RuudTheDudeVanTheManThePistolVanNistel's RMT

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Then plan to roll 10 and do Fraser 4.5 and Jimenez Arnautovic and go back to 343 for GW11 and beyond.

[Smurphy Paw]

You’re going to have a boring wildcard week. There’s really not much to decide!

When I wild-carded a couple of weeks ago, Ruth sat me down and had a strong word or two with me about having too many mid-priced players in my front 8. My one observation is that you’ve done the same. You have x4 £6-7m mids and forwards and will struggle to know who to drop, as well as leaving a whole lot of cash on the bench each week.
Don’t tell Ruth he was right, but even with my Højbjerg pick in there I still find that I have a benching dilemma each week. Look for at least one downgrade and reinvest elsewhere.

Thinking who else will prompt conversation, Firminho is like marmite and divides opinion. I like marmite!

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

But my bench is pretty much going to be 4.0 gk, AWB, Bennett and a 4.5 mid every week from GW11 onwards. Doesn't really get any cheaper than that and they all play for their clubs which is all I need from my subs.

[Smurphy Paw]

Ah, I’d not spotted the follow up post about next moves because of the new page. I could have cut that down a lot. Fair enough.
I’d still look to get the £4.5m man in now. The wildcard is a good time to make that type of quiet move - it only takes one injury and you’ll need to amend the plan or take a hit for a bench player.

This is playing around the edges, it’s a solid looking team.

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Yeah in my mind it's a question of having Fraser or Arnautovic for the next 2 games. I'd prefer Fraser but that comes with the risk of planned transfers. I like to GAMBOL!

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

So I've pretty much settled on the following:
Ryan, Button
Alonso, Robertson, Doherty, Bennett, AWB
Hazard, Mane, RIch, Madd, Brooks
Aguero, Firmino, King

Hoping Firmino drops before the next deadline so I can get him at 9.3. The only question I'm having is Alonso or Mendy. Want to go 343 with AWB and Bennett as the cheap bench boys and Doherty is a must, so I can only have 2 defenders from Pool, Chelsea and City. Started the season with Ederson and Mendy and City look too strong defensively to not have 1 from them. Ryan is a lock for me with those fixtures, so Ederson is out.

[blahblah]

So which of the front 8 are you benching?

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Maddison or Brooks would be on the bench for GW9, then Brooks benched for ten and then Brooks and King 4.5 mid an Arnie for GW11. Subs most weeks would then be Bennett, AWB and 4.5 mid.

[No Way Jose]

Is it worth having brooks at all then? Surely having a 4.5 now and saving the cash for Arnie makes more sense as it leaves you with a FT? Especially given your squad doesn’t really have any players likely to miss games

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Wanna ride out Bournemouth's good fixtures and I quite fancy Brooks at the moment getting into some nice positions and barely owned.

[No Way Jose]

But if you’re not going to play him anyway whats the point of planning a FT for him?

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

I said earlier him or Maddison would start gw9 for me but it will be Brooks starting. But yeah what I really want to know is who do people think wins Alonso vs Mendy?

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Well the plan for this wildcard was to load up on Pool but all the yellow flags have made me change plans somewhat. Alonso Mendy, Firmino Mitrovic, Mane Sterling. King also flagged so he becomes Wilson. I've settled on this:

Ryan Button
Robertson Mendy Doherty Bennett AWB
Sterling Hazard Maddison Richarlsion Brooks
Aguero Mitrovic Wilson

1.6 mil itb.

Going to keep an eye on Liverpool over the next few weeks with the idea of doing:
Sterling Mane(GW10)
Wilson Arnautovic(GW11)
Mitrovic Firmino(GW12)

[baganboy]

Solid team.
Perhaps some would say a Sterling + Aguero is an overkill, but personally this looks very well to me.

Since you have a solid 12th player in Brooks, have you considered maybe a WHM defender in place of AWB? Rotates very well with WOL.

Perhaps the only thing you could perhaps also consider is
Mitrovic + Mendy (vs) Vardy + Laporte
Mitrovic + Robertson (vs) Vardy + TAA
But any of these three decisions is a fine one.

Maybe even in line with NWJ's suggestion - Mitrovic + Brooks (vs) Vardy + Masuaku ---- does the price hold up for it?

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Yeah I considered using some of the spare cash to upgrade the defence but rotation gives me headaches so I'm just gonna stick to the plan of picking 3 good attacking full backs every match with Bennett and AWB as the fodder. Happy enough to just have Maddison from Leicester. Had Mendy at the start of the season and I'm drawn back to him, he can be so "explosive". I'm pretty set on these 3 future transfers so gotta leave that money spare. Had planned on having 3 Pool instead of 3 £iteh but for them pesky flags of yellow doubt. Hope City go absolutely baloobas against Burnley!

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Just realized I would have 0.0 to spare on these future transfers so also did Brooks Murphy to give me 0.2 wiggle room for the next 3 transfers.

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Hmm so my team is basically just the scout selection now...

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Thinking about it now I may actually swerve Firmino and roll my free. Could line up like this:
Ryan(CAR A)
Robertson(FUL H), Mendy(MUN H), Doherty(ARS A)
Hazard(VC)(EVE H), Mane(C)FUL H), Maddison(BUR H), Richarlison(CHE A), Murphy(BRI H)
Aguero(MUN H), Arnie(HUD A)

Button, Mitrovic, AWB, Bennett. 2.8 itb

While getting Firmino in could go well, it would stop me from being able to do Maddison Martial the following week(unless I take my 1st hit), which feels like a good time to make what looks like an excellent switch.

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Or maybe upgrade Bennett/WBA slightly to a TAA/Gomez type and start them over Doherty?

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Think I'm gonna go with:
GW12 Mitrovic Ings/Jimenez
GW13 Maddison Martial
GW14 Bennett Alonso

I miss having Marcos in my team and the idea of having him excites me a lot more than a 3rd pool player or some unreliable striker.

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Mitrovic Ings was my free this week, Maddison Martial can wait until next week so he is 3rd sub with AWB ready to come in if Richarlison is out. This is how we're lining up this week:

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

In my best Rodney Dangerfield voice "Hey this teams got more flags than the United Nations"

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Did Maddison Martial before their price changes and now have seven players flagged, with Mendy deffo out so gonna have to take my first hit of the season I suppose. Don't like the look of City's clean sheet chances in their next five so might bring forward next week's transfer and get Alonso in this week and maybe get Shaw next week. Or maybe Laporte is better pick than Shaw, bloody soft spot for cheap United players and getting blinded by green fixtures!

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Thinking about maybe using my free hit. I made two early moves bringing Stones and Aguero in for Digne and Auba(-4) but I now have Brooks, Pogba and Martial doubtful. I'm pretty sure that If I used the chip it would cancel the -4 and I would get Auba back next week which would save me a transfer and I wouldn't have Stones then either. If some of my doubtful players are confirmed out then I could use the chip and have Pickford, Stones, Richarlison, City Mid and Aguero and it gives my 3 doubtful players a week to recover.

This is my team now:

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Could free hit to this:

[Smurphy Paw]

I wouldn’t. But if you do, why free hit to a team where you have attackers against defenders(keeper)? Would it not be better to pick a SGW keeper with high clean sheet potential, and then identify another outfield player?

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Yeah good shout, I prob wont unless Pog, Martial and Brooks are all ruled out.

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

So Brooks is out and looks like Pogba didn't train so think I'm gonna go for the Free Hit as it will cancel the -4 I took to do Digne and Auba Stones and Aguero. Works out nicely as I had planned to get Auba back for Aguero next week so it'll save me a transfer next week as well.

Think I've settled on this line up:

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

Mon the boys!

[RuudTheDudeVanTheMan]

I have 11 players for GW27 with two transfers to get rid of Digne/Richarlison or Brooks who is out for a month unfortunately, then for GW31 I have 3 Man U and no city or Spurs so should be okay for that.

So then what it came down to was my 11 this week after taking a -4 would have been:

Allison(WHU A)
Robertson(WHU A) Doherty(EVE A) AWB(FUL H) Stones(ARS H EVE A)
Salah(WHU A) Martial(LEI A) RICH(WOL H MCI H)
Aguero(ARS H EVE A) Rashford(LEI A) Jimenez (WOL A)

Button Bednarek Brooks(Inj) Pogba(I think he's out for this week).

So i would have Brooks def out, Pogba prob out and Martial doubtful and only Bednarek to cover if any one else is rotated. Would also have to get rid of Stones/Aguero/Digne/Rich before gw27, whereas now I will only have Digne and Rich to worry about for gw27 and will also have Auba back for next week.

So it's -4 with 14 players playing(5 at home) vs FH 17 players playing(13 at home). I'll check what the difference was when it's all over. Hopefully it will have been worth the risk!