Scout Notes

Fernandes climbs above Salah in FPL points table as Cavani edges closer to start

Southampton 2-3 Manchester United

  • Goals: Jan Bednarek (£4.5m), James Ward-Prowse (£6.0m) | Bruno Fernandes (£10.8m), Edinson Cavani (£8.0m) x2
  • Assists: Ward-Prowse, Moussa Djenepo (£5.4m) | Cavani, Fernandes, Marcus Rashford (£9.5m)
  • Bonus: Cavani x3, Ward-Prowse x2, Bednarek x1

A stunning second-half comeback won Manchester United the points at Southampton as Edinson Cavani (£8.0m) announced himself as a Fantasy prospect in spectacular style.

The Uruguayan veteran scored two goals and set up another after replacing the ineffectual Mason Greenwood (£7.1m) at half-time.

Other than that, it was Fantasy Premier League (FPL) business as usual at St Mary’s, with more set-piece joy for Saints midfielder James Ward-Prowse (£6.0m) and yet another away day haul from Bruno Fernandes (£10.8m).

Saints Alive – For Half A Game

Southampton led 2-0 at the interval as Ward-Prowse continued his blistering recent form with a fourth goal and second assist since Gameweek 6.

Two bonus points meant it was also a third double-digit score in those five starts and the England international is currently in the top ten FPL midfielders – and the cheapest to make that list.

His goal against United, from a free-kick, shortened David de Gea‘s (£5.4m) involvement in the match as the keeper collided with the post in trying to keep out Ward-Prowse’s pin-point effort.

Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wasn’t overly concerned about the Spaniard post-match, probably helped by the fact that Dean Henderson (£5.3m) is an excellent understudy:

A knock just above the knee, so hopefully he’ll be okay for Wednesday, but we don’t know. Let’s have a little scan or check tomorrow, but Dean came on and looked very assured.

The other keeper in action at St Mary’s, Alex McCarthy (£4.6m), was even more assured, producing fine saves to deny Greenwood, Fernandes and Marcus Rashford (£9.5m).

His 20.5% ownership did not enjoy a fourth straight home clean sheet, however, as United turned things round after the break.

Change Is Good

Solskjaer often gives the impression that he’s a conservative manager, but he made some big calls both before and during Sunday’s game.

He handed starts to Greenwood and Donny van de Beek (£6.7m) and the latter again impressed in the balanced role that caught the eye in the Champions League last week.

That role – a mix of defensive shield and midfield conduit – allows Fernandes further attacking freedom, which does dampen the Dutchman’s Fantasy appeal.

The same cannot be said of Cavani. 

Two goals and an assist from 45 stellar minutes positively oozes FPL potential as Solskjaer’s decision to bring the striker on at half-time changed the game.

Small surprise, then, that the United manager was glowing in his praise for the striker:

On the training pitch, in the dressing room and during meal times, how meticulous he is. He is one of the best because of his experience and qualities, that movement. He is one of the best movers you can see. He can peel off the shoulder, he can get in front of you, he can pin you. He wants to be in between the two posts, which I love.

A Foil For Fernandes?

Despite all that love, Solskjaer preferred to start Greenwood ahead of Cavani because the youngster ‘needed the minutes’. And there is also the matter of Anthony Martial (£8.7m), who missed the match through illness.

But United’s almost unhealthy reliance on Fernandes – he’s been involved in 11 of the team’s 16 league goals this season – underlines just how important Cavani could become.

In just 127 minutes of action, he now has more goals (three) than Rashford (two) and Martial (zero) have managed from 1,175 minutes of collective toil up front.

This season’s crazy schedule will demand rotation – particularly around Christmas – but Cavani is beginning to look like a starter, not an impact sub.

If he can take some of the strain off Fernandes, who made it three straight double-digit returns and a fourth consecutive haul on the road, both could flourish.

Whether the pair can combine so well at Old Trafford against far deeper-lying teams than Southampton will be the key, however.

Fixtures Over Form

One thing in the pair’s favour could be United’s short-term schedule.

They’re back on their beloved road, at West Ham, in Gameweek 11 and will also travel to Sheffield United before Christmas.

And their wretched home form – just one win from five attempts – might actually be helped by the arrival of Manchester City and Leeds over the next four Gameweeks as neither side is likely to sit back and frustrate Solskjaer’s side.

Ings Can Maybe Get Better

Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl spoke ahead of Gameweek 10 about Danny Ings (£8.3m) maybe being available for the Brighton trip and that could prove to be a nice tonic for his troops:

We had gone seven games unbeaten before now, it’s a good run. And now we’ll need to start another run.

Southampton’s schedule offers little prospect of that, with decent fixtures – Brighton and Sheffield United next and a trip to Fulham – offset by tough home matches with Man City and Liverpool.

Ings would certainly boost the side’s attacking threat, while their defenders are relatively cheap and two, Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.6m and 12.1%) and Jannik Vestergaard (£4.7m and 10.1%), are well-owned.

But their backline is a curious beast this season. 

The four clean sheets they’ve kept the second-best record in the league and yet they’ve conceded at least three goals in four separate matches.


Southampton XI (4-4-2): McCarthy; Walker-Peters (N’Lundulu 90+4), Vestergaard, Bednarek, Bertrand; Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong (Diallo 90), Djenepo (Long 72); Walcott, Adams. 

Manchester United XI (4-3-1-2): De Gea (Henderson 45); Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles (Williams 84); Fred, McTominay, van de Beek; Fernandes; Rashford, Greenwood (Cavani 45).

Lessons Learned from FPL Gameweek 10

1,038 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Chelsea91
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Mendy
    Robbo,Walker(vc)Chilwell
    Ziyech,Zaha,Salah,Grealish
    Dcl,Kane(c)Wilson

    Button romeu dallas douglas

    0 itb and 0 ft

    Good to go for gw11?

  2. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Best move here? 3.8m ITB

    A Son -> KDB
    B Robbo/Podence -> KWP/KDB
    C Ignore City and pray

    B means benching headache and prob no Salah for Fulham.

    Martinez
    Chilwell Zouma Robbo
    Bruno Son Grealish Jota
    DCL Kane Bamford

    Forster Podence Lamptey Mitchell

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      A and captain

  3. Black Knights
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    If this was your team and you had 2 FTs, what would you do?

    Martinez (McCarthy)
    Cancelo, Dias, Lamptey (Taylor, Coufal)
    KdB, Bruno, Ziyech, Grealish (Bissouma)
    Kane, DCL, Watkins

    I'm thinking Ziyech to Jota for 1FT this week and then bring in a Chelsea defender for Cancelo or Taylor the following week for another FT.

    I think Jota covers Salah better than Foden covers KdB or anyone at United covers Bruno, so Salah has to be the big hitter that misses out. Is that most reasonable, would you say?

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

      Yes, pretty much same thought process as you regarding Salah. So Zyiech to Jota is not a bad shout, unless Jota plays 90mins midweek.

      1. Black Knights
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Yes will monitor midweek to see if we get any hints on rotation. I regret not picking up a Chelsea defender earlier but they really stopped Spurs doing anything at all so i now think they're essential, but can risk going without vs Leeds.

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

          Yeah I regret not bringing in Chilwell over Robbo on WC. But on paper that looked like the better choice -_-.

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

      I’ve come up with a team with 0.9ITB which will allow me to swap KdB and Salah out with each other according to fixtures/form.
      Quite like it

      1. Black Knights
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Yeah tbh it's not like i need a lot of transfers after i get Reece James in, so this could be an option.

      2. PastaFasul
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        That looks the way many will deal with the fixture alternation in midfield

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

      Don't think in terms of coverage, think in terms of points potential.

      Jota is an outstanding pick alone. He has no bearing on the potential of Salah.

      I'd put Salah ahead of Kane in terms of points potential over the next few.

      I'd probably look at Ziyech > Jota. Then next week Bissouma + Kane > Salah + Fodder.

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

        This

      2. Black Knights
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        This is an option. I was kind of holding Kane for when their fixtures get better but actually, he's not gonna cost much more than when i bought him by the time we get to GW16, and i'll have missed out on Salah v fulham, palace, WBA by then.

        Cheers for the input, i'll have a look. With 2FTs, won't be hard to go Ziyech to Jota GW11, then Kane and Bissouma to Salah and up to 5.2 for GW12 in time for fulham.

        Can revisit Spurs in 16.

  4. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Which attacking 8 structure do you prefer?

    Bench fodder
    A) Mid
    B) Forward

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

      A

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

      B

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

    Actually think I'll just forego a City mid for Fulham... I would remove them for Salah the coming week anyway, seems a waste of a transfer. Rather just get Salah straight away. He could do well against Wolves

    1. Pompel
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Sensible. So not what I've done.

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

      Hmm, I just might go that way.

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

      What about West Brom, Newcastle + Southampton? Dodging City completely seems a bit risky.

      1. Indpush
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Yep, pretty casual to have not planned ahead to have Salah and De Bruyne by now.

  6. I Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Martinez
    Robertson, Chilwell, Lamptey
    KDB, Fernandes, Rodriguez, Foden
    Martial, DCL, Bamford

    Steer; Semedo, Mitchell, Stephens.

    A) Martial + Rodriguez -> Adams + Salah
    B) Martial + Rodriguez -> Werner + Jota

    B would leave me with no route back to Salah.

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

      A

  7. Archangel98
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Hi FPL scout team! Matic and not Mctominay played 🙂