Dugout Discussion

Johnstone absent for West Brom after positive Covid-19 test as Boly returns for Wolves

West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (£4.5m) misses the Baggies’ first DGW19 fixture following a positive Covid-19 test.

Ahead of the Black Country derby at Molineux, Sam Allardyce explained:

Covid has kept out Sam [Johnstone] and Matt Phillips for us, as well as one or two other Under-23s that would probably have been in the squad.

Grady [Diangana] pulled or tweaked a hamstring, so we had to make a change there.

Asked by BT Sport what he has been trying to fix in training, Allardyce responded:

I’ve tried to fix the fact that we’ve got to stop conceding goals that are avoidable. Our concentration levels sometimes lapse, in split seconds and moments. It only takes the opposition a few seconds to exploit that. That is the focus when we’re out of possession.

In possession, it’s really about trying to get more quality in the final third. Create more chances in open play, which has been extremely difficult for us.

Wolves boss Nuno, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, said of his side’s recent leaky displays:

“We (have) made big mistakes, especially in defence. We must be compact and from there can grow positives. “We have to go back to our main foundation; a clean sheet.”

The Portuguese manager has duly reverted to a tried-and-tested back three. Nuno revealed in the embargoed section of his media offering that Willy Boly (£5.4m) would start for West Brom’s visit.

Boly is joined by Conor Coady (£4.9m) and Romain Saiss (£5.1m), while the Wolves teamsheet suggests that Pedro Neto (£6.0m) will operate at left wing-back.

The winger was a doubt for this afternoon’s kick-off, as was Adama Traoré (£6.1m). The latter also starts the match in a front two alongside Fabio Silva (£5.2m).

“Adama didn’t play the last game, he had a problem. He is better, so he is ready to go. Boly had an injury for some while and [now] he’s good.” – Nuno

Daniel Podence (£5.4m) remains sidelined, along with Jonny (£5.4m) and Marcal (£4.8m).

“Let’s see. We have Adama and Boly coming and joining (training). Let’s see how they are for tomorrow. We still have Daniel out. We have work to do. Jonny, Podence, Marcal are out.” – Nuno speaking on Friday

Wolves XI: Patricio; Saiss, Coady, Boly; Neto, Neves, Dendoncker, Semedo; Moutinho; Fabio Silva, A Traoré.

West Bromwich Albion XI: Button; Gibbs, Bartley, Ajayi, O’Shea; Snodgrass, Livermore, Sawyers; Grosicki, C Robinson, M Pereira.

1,347 Comments Post a Comment
  1. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Pereira

  2. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Scout picks starting well with Johnstone. Avoided playing a chip for this exact reason.

    1. boombaba
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      The scout picks are crap to be fair. Didn’t even have Kane last week

      1. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        This has to be a joke

        1. Pep bites Kun
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Canna believe it

  3. fr3d
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Bench Boosters are so lucky Button didn't take that

    1. Cruyff's Eleven
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yeah, really lucky...

      Why exactly?

  4. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Despite Wolves' garbage defence ppl still picked Saiss last week.

    1. Cruyff's Eleven
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Guilty as charged. Tbf he's good at free kicks and stuff..... 🙂

    2. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      People bringing in Wilson this week

      1. ivantys
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Wilson made much more sense than Saiss.

        1. Cruyff's Eleven
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          I had 'em both, does that make me a casual?

  5. Garlana
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Button haul inc

    1. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Haulage?

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

    If you TCed Soucek you deserve 25-30 points (pre captaincy multiple). Fingers crossed for you.

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Does 4 points multiplied by 3 count as a haul?

      1. Pep bites Kun
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        12? Double figures. I got -1 from Salah once and I also TC'd Carrol in his heyday. Wouldn't love it, but I'd take it

  7. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    FFS sold Pereira 10 weeks ago!!!!

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      This!

    2. Booked4Dissent
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Not worth mentioning. We all own certain players at certain points in time...

      1. Ginkapo FPL
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        When did you own Pereira?

      2. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Well done on your nuanced view

      3. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Oh come on mate.

        1. Booked4Dissent
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          What? Why do people mention they sold a player >10game weeks ago? They must’ve sold for a reason, no? Are they unlucky that they owned a player who scores half a season later?

        2. Booked4Dissent
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          I owned Son GW1 and sold for Bruno GW2, missing out on Son’s 24 points in GW2. I sold because I believed Bruno was a better pick. I don’t post saying “I owned Son 17
          GWs ago” when he scores...

  8. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Johnstone ass?

    1. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      That's right, he is an ass.

  9. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Game week has started well...

    1. TOPCAT1960
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Switch off and wait until next Saturday about 11.00pm to make sure !

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

    Well, at least we know who’s on pens now for WBA

  11. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Need to be prepared mentally for a week long GW with recurrent posts: X pts from Y players with Z players to go 🙁

    1. FPL.team
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Well you just started it 🙁

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Indeed

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

      and .... any good ? 🙂

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        😆

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

      also

      - me (list of 14 players)
      - rival (list of 12 players +7 points)

      who wins ? 😉

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

    Why do they give penalties for fouls that happen outside the box these days? His foot was clearly outside the box. Does it count as "inside" if any part of the fouled player's body is over the line?

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      You are watching so tell us ...

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Im asking why. The foul was clearly outside the box but VAR still gave the penalty.

        1. Brosstan
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Same thing happened with Wilson earlier in the season.

        2. Magic Zico
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Not watching mate, so blame VAR ...

    2. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No it's the part that's fouled

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Then the VAR refs are either blind or bought off.

  13. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    KDB in top 10k

    Not owned by: 42%

    Captained by: 47%

    TC: 8%

    Hmmm so not capping kdb but just owning him shd prevent any huge damage if he hauls

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I want all my players to haul!

  14. Digital-Real
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    this is why we had Johnstone- fatty Sam masterlcass incoming

  15. El Presidente
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Of course my rival has Pereira in his BB team...

  16. Puyol Pants Up
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Johnstone owners let's not worry, he will start next game imo 😉

  17. Ze_Austin
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    12 games without a CS

    Still playing with a back 4, which started 2 games into this run

  18. Weak Become Heros
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Thats handball??

  19. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Nuno out for me. Not good enough with this ridiculous squad.

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Ridiculous squad? In what way mate? You think it's a good squad?

      1. Fudgy
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        It's fantastic. A star studded side of Portuguese Galacticos.

        1. WVA
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Haha have you seen Fabio Silva play?

      2. @persecuted_by_mods
          3 years, 2 months ago

          You think it's not? He gets Portuguese title winners and champions League level players and all he does is play the worst most negative football in the league. Always sits back and tries to counter no matter the opposition

          1. WVA
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Why do you think he gets them? Because they are past it or not good enough anymore. I do agree he has definitely underperformed this season but they lost their best player!

            1. Brosstan
              • 9 Years
              3 years, 2 months ago

              He gets them because Wolves is just Jorge Mendez' personal money skimming scheme and hardly a football club at this point.

            2. @persecuted_by_mods
                3 years, 2 months ago

                Do some research on how that came to happen, and past it and not good? Who exactly was past it and not good?

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

        gutted i am playing Mcarthay not Button

        1. Samwise
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          didn't use my bench boost because i didn't have a playing keeper.... then this happens

          1. Riverside Red
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Used bench boost...Johnson in goal...0 pts

      4. Mweene
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        ML rival used FH and basically copied my team. Have very little interest in this GW now.

        1. Booked4Dissent
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Well maybe he’s wasted his FH? Maybe your team is still better for the next 4...

      5. L'Aeroplanino
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        handball?

      6. Ajax Hamsterdam
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        so unlucky for johnstone owners ! was so close of getting him too...

        1. Booked4Dissent
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          This ^^

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

        How is that not a penalty? VAR team have a bet on WBA to win for sure. Foul outside the box given as penalty, then clear handball pen for Wolves not given.

        1. El Presidente
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Not clear at all

        2. Deulofail
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Reported for trolling and shitposting

          1. Brosstan
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Nothing about shitposting in the rules

            1. Deulofail
              • 8 Years
              3 years, 2 months ago

              The anti shotposting rules from the FFS guidelines:

              Be considerate of others.
              Do not be disruptive.
              No comments that deliberately provoke a negative reaction.
              Objectionable material will not be tolerated.
              No spam.

      8. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Big Sam's revival V1.4.7 starts today!

      9. ClassiX
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Button racking up the saves

      10. WVA
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Had Pereira and Soucek from GW'S 1-6

        1. Booked4Dissent
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          You already said this. What’s your point?

          1. WVA
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Absolutely no point whatsoever lol maybe I'm just reassuring myself that they weren't terrible picks and I did know what I was doing just got unlucky as they were good enablers

      11. wantsharptv
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        300 place rise without a ball being kicked. Guessing loads took hits

      12. El Presidente
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        I have to say Button looks really sharp... he used to be a very good keeper...

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

        Ivanovic sitting on a West Brom bench in the Midlands in winter.

        Did he not earn enough whilst at Chelsea to avoid such trauma?

        1. Brosstan
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          He spent all his money on ass implants