Scout Notes

Wolves restrict heavily-backed Bamford as Meslier suffers freak own goal

Wolves 1-0 Leeds

  • Goals: None
  • Own goals: Illan Meslier (£4.7m)
  • Assists: Adama Traoré (£6.0m)
  • Bonus points: Rui Patrício x3 (£5.3m), Raphinha x2 (£5.4m), Nelson Semedo (£5.2m)

MESS-LIER

Owners of Illan Meslier (£4.7m) endured a cruel evening as Leeds opened Double Gameweek 25 with a trip to Wolves.

In a relatively cagey encounter, the Whites’ goalkeeper was slowly building an impressive score, registering five saves in the opening period.

However, a dreadful piece of bad luck robbed him of what could have been a solid start to Double Gameweek 25 in the 64th minute.

Adama Traoré (£6.0m) who had mostly been kept quiet by Leeds’ full-backs, found some space in the middle for a speculative shot that struck the crossbar and went into the net off Meslier.

Before the own goal, the shot-stopper was projected a 10-point haul courtesy of a clean sheet, one save point and three bonus. After it, Meslier was down to just one point.

While there could be more joy against Southampton, it is certainly a hard start to the round for his 5.8% ownership.

WHAM BAM

It was a similar narrative for Patrick Bamford (£6.9m) who did not enjoy the best of starts to Double Gameweek 25 either.

The striker may have been backed by 80% of the top 10k for the captaincy but he endured a quiet evening at Molineux.

Wolves three-man defence smothered him while the hosts’ wing-backs and central midfielders did a solid job of cutting off his supply lines too.

As a result, Bamford only had two real moments where he looked even close to scoring.

In the middle of the second half, he was left with the scraps of a Liam Cooper (£4.3m) rebound but could not get enough power on his header to trouble Rui Patrício (£5.3m).

And then in the final 10 minutes, after Tyler Roberts (£4.6m) had played him through, Bamford unleashed a rising finish across goal and beyond Patrício, only to see it ruled out for a tight offside.

RAPH WITH THE SMOOTH

Raphinha (£5.4m) owners were also subjected to a teasing performance, the mid-priced midfielder very unlucky not to come away with a clutch of attacking returns.

In the 19th minute, he found Cooper with a free-kick delivery from the right, the centre-back unable to get adequate purchase on the ball.

Just after the interval, Luke Ayling (£4.4m) crossed into Raphinha at the near-post only for Conor Coady (£4.8m) to make a timely block.

Then between the 62nd and 70th minute, the Brazilian midfielder watched Cooper spurn three separate opportunities from corners. 

Had they fallen to Pascal Struijk (£3.9m) or Bamford, perhaps it would have been a different story.

In the closing stages of stoppage time, Raphinha’s speculative ball forward was seized upon by substitute Hélder Costa (£5.0m) who snatched at the finish despite the space in front of him.

And seconds later, Raphinha’s near-post header was turned around the post by Patrício, ensuring a match that could have produced a big haul turned out to be his first blank (in terms of attacking returns) since Gameweek 19.

Still, his high number of key passes, compared with a swathe of off-target shots opened the door for Raphinha to claim two bonus points in his first Double Gameweek 25 outing.

LINE-UP LESSONS

With Wolves lining up as an unchanged team for the first time in the league since Gameweek 8, the more interesting formation at Molineux was Leeds’.

Having tried and largely failed to ask other members of his squad to fill in for Phillips this season, Bielsa went for a different approach entirely by not directly replacing him.

“It’s not the first time (Phillips) has been absent. We have played well without him. Of course, he’s a big player but we have to adapt.” – Marcelo Bielsa

Instead, the Leeds manager moved away from the usual 4-1-4-1 shape and opted for 4-4-1-1 instead.

Mateusz Klich (£5.2m) and Jamie Shackleton (£4.8m) played as traditional central midfielders on Friday night with the extra man not behind them, but in front of them instead.

Bielsa handed that role to Roberts who sat just behind Bamford and would have come away with an assist were it not for a VAR call.

With Klich and Shackleton in the middle, Stuart Dallas (£5.0m) was returned to the left-back position after a prolonged spell in midfield. Ezgjan Alioski (£4.4m) was the man to make way, appearing only as a second-half substitute.

Struijk’s pairing with Cooper at centre-back ensured Luke Ayling (£4.4m) returned to right-back.

Wolverhampton Wanderers XI (3-4-3): Patrício; Saïss, Coady, Dendoncker; Jonny, Moutinho, Neves, Semedo; A Traoré, W José, Neto.

Leeds United XI (4-4-1-1): Meslier; Dallas, Cooper, Struijk, Ayling; Harrison, Klich, Shackleton (Hernández), Raphinha; Roberts; Bamford.

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1,404 Comments Post a Comment
  1. seewhyaxe
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I’ve not been following the fixtures list.

    Apart from 26, which is the next best gw for bb please? My current team is not setup for bb26. Still have wc available.

    1. FPL-(VAR)dy
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      You can use it in any single GW, when the bench is set. Its an overrated chip anyway. Use it when your team structure allows

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Same situation. We've kept it too late sadly 🙁

      1. seewhyaxe
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I guess I’m just going to use it whenever I feel like it and hope for the best lol

    3. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      WC31, BB32 maybe

  2. pundit of punts
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Ready to BB 🙂

    Ederson
    Pereira - Stones - Shaw
    Bruno - Son - Grealish - Gundogan
    Kane - DCL - Watkins

    Lloris - Barnes - Holgate - El Mohamady

    Thoughts? 🙂

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      As long as everyone is fit, it should work

      1. pundit of punts
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Just worried about Grealish

        If not fit I will twist to Maddison/J Rod/El Ghazi

    2. FPL-(VAR)dy
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yeah all bases covered. GTG

      1. pundit of punts
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers

    3. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Looks fantastic

      1. pundit of punts
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers

        Love your professional watch posts 🙂

        1. Sun Jihai
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Ty. Have to see about Grealish!

          1. pundit of punts
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Hope he is back for the DGW

    4. FantasyClub
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Sick team bruv

  3. FPL-(VAR)dy
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Two easy fixtures for attack. Is DCL a good TC option??

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Prefer him over Kane

    2. Ray Sterling
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      evaluate after Spurs vs West Ham.

    3. FantasyClub
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I cannot believe Holmes just said he prefers DCL OVER Kane for TC LOL

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Amusing sense of humor

  4. SpaceCadet
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Have exact funds for Ings and Sterling > Kane and Son. Worth the hit?

    1. FPL-(VAR)dy
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Why would you transfer out sterling. The moves could easily backfire.Any other ways of getting in Kane?

      1. SpaceCadet
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Salah bruno Sterling gundo raphina
        Ings dcl bamford

        Can’t see any other way tbh.

    2. FantasyClub
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Don’t listen to anyone telling you to keep Sterling lol. He is an absolute FLOP. Get rid ASAP

      1. SpaceCadet
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        No way I’m keeping him, he’s gone!

        1. FantasyClub
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Even if he hauls next game he goes missing way too much. Very frustrating and too expensive for that

      2. Sanchit
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        15 returns in 24 games.
        How is that a FLOP?

        1. Sanchit
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          24 GWs*
          22 games.

          1. FantasyClub
            • 3 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            For his price

          2. FantasyClub
            • 3 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            And a rotation risk

  5. Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Casuals and dead teams with (S)alah or (B)runo will be rewarded heavily.

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Going Bamford (c) is more casual

      1. Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Is it?

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Where logic is casual

  6. Weeb Kakashi
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Areola
    Cancelo Mee AWB
    Salah Bruno Grealish Lookman
    Ings Bamford Adams

    Cresswell Raphinha Dallas.
    1 FT 4.1 ITB.

    Pick one
    A FH 26 WC30 (Already have 7 starters for29)
    B WC 26 FH 29

  7. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Just noticed that 4.5m 1% owned Fulham defender Aina is outscoring TAA by 1 point this season with fewer minutes played. Don't think we would have guessed that at the start of the season! Still find it surprising that TAA is only 0.1m below his starting price tbh

    1. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      TAA has had an absolute shocking season, considering where he was last season

    2. pundit of punts
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Good thing is that TAA will be 0.5m cheaper next season

    3. Sanchit
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Over dependency on VVD

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Well two starting centre backs.

  8. aleksios
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    For next gw:

    a) Play Bamford
    b) Raphinia to Barnes for a hit and bench Bam.

    Thanks.

    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Probably B, but I'd wait till the Soton game. Raph looked great yesterday.

  9. greenybne
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    So this DGW caught me a little by surprise when I foolishly missed the 25 deadline

    Martinez Martin
    AWB Cancelo Dias Dallas Cresswell
    Son Gundo Bruno Salah Raphina
    Bamford DCL Wilson

    Thinking of
    A) Bamford Wilson Cresswell -> Vardy Brewster Targett -8 no chip, play Vardy and Targett in a 442
    B) Bamford Wilson Cresswell Martin -> Vardy Brewster Targett Areola -12 and BB

    Can’t seem to fit Kane in.

    Is there something I’ve missed?

  10. Weeb Kakashi
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Thoughts on a GW26 FH? With WC in 30/31?
    Definitely more points in a DGW than in a blank?
    Allows to target differentials like Digne Reguilon Vardy El Ghazi for the DGW who have a high point ceiling.

    Thoughts??

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Current team? Depends on how much you can gain over current team.

      1. Weeb Kakashi
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Areola
        Cancelo Mee AWB
        Salah Bruno Grealish Lookman
        Ings Bamford Adams

        Cresswell Raphinha Dallas.

        As you can see there is no Kane/Son. And the doubles for most of the players are not very attractive.
        Also Ings and Adams have a dgw in 27.
        So my plan is to dead end into 29(as i already have 7 starters there) and WC in 30/31.

        1. Holmes
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Hmm, could well be worth it

    2. OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I am absolutely considering FH 26 even though I have 9 DGW players

      1. OverTinker
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Current team 7 itb
        Pope Johnstone
        Cancelo stones lowton AWB Coufal
        Salah Bruno Gundo Raph ESR
        Ings Bamford DCL

        1. OverTinker
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          *5 itb and 1 FT

  11. JAYPEE
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Thoughts on this BB team

    Lloris
    Dias Stones Kabak
    Salah Fernandes Gundo Rodriguez
    Bamford Watkins Kane

    Martinez, AWB, Lowton, Lookman

    I’ll be taking a -8 hit

    1. Jebiga
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      -8 hit with Bamford ?
      No

      1. JAYPEE
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I’m holding on to Bamford cause I have value in him and he plays in BGW 29. I will WC in 30

        1. Jebiga
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          No FH for gw29 ?

          1. JAYPEE
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            No FH... otherwise I would’ve gotten rid of him

  12. Jebiga
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I have 11 dgw players, so would you bb this bench :

    Forster, Targett, Jorginho, Brewster

    ?

    Or just save bb and tc

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      TC

    2. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Probably just TC given no 2nd GK and Brewster

    3. Jebiga
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thanks

  13. FPL ElasticO
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Who should you sacrifice for Kane?
    BB is active... Got 2FTs

    Current team:
    Martinez
    Cancelo / Shaw / Targett
    Salah / Gundo / Bruno / Sterling / Raph
    DCL / Watkins

    Bench:: Pope / Bamford / Mee / Dallas

    1. Jebiga
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bamford

  14. Jebiga
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Please help, what to do ?
    Should I BB?

    Pope
    Maguire, Dias, Cancelo
    Son, Rapinha, Salah, Gundogan, Bruno
    Bamford, DCL

    Sub: Forster, Dier, Targett, Brewster

    1 Ft
    3.4 in the bank

  15. Eleven Hag
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Do you see any better opportunity for TC than Kane next week?

    Salah vs Leeds could be good

    1. Jebiga
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Nope, they got penalty for free in first game and leeds should win that game

      So Kane...

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Lol. Still Kane but Salah could have had four in that first Leeds game.

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kane vs Palace

    3. Lazaretti
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      We dont know yet all future dgw's. Burnley and Fulham are not the easiest fixtures for Spurs.

  16. akhilrajau
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Which one to replace Maguire
    A. Davies
    B. Dier

    1. Jebiga
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Why replacing Maguire ?

      1. akhilrajau
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Difficult fixtures and can get ings for next gw if i downgrade him. So only. Not worth?

  17. akhilrajau
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Who to replace to get son and kane.
    A. Salah
    B. Sterling

    1. KAALI_DAAL
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Sterling

      1. akhilrajau
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        M but sterling have 2 douby gw. And if needed next gw i can get kdb instead of him. So consfused. Wats ur comments

      2. akhilrajau
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        But i also have gundogan in my team

  18. Jebiga
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Is Jorginho nailed and ok pick as a dgw player ?

    1. KAALI_DAAL
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      No

    2. Thomas Magnum
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Seemingly nailed but wouldn’t bring him in unless he was your 5th mid on BB

  19. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Must haves for GW 26? Or which players you ideally want for 26? Or any FH 26 template??

  20. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Dean Smith not telling us about Grealish is very annoying

    1. IRBOX ⚽
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Have we got each other in the cup this GW?

      1. R.C
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Nah. Your opponent just has a similar name to my team

        1. Christina.
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          you were close to being fisted

          1. IRBOX ⚽
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Haha indeed!

        2. IRBOX ⚽
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          I agree though, very annoying if Grealish is out

    2. FPL price manipulators are …
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Are there even any rules about managers disclosing injuries? If there are no rules then why would any manager give their opponents an advantage by revealing his players?

      1. IRBOX ⚽
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        May as well not hold press conferences then

    3. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Telling you what?

  21. Christina.
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Even bigger than DGW 26 fixture news was the fixtures us non FH's now have in 29.
    "get out of jail free" card.

    1. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Martinez
      Watkins
      Kane
      Son
      BHA def
      Raphinha
      Bamford

      Should be more than enough for GW29.

  22. Winston.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Fot DGW26 and thereafter...also for GW29;

    A. Konsa or
    B. Ben Davies?

    Is Davies nailed? Who to prefer?

  23. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Just looked at FPL Cup opponent - another Aussie

    Differences

    Him - Kane, Son, Sterling, McCarthy, Targett, Shaw
    Me - Ings, Watkins, Salah, Gundogan, Pope, Stones

    Spurs win it for him?

    1. Thomas Magnum
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Depends which Spurs show up, Salah may win it for you...

    2. IRBOX ⚽
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yeah he smashes you comfortably. Unlucky mate

    3. Party time
        3 years, 1 month ago

        You win but Gündo not starting will be a decider

    4. FPL price manipulators are …
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      If the Leeds players spent as much time focusing on football as they do on their hair then we would have more FPL points.

      1. Thomas Magnum
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Wonder how much the club hairdresser is on per week, might be up there with the players themselves he’s that important to them

    5. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Only 188 EO for Bamford in LMS compared to 180 in top 10K.

      1. Holmes
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Only...

      2. FPL price manipulators are …
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        So LMS is more sheep than FFS?

    6. Sz21
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Which of the options below look best for a probable BB next week?

      Martinez.
      Shaw, Cancelo, Stones.
      Salah, Bruno, Son, Gundo, Raphinha.
      Ings, Watkins.
      Areola, Burn, Bamford, Dallas.
      2.8m ITB. Just BB left from the chips.

      1. Raphinha + Ings -> Barnes + DCL (-4). 0.5m ITB.
      2. Ings -> Kane 0.1m ITB. (Need to act quick on this one).
      3. Bamford -> DCL or Raphinha-> Barnes.
      4. Something else?

      1. Thomas Magnum
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Tough imo, I think it will come down to ultimately how many Leeds players you want in the DGW and whether you’ll want the ones you’ll sell back for gw29 as I presume you’ll have to buy them back for more than you purchased? 2, jumps out at me but depends if you’ll C him and want the double up with Son, followed by 1

        1. Sz21
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Thanks.
          It may simply come down to who I will be captaining next GW.
          Between Kane/ DCL/ Salah I think atm.

          I don't want to be too fully loaded on Leeds even with 29 around the corner but we will see.

          1. Sz21
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Kane may be the obvious choice but then also it means zero in the bank for other switches etc.

    7. Thomas Magnum
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Is this the time of day when FFS is at its slowest? Other than the obvious in possibly not getting as many responses I do enjoy the seemingly more relaxed questions and pace

      1. FPL price manipulators are …
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        It used to be like this a few years ago. Nice pace for conversation

    8. R.C
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      For DGW26, who will get more points?

      1. Lloris
      2. Martinez

    9. FPL price manipulators are …
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I see that the Jota news has gone under the radar. He was on fire before his injury. An option from GW30 onwards perhaps

      1. Thomas Magnum
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        He has definitely gone under the radar, good for him recovering but almost a shame for FPL managers he’s returning around I presume UCL time but definitely keeping my eye on him as I’ll WC around the time he’s back, may even look to offload Salah and see if Jota can cover him in order to spread funds around on the WC

      2. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Not back till March

    10. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Is Burn nailed?

      1. Sz21
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I hope so. Punted on him in my WC.

        Only need him for 26 and 29 really.
        Seems to have the spot his for now. Competition around the corner though so will need to perform well to hold his place.

        Hoping he does that!