2018/19 Mid-price defenders 5.0-5.5

[Tacalabala]

We're going to try something new this season. After the success we had with the budget defenders thread last season, we are going to experiment with big 'band' threads this season. We won't be stickying these, but if we see threads that are comparing like for like players, we might merge those in this rather than allow multiple threads which end up repeating previous discussions. We'll see how it goes...

[carver]

Seamus Coleman the big stand out for me at 5.5

Fixtures are great too

[Aldershot Rejects]

Seamus Coleman the big stand out for me at 5.5

Fixtures are great too

Or Baines, or both

[blahblah]

Seamus Coleman the big stand out for me at 5.5

Fixtures are great too

Or Baines, or both

Is Silva known for a solid defence?

[Aldershot Rejects]

Not especially but his fullbacks generally get a lot of freedom to attack. I'm pretty sure I will go with either Baines or Coleman rather than both which would be a gamble particularly given the other players at this price. Not totally discounted it though.

[MGPT]

Given Kiko's role under Silva last year, Coleman looks like one of the biggest locks in FPL this year for me.

[carver]

Seamus Coleman the big stand out for me at 5.5

Fixtures are great too

Or Baines, or both

Baines had a good end to last season . Definitely prefer Coleman but both is an option

[MGPT]

Given their early fixtures, both is not at all out of the question

[Kuchi]

With the early fixtures I can see an Everton defensive double up for me.

[Billy Bongo]

Given Kiko's role under Silva last year, Coleman looks like one of the biggest locks in FPL this year for me.

Why not get Kiko instead, save a million

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[Billy Bongo]

Everton need 3 centre backs to play wingbacks, they have Keane , 2 oaps and a basket case

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[Stemania]

Silva has always been a 4atb manager. Kiko played right wing a few times last season, but I'd pretty sure that was down to a lack of reliable alternatives and the fact that he was a right sided midfielder earlier in his career, rather than Silva liking to play RBs at RW.

[Beacon]

I like the look of Lovren at 5m. He’ll be VVD’s regular partner and with Fabinho and Keita I think the defence will have a lot more cover in front of them. He’s also a threat from set pieces.

Just going off stats, Douglas at Wolves looks interesting. 5 goals and 14 assists last year whilst playing all his games in midfield. The fact he’s classed as a defender seems a bit odd but could prove to be a bit of a gem.

[Pirlo's Beard]

Speaking of £5.0m Liverpool defenders, is Alexander-Arnold a viable alternative to Robertson? I'll almost certainly start with one of them and the £1.0m saving on Alexander-Arnold would be useful.

Robertson is probably better at bombing forward but Alexander-Arnold is no slouch either when it comes to attacking forays, and takes a beautiful free kick. Do we think he'll still be Liverpool's first-choice right-back? I've read that the new lad Fabinho can play right-back but surely he'll be used in his natural midfield position? Will he be displaced by the returning Clyne?

[Stemania]

I actually had Matip pencilled in on my shortlist. I'd assumed he'd win the place back from Lovren after his injury.

[Pirlo's Beard]

I actually had Matip pencilled in on my shortlist. I'd assumed he'd win the place back from Lovren after his injury.

Wasn't he fit for much of the second half of last season when Lovren and Van Dijk were playing?

[Canikickit]

Yep, lovren and vvd are preferred pairing

[Stemania]

Cheers, but I'm really not sure about that tbh. According to his transfermarkt page the vast majority of the games Matip missed were due to a longstanding hamstring injury - at worst it looked to me like the two were rotated when both fit.

Looks like a wait and see to me.

[Mav3rick]

Seamus Coleman the big stand out for me at 5.5

Fixtures are great too

I'd go along with that, he was 5.0 I think in the season when everyone owned him, 5.5 looks very tempting.

PVA as well is the same price, he reminded us at the back end of last season what he can do in terms of going forward, I started with him in many teams and was killed really by Palace's early season, but he's well back in the reckoning for me again this year.

I'd probably gamble on TAA myself, Clyne offers a backup option especially around fixture congestion but TAA is by far the better player and imo should play as much as Robertson.

The likes of Mee offers stability at 5.0 and obviously Kolasinac would be a steal if getting starts at 5.0, but I generally feel that for a lot of the 5.0 guys there are 4.5 CRDs to be considered, that's something to be wary of when looking at any of the players in that range as you are effectively paying a premium for either goal threat or security, which may or may not be genuine.

Luke Shaw (surely he plays or gets a move somewhere?) could be decent too at 5.0 and Chilwell looked good when playing for Leicester (although he potentially has the CRD issue I mentioned to contend with).

[Pirlo's Beard]

Cheers, but I'm really not sure about that tbh. According to his transfermarkt page the vast majority of the games Matip missed were due to a longstanding hamstring injury - at worst it looked to me like the two were rotated when both fit.

You could be right. I was sure I remembered Matip riding the bench for the second half of last season, so I went back and checked all of Liverpool's Premier League lineups from January 1st onwards (17 matches). Turns out my memory is a little off.

In the first 11 of those 17 matches, Matip started 7 times and appeared on the bench 4 times. He was not in the squad for any of the final 6 matches, which suggests he was still very much struggling with injury as you say.

Alexander-Arnold looks a much better pick to me in any case, assuming he keeps his spot.

[blahblah]

Alexander-Arnold is no slouch either when it comes to attacking forays, and takes a beautiful free kick. Do we think he'll still be Liverpool's first-choice right-back? I've read that the new lad Fabinho can play right-back but surely he'll be used in his natural midfield position? Will he be displaced by the returning Clyne?

Rotation is my main issue - and how soon does he play after the WC?

I'm clueless about "Fab in 'Ho" except his name and that headline The Sun have already planned.

[ZeroRemorse]

TAA and Clyne will be rotated a little bit I'm guessing and I'd assume Clyne will come in before or after a UCL fixture, or an important fixture. Robertson is considered an "engine", so I expect him to start most games with Moreno being crap too.

Lovren is kinda risky, I think Klopp will prefer Matip tactically in some games?

[blahblah]

Clyne is the weird one - was he really injured for (pretty much) all of last season?

[Billy Bongo]

Clyne isnt good enough to rotate prem games, liverpool need TAA in the big games

Imo Clyne is just cup fodder, may get gw1 but TAA is first choice now, not even close

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[ZeroRemorse]

Yeah, I can only really see Clyne coming in when TAA absolutely needs a rest, probably around the Christmas pile up and navigating the odd difficult UCL fixture.

[blahblah]

So back to Soton?

[ZeroRemorse]

Bertrand could prove a cheeky differential.

[blahblah]

Depends which way Hughes goes?

[Pulpy]

Keane could be an interesting alternative to Coleman. Carries some goal threat and usually does well in the bonus. Did not have a great first season at Everton but if they settle under Silva he could potentially thrive.

[blahblah]

But no reason to take punts on "could"?