0 than anything mate

    2. Hotdogs for Tea
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      surely you didn’t sell him ?

      1. TomSaints
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        No but benched

        1. Hotdogs for Tea
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          wow, surely you had to start him after the pressers when we knew he would be involved ... tough fella, you have my sympathy though

          1. TomSaints
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            I have one ‘good’ bench option and assumed PVA start was safer choice than J Rod cameo.

            Of course PVA benched so total cluster **** haha

    3. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Don't believe managers. They lie

    4. Third Eye Vision
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      He never said he was out. He hinted he might be.

      If you checked on here at the time, most people got on to it and the talk was to keep him.

      1. Third Eye Vision
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        And if you didn’t know to start good players who are only a doubt rather than benching them then that’s a lesson learned.

        Take note rather than spitting your dummy out.

        1. TomSaints
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          I have no issue with him having a cameo and if he returns then fair enough.

          Starting is a bitter pill, especially after having a solid bench so I can cope with injured players.

          Not helped by gambling on PVA....

          Bitter all round!

    5. Rasping Drive
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      There was always a chance he would start, esp after Ancelotti’s comments on Friday. Lamptey has a decent chance if outscoring him, so you might be ok anyway

  17. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Hamez about to pull a Son!!!

  18. Mile Plankton
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Carlo the Troll

  19. MagicMessi
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Siggurdson nice differential

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Said no one ever

      1. Third Eye Vision
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        He was always a great cheap pick in the Swansea days.

    2. MagicMessi
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      If he plays on the left wing hell score for sure

  20. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    No Everton players for me. Wathing this game behind couch

  21. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    No manager is trustworthy besides Bielsa

    1. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Even he took off that 4.0 guy 20 minutes in

      1. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        There goes that theory then

      2. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        That was to sto him potentially getting a red card, though. He'd already been booked and Bielsa could see he was already walking a tightrope midway through the first half.

        1. Flair
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          It was a sensible decision that worked out, still fraudulent for the poor Strujik owners

  22. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Hey all - was on a bit of a mad one last night so didn't get to see / follow either of the last 2 games...

    How were Havertz Salah and Robbo on the eye test and all that? Unlucky not to get any returns? Saw Salah(c) had a goal disallowed, that hurt

    1. Hotdogs for Tea
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Chelsea & Utd cancelled each other out so hard to say really about Havertz

    2. Niho992
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      I sold Havertz for Son for this GW. Glad i didnt regret yet.

      He was poor vs United tbf but he played on the wing

    3. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      All were good or their usual selves

      Salah had that disallowed goal and hit the post too

      Robbo got into striker positions and the byline with his runs, as usual. Pool looked shaky in defence, as usual

  23. Boomerang V
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I am 6 points from 4 including Salah(C)
    Falling from 246k to 492k.

    C'mon Digne/Hamez/Dcl! help me out here

    1. thegaffer82
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Stop gloating will you.

      Some of us have ranks in the MILLIONS

      😉

  24. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Happy that Brewster 1 pt stays on the bench

  25. thegaffer82
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Everton teams news:

    *********J-Rod***************

    ....and 10 other guys

    🙂

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      DCL is more important

      1. Long ago I drew a walrus
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Not really, everyone has him and he was never going to not start

  26. Do I Not Like Orange
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I mean, to be fair he did say he might well play long before the deadline. Kind of wish he hadn't, then I might not have benched Foden points.

    1. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Rodriguez can easily outscore him

  27. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Ancelloti & Rodiquez in cazoots.

  28. Nomar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Need Ings and DCL goal fests in this one please.

    1. Chucky
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      this.hatties for both

      1. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Deal

  29. Salalalalah
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    How is this WC team? Going big in midfield and front, no clean sheets for defenders so investing up front

    Martinez ____
    Chilwell Creswell Lamptey Ayling Mitchell
    Salah Son James Grealish Zaha
    Kane (c) DCL Bamford

    3-5-2 or 3-4-3 most weeks

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Template, hate Grealish

      1. Salalalalah
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Top 8 are on top of points tally for a reason though

    2. The Reptile
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Benching headache with that midfield

      1. Salalalalah
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        yes, fixture/form can determine front 7 but don't see value in back till now this year

  30. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Anyone else having 5 players in the first game? need 30+ points from them after salah cap fail.... 😀

    1. Salalalalah
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      4 here, and need 25+ after Sterling(c) fail, and rival enjoyed Bamford haul