FPL Pre-season friendlies thread

[Sutter Kane]

I think a player can get burnt out any age. I think TAA will start but Clyne is a good player so to keep them both fresh for potential games every 3-4 days is important. Klopp will also want to keep Clyne happy as he is a good backup who will go seeking first team football if he's second fiddle all the time. This is why, unless I have an alternative setup that could bring a strong sub1 off the bench, I'll be sticking with Robertson.

[blahblah]

Common Sense alert

I think a player can get burnt out any age. I think TAA will start but Clyne is a good player so to keep them both fresh for potential games every 3-4 days is important. Klopp will also want to keep Clyne happy as he is a good backup who will go seeking first team football if he's second fiddle all the time. This is why, unless I have an alternative setup that could bring a strong sub1 off the bench, I'll be sticking with Robertson.

Young players suffer in later years if they play too many matches: Whiteside, Rooney....

[DavidLloydIsAHero]

He may well start but it’s a long season and he’s still only 19 so no point in burning him out, especially when you’ve also got someone as capable as Clyne who has had a full preseason and looks OK. This is only my best guess so I could be completely wrong. He’s the one position I’d say has question marks over it.

Yeah, but aren't players of his age those who don't exactly need to be rested? I thought players above 35 years old are those who need occasional rests!

Clyne has had a full pre-season, but I think it all comes down to how match sharp you are. Does it really matter at all whether you've had full or part or no pre-season at all, if you are 100% match sharp like Trent yesterday showed he is?

Youngsters do need rest as well, especially if they are still growing which TAA could be given his age. Those that don't get that rest often have chronic injury issues later in their career, Jones is an example I've seen used before.

[Finisher1]

He may well start but it’s a long season and he’s still only 19 so no point in burning him out, especially when you’ve also got someone as capable as Clyne who has had a full preseason and looks OK. This is only my best guess so I could be completely wrong. He’s the one position I’d say has question marks over it.

Yeah, but aren't players of his age those who don't exactly need to be rested? I thought players above 35 years old are those who need occasional rests!

Clyne has had a full pre-season, but I think it all comes down to how match sharp you are. Does it really matter at all whether you've had full or part or no pre-season at all, if you are 100% match sharp like Trent yesterday showed he is?

Youngsters do need rest as well, especially if they are still growing which TAA could be given his age. Those that don't get that rest often have chronic injury issues later in their career, Jones is an example I've seen used before.

Obviously everyone needs a rest sometimes. Does that make every player a bench threat then? Maybe so, but then I'm not sure why all this fuss about Trent particularly.

Also, while I'm not doubting what you say, I'd like to hear some qualified opinions from experts (like FISO member NWJ for example). I think it's quite loose argument to just pick one player like Jones who has been injured a lot, and just claim it's because he didn't get a rest when he was young. Are you absolutely sure his injury record is a result from the quantity of matches he has played? Or is it possible it's a result from his playing style, genes, poor physio practice, bad luck, or whatever of the thousand possible reasons? Or are you absolutely sure it has to be because he didn't get a rest when he was young?

[DavidLloydIsAHero]

I have few doubts over TAA starting week 1, he's fit, played plenty of pre-season and he's their best RB. But with someone as capable and proven as Clyne as competition its likely he'll miss the odd game regardless of his age, especially during busier periods.

I agree using Jones as a lone example proves bigger all, its just an example I remember from previous discussions on the subject.

[Finisher1]

I have few doubts over TAA starting week 1, he's fit, played plenty of pre-season and he's their best RB. But with someone as capable and proven as Clyne as competition its likely he'll miss the odd game regardless of his age, especially during busier periods.

I agree. I just think at his price 5.0 he offers good value even if he starts just 70% of matches, because whenever he starts he offers outstanding value and whenever he is benched he isn't likely to make a cameo anyway (right?).

I guess the consensus says Clyne is a little bit better at defending while Trent is by far better going forward. If this is true, then Trent is perhaps more likely to play those easy goal galore matches where his owners want him to play.

The real question for me is whether he starts GW1, because if he doesn't start then his price is perhaps likely to drop until GW2. If he starts GW1, then I think he is good for long term, even if he plays just 70% of matches.

[DavidLloydIsAHero]

I think that's a fair point, if your happy with your bench replacement as well then the missed games might not hurt you too much.

I can very easily see myself downgrading Robbo>TAA if I need some funds for a transfer early on.

[murf]

Also if Gomez starts well at CB, Klopp may move him to RB when Lovren and/or Matip is/are ready.

I think TAA will start and is favourite to keep his place but way too many question marks to start in my teams (TFF) except my Liverpool block. Plenty of solid picks so why go for a very risky one? His return isn't worth that gamble.

[Finisher1]

His return isn't worth that gamble.

Isn't he the top 5 most attacking defender in the league playing for a good defence? It doesn't sound too much gamble for me if he plays at least 70% of matches and doesn't make cameos (which seems likely to me).

In fact he has better attacking stats than Robertson, so Trent at 5.0 playing 70% of matches vs. Robertson at 6.0 playing 90% of matches should be a very close call, right?

[The Royal BlueNose]

Young players suffer in later years if they play too many matches: Whiteside, Rooney....

Owen also, him playing a 60+ games for Liverpool (and Internationals) aged 19-21 must have gone some way to him being burned out and so injury prone in his later years.

Or maybe it's just the result of playing 16+ years in the top divisions...

[Deano5]

Thanks everyone extremely useful

[Finisher1]

It really is 50/50 between Bennett and Saiss for the right side of Wolves' back three. If yesterday is anything to go by, I would edge closer to Bennett than Saiss because we looked stronger at the back and much less panicky after he came on for the second half against Villareal.

Saiss didn't play in that position for us at all last season, he was usually deployed alongside Neves in central midfield but he does play on the right of a back three for Morocco, as seen in the World Cup. It's a tough one. I had Bennett in my original draft and I have now replaced him with Bednarek but I'm by no means sure that I'm doing the right thing.

So now you have signed Zinchenko. Does this affect Bennett or Saiss chances to start?

Are Zinchenko, Doherty and Jonny capable of playing as CB?

[From4corners]

Isn't he the top 5 most attacking defender in the league playing for a good defence? It doesn't sound too much gamble for me if he plays at least 70% of matches and doesn't make cameos (which seems likely to me).

In fact he has better attacking stats than Robertson, so Trent at 5.0 playing 70% of matches vs. Robertson at 6.0 playing 90% of matches should be a very close call, right?

Interesting. What's your source there?

[murf]

His return isn't worth that gamble.

Isn't he the top 5 most attacking defender in the league playing for a good defence? It doesn't sound too much gamble for me if he plays at least 70% of matches and doesn't make cameos (which seems likely to me).

In fact he has better attacking stats than Robertson, so Trent at 5.0 playing 70% of matches vs. Robertson at 6.0 playing 90% of matches should be a very close call, right?

Not sure what you mean by top 5 most attacking.

I go on FF stats and points (TFF for me rather than FPL but will be very similar) and he is a great player but doesn't always convert to FF points.

As a fan I see almost as good 'end product' from Robertson.

[Stemania]

So now you have signed Zinchenko. Does this affect Bennett or Saiss chances to start?

Are Zinchenko, Doherty and Jonny capable of playing as CB?

Zinchenko presumably brought in to challenge LWB. As far as I understand Jonny is a RWB/LWB currently playing at LWB, and I'd guess will move across to his stronger side if Zinchenko plays, displacing Docherty.

Dendoncker is who we may need to worry about displacing Bennett/Saiss, though very much like Saiss he would usually play DM (but can play CB).

Edit: So it turns out they didn't sign Zinchenko in the end.

[Linch]

Thanks. I liked this thread a lot more than FFS pre-season.

[Joccki_10]

I haven’t been on this thread like a sticky plaster, but I’m sure Pirlo’s Beard has put a lot of effort in it. So now that the season has begun, well done PB and thank you very much

[fantasyfaz]

Top post if not the best ever. Well played a true FISO Legend. Thanks

[Dot]

I haven’t been on this thread like a sticky plaster, but I’m sure Pirlo’s Beard has put a lot of effort in it. So now that the season has begun, well done PB and thank you very much

+1