Fuzzy Warbles

[Fuzzy]

It's 2 weeks since my first outline, and have had time to think a little more.

There have been some interesting thoughts put forward by the community, but I haven't really changed my position in terms of intended structure. With no real evidence (yet) to upgrade or downgrade the prospects of individual players, the names are pretty much the same as before.

My squad currently looks like this:

Ryan, Button
TAA, Van Dijk, Digne, Laporte, Kelly (or other 4.0m)
Salah, Brooks, Sterling, Zaha, Dendoncker (or other 4.5m)
Wilson, Deulofeu, Nketiah (or other 4.5m).

Bold I am happy with.
Green is my biggest doubtful spot - currently 18.5m worth of doubt which was previously occupied by KdB and Vardy.
Blue is slightly dubious value, and could be where I release some funds if I lock onto a better green pairing that needs a little more coin.

I have gone off Vardy - I don't like Leicester's opening 2 fixtures, or their run from GWs 5 to 8.

I actually don't like Deulofeu all that much either - he's a classic reverse OOP. However Watford can jump from the gates quickly, and 3 of their first 4 are quite appealing. I think there will be value at the 6.5m and below striker spot - I just can't yet see who it will be.

I have toyed with the idea of 4-5-1 (dumping Deulofeu for Tielemans, for example), but that feels a little inflexible.

To be completely honest, I don't really like having 3 mids/fwds in the 6.5m to 7.0m bracket, whether its a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1. I can justify starting that way, but I don't how long I will tolerate it (unless they all fire right away).

[Fuzzy]

GW01 Preview

And so it begins. After much tinkering, I landed myself with:

Ryan (4.5), Button (4.0)
Robertson (7.0), VVD (6.5), Zouma (5.0), Digne (6.0), Rico (4.0)
Salah (12.5), Perez (6.5), de Bruyne (9.5), Fraser (7.5), Dendoncker (4.5)
King (6.5), Aubameyang (11.0), Greenwood (4.5)

and 0.5m banked.

Green are the least locked-in to my team. Blue, I could easily shift, but I can also be a little more patient with (based on fixture runs, my expectations for points returns at those price-points, and my current lack of conviction over comparable alternatives). KdB is a category of his own.

The de Bruyne and/or Sterling thing was giving me brain-ache (and still is).

In the end I decided to punt on Auba and Fraser for the first 2 gameweeks, and hope that Raz doesn’t punish me. The alternative would have been Jota and Sterling. I like the option of captaining Auba in GW02, and my sense from the boards is that Fraser has almost become a mini-differential as well.

Based on what we know today, I expect I want Sterling in for GW04 (probably GW03). However, much will happen between now and then, and my current squad structure gives me a number of other options (e.g. KdB and Auba -> Sterling and Vardy at GW03 is just one of them). It also means that if Martial delivers on his promise (and OG backs him in) or if we see signs of the re-emergence of Harry Kane then I have a sideways option at those, and the 9.5 mid, price-points.

It’s an unusual way to start for me. It’s possible that all I have “gained” is another 2 weeks of pre-GW01 mental gymnastics.

Worst case scenario, the wildcard is there. I haven’t looked really closely but I can’t see an obvious “fixture swing” play for the wildcard this season.

Good luck everybody.

[Fuzzy]

GW01 Review

70 points and a rank to match (i.e > 2 million).

No point stewing on the Sterling decision. He comes in for GW03. I will even allow myself a mulligan on the Zouma pick. The one that really annoys me is the decision to go with 2 Bournemouth attackers. Who knows, they may redeem themselves a little this week, but doubling up on attackers from a team that won't finish any better than mid-table (no matter how seemingly attractive the fixtures may be), was poor play.

I will roll the GW02 transfer, and there are 2 (or, more likely, 3 transfers) to be made for GW03. Fraser out. Sterling in. The obvious trade pack is Auba+Fraser -> Pukki+Sterling, but an impressive attacking display from Man United this week might nudge me in a different direction.

My dilemma for GW02 is the captaincy call. Before GW01, I was all set to captain Auba this week. That would be the bold play. With no Sterling, captaining Salah (even after 120 minutes last night) would be a "safer" (timid?) play. At this stage, I am sticking to my guns on Auba.

[Smurphy Paw]

120 minutes plus penalties plus adrenaline plus a flight. I also noted that at times Salah dropped further back than I have seen - closer to where I’d expect the 3 mids to be. He also got forwards lots so nothing conclusive in that, but sticking with Aubameyang as you have him isn’t a bad idea

[Fuzzy]

At face value, captaining Auba looks a little like chasing (digging the hole deeper) last weeks points deficit. The reality is that it is sticking to a plan - whilst trying to take account of new information since.

I find it really hard to get a good read on that Burnley-Southampton game last week.

Lack of chance creation by Arsenal is my real worry.

[DAREEL]

At face value, captaining Auba looks a little like chasing (digging the hole deeper) last weeks points deficit. The reality is that it is sticking to a plan - whilst trying to take account of new information since.

I find it really hard to get a good read on that Burnley-Southampton game last week.

Lack of chance creation by Arsenal is my real worry.

Ozil and Kol back so that can only help creativity..it would take a brave man to sell Auba this gw. I'd have no worries about putting the captaincy on him , he's probably the ideal option this week no ?

[Fuzzy]

GW02 Review

55 points and rank is at about 900,000. I captained Auba, as planned. Auba scored the winning goal for the second week in a row, and has a grand total of 0 BPs. Nuts.

Transfers for GW03 have been made already, and were as foreshadowed last week, i.e: Auba + Fraser -> Pukki + Sterling.

GW03 is looking like:
Ryan, [Button]
Robertson, VVD, Zouma, Digne, [Rico]
Salah, Sterling (C), de Bruyne, Perez, [Dendoncker]
King, Pukki, [Greenwood]

with 0.3m banked.

Perez will go, but I’m not desperate to shift him out this week. I had low expectations of him for the first 2 gameweeks and, whilst his performances have been underwhelming, I can ride it out for a little longer. Ceballos could be the target in a couple of weeks time – the Leicester and Arsenal fixtures both shift then and I would like the chance to get another couple of looks at him. I am not about to tear up my team to get Martial in. And Josh King can stay for now.

No need to wildcard yet. (Bad news on Digne, a Zouma benching and another injury somewhere could nudge me there, but price changes won’t.)

[johnalexanderrowley]

No need to wildcard yet. (Bad news on Digne, a Zouma benching and another injury somewhere could nudge me there, but price changes won’t.)

Any news on Digne? Is he defo out?

[blahblah]

No need to wildcard yet. (Bad news on Digne, a Zouma benching and another injury somewhere could nudge me there, but price changes won’t.)

Any news on Digne? Is he defo out?

Nope. He has been training this week

[Fuzzy]

GW03 Review

58 points and rank improved a little to 500,000. Team was as outlined last week.

Looking at that line-up, the 2 biggest weaknesses to my eye are Perez and Zouma. 2 transfers for GW04 have been made already, for my first hit for the season, and Zouma survives.

GW04 is now:
Ryan, [Button]
Robertson, VVD, Zouma, Digne, [Rico]
Salah, Sterling (C), de Bruyne, Mount, [Dendoncker]
Pukki, Abraham [Greenwood]

with 0.0m spare.

Zouma lasts one more week. If nothing untoward happens, he becomes Lowton next week. That also gives me the option of Abraham to Haller, but with limited tolerance for price moves on Zouma and Haller in the meantime (I can take a Zouma drop, but if there’s also a Haller rise then ...).

I am not delighted with it. A more typical move for me would have been hold King and turn Zouma into Zinchenko (especially given Man City’s fixture run), but my head was turned by Haller – and I took Abraham. Go figure.

I can let the Lundstram and Cantwell bandwagons roll without me for now. Right now my focus is on first 11. Bench depth can wait until wildcard (or until I have made peace with my starting 11, which isn’t that far off. All the usual disclaimers apply.)

[Smurphy Paw]

Good, strong, decisive moves there Fuzzy

[Fuzzy]

There’s a convoluted, and entirely flawed, logic!

I want Haller, Mount and a 4.5m defender (preferably Burnley). It’s an 8 point hit to get there. This way I spread the hit, avoid Burnley’s matchup against Liverpool this week, and have a one-night stand with Tammy.

It could bite me, but it’s locked in now.

[Fuzzy]

GW04 Review

59(-4) points and rank slips to 700,000. Team was as outlined last week. I am 4 points off last week’s rank (i.e. one transfer hit), but the reality is that the hit taken this week was profitable.

Zouma is next on the block. Presuming I am happy to run with Abraham (rather than stretch to Haller) for a little while, options include:
a) turning Zouma into a (up to) 5.0m replacement;
b) turning Zouma and Rico into a rotating 4.5m pair (over 2 weeks); or
c) turning Zouma and Dendoncker into a 4.5m defender and a (up to) 5.0m mid. (Cantwell could work, as Leicester and Norwich rotate reasonably well H&A, however GW05 isn’t great, and doubling on Pukki and Cantwell feels reckless).

I quite like option c) – I can drop the mid down in value in future if I then want to chase Haller – and I’m sure I could find a decent pairing with a decent fixture rotation. (Looking at it now, Lundstram and Cantwell could also work – with all the same caveats about doubling up on Norwich – plus it leaves a spare 0.5m.)

However (for those with a squeamish disposition, look away now), the imminent Zouma price drop forced my hand, and I recklessly transferred in Boly before Sunday’s games. I feel a little hard done by (who gets sent off in the 6th minute of extra time?), but if ever there was a lesson for all the young players out there about the potential folly of the early transfer, this was it. Such a noob mistake!

GW05 is now:
Ryan, [Button]
Robertson, VVD, Digne, [Rico, Boly]
Salah, Sterling (C), de Bruyne, Mount, Dendoncker
Pukki, Abraham [Greenwood]

with 0.0m spare.

I refuse to double down on my error (unless there is carnage in the internationals and I need to trigger the wildcard).

[Fuzzy]

GW05 Review

59 points and rank is back to 500,000. Team was as outlined last week. Captaining Sterling over Salah hurt me a little, but that’s going to happen from time to time. The truth is that Tammy Abraham was again the one major factor that kept my gameweek score from falling out of the middle of the pack.

Unfortunately my transfer thought bubble from Gameweek 4 never really left me (even through the international break) and I have pulled the trigger on the old option c) – that is, Boly and Dendoncker to Lundstram and Cantwell for a -4.

It seems a frivolous use of a 4 point hit – farewell Willy-Arnaud after one week in my squad spent on the bench with a red flag – however my dwindling bench depth needed some attention, and I do like the rotation option these transfers give me at Number 11 for a little while yet. And the impending rises and drops were a factor. And my deepening concerns for Wolves ability to break out of this rut whilst they are still stretched so thin.

So, yes, it means I have made a ludicrously early transfer again. In fact, let’s double down on that, I made two. The 4 point hit and 5 players in the Chelsea-Liverpool match doesn’t necessarily bode well for the coming gameweek (especially in H2H formats), but I am confident I get that 4 points back. Eventually. Perhaps aided by canny use of the 0.5m I pocketed in the process.

GW06 now looks like:
Ryan, [Button]
Robertson, VVD, Digne, [Rico, Lundstram]
Salah, Sterling (C), de Bruyne, Mount, Cantwell
Pukki, Abraham, [Greenwood]

with 0.5m spare.

Lundstram and Cantwell complement each other nicely for a number of weeks now. If Rico gets a regular spot then he’s one more in the rotation mix for No 11, otherwise there are a few 4.5m defenders who could work. Fingers crossed on Mason Mount, but if news is bad on that front, the 0.5m instead allows me to reach the likes of Tielemans, who I like. Mat Ryan is the other one who could be in danger if and when I have a transfer to spare. I am still not feeling the urgency to move on either of my 2 Liverpool defenders, yet.

But, all that said, I really would like to roll one in the next couple of weeks to carry a free into Gameweek 9. (Which is also about when I start to get a little more interested in overall rank).

[Fuzzy]

GW06 Review

73(-4) and rank is now 300,000. That’s the highest it has been and, given I expected to tread water (at best) this week, I need to be pleased with that.

Yes, a Liverpool cleansheet to reward my persistence with the double-up and/or a Mount absence to enable Lundstram off the bench would have been brilliant, but I had my share of good fortune.

The decision to spend to bolster bench depth was validated (as was removing stinking Dendoncker and Boly to do it ).

Once again I have gone early on the transfer this week, turning Digne into Otamendi. My long held mistrust of Everton players in FPL has been franked yet again and, no matter how the fixtures look, I just need to move on.

So that gives me the following for GW07:
Ryan, [Button]
Robertson, VVD, Otamendi, [Rico, Lundstram]
Salah, Sterling (C), de Bruyne, Mount, Cantwell
Pukki, Abraham, [Greenwood]

and 1.2m banked.

If no unpleasant surprises I should be able to roll a transfer through GW08.

From there, I have a few different options (and some time to contemplate them in the meanwhile):

a) VVD to TAA and Ryan to Schmeichel (both in GW09). Gets me exposure to Leicester defence, and I stay strong on the Liverpool defensive double-up during their slightly stiffer run of fixtures. My final onfield spot continues to be the current 1 from 3 (of Cantwell, Lundstram and Rico). This is probably my least favoured route;

b) VVD to Soyuncu and Greenwood to Haller (both in GW09). Gets me some Leicester defence and likely a forward upgrade. Cantwell becomes permanent sub1 with Lundstram and Rico in behind him. Norwich’s away form bothers me, and if they don’t create anything on the road against Palace this week, this option will become more appealing. (Some signs of life from Haller might be enough to seal the deal). This option may also leave a tiny bit left over to turn Ryan into Pope, some time;

c) VVD to Soyuncu (GW09) and Sterling to Maddison and Greenwood to Aguero (both in GW10). This one is less contingent on a Haller scoring revival, and gets me that circa 7m spot in midfield that I think I want, rather than 3 x 7m forwards. Relative to b), its Sterling and Haller versus Aguero and Maddison and it costs me a -4. The Man City champions league match between GW09 and GW10 could be an important factor in this decision (which may mean I should also think about pushing the Haller transfer in option b) back to GW10 – the GW10 and 11 fixtures for him look quite inviting).

An injury or two and that all goes out the window, but I can work with that.

[noelix]

I don't have any particular advice as such, but thank you for sharing your thoughts and different considerations for the future as well as your results - this style makes for a very interesting read!

[raoul]

blimey. I also scored 73. And am around 300k. And I also had Lundstram on the bench and wanted a Mount no-show. In fact we have the same front 8, other than I have McGinn to your Cantwell.

Similar in defence, except I still have Digne and Boly ... but I have 2 FT this week and have been looking at replacing both of them with TAA/Robertson + Rico so we could end up with 11 or 12 players the same pretty soon

Let's hope we are both great minds rather than fools...

[Fuzzy]

... who seldom differ .

One way or the other, I hope we are both on the right track.

[Fuzzy]

GW07 Review

53 all out, and rank is irrelevant given there are still 2 games to be played. Hopefully it will hold somewhere around the 300,000 mark.

This is pretty early for a review, but I’m jumping on a long-haul flight tomorrow and won’t be paying much attention to my weekly brain dumps for a couple of weeks.

I did all that I said I would last week, except for a last minute switch of the armband from Sterling to Salah. I don’t really know why.

At the moment my GW08 team looks exactly the same as my GW07 line-up, except this time the armband stays stapled to Sterling’s bicep.

My look ahead plan is the same as before, with no pressing need to move on any transfer this week. The only other consideration is if I get an unlikely rise on Rico, in which case a) could instead be VVD to TAA and Rico to Soyuncu (let’s call that a2). That would have some appeal as I see Soyuncu as a good addition to my rotation through that final on-field spot (with Cantwell and Lundstram). However I don’t think it’s going to be possible.

For all that, I am looking a little more favorably on option a1) than I was last week, and a little less favourably on option c). Which means I still really don’t know which way I will go!

[Fuzzy]

GW08 Review

40 this week, and rank is holding just inside 300,000.

I caved in on my “no transfer” intention last week, and I shifted Cantwell out for Yarmalenko. It was largely driven by my concerns about Norwich on the road, and of doubling up on Cantwell and Pukki (when KdB was to be parked on my bench). I had no premonition about the horror show that was to come for Norwich against Villa, but in retrospect I am not unhappy with that transfer, despite it not delivering any short term gain, and exhausting my much-desired transfer carryover into GW09.

My next transfer will be Van Dijk to Soyuncu. What comes immediately after, I’m not quite sure. Having already shifted Cantwell, Greenwood will now stay and my focus shifts to Pukki. I can take one more price drop on Pukki without it impacting my sell price, so I haven’t felt the urge to rush a transfer there just yet (and Bournemouth isn't a horrible match-up, even if it is away).

At this stage I still favour Haller and Maddison in the Pukki and Yarmalenko spots. My second choice pair to take those spots would be Wilson and Tielemans. (I can’t get to Wilson and Maddison unless I lose Robertson, who I know I will want back after GW 12).

I know that many are moving away from Haller, but home to Sheffield United and Newcastle in GWs 10 and 11 has some appeal and a hop-off to Jiminez in GW 12 or 13 is an option (all my misgivings about the impact of Europa League exertions notwithstanding!). It also means the Yarmalenko to Maddison transfer doesn't feel urgent, if I can get over the slightly awkward feeling of a short-term West Ham double-up.

[raoul]

GW08 Review

40 this week, and rank is holding just inside 300,000.

I caved in on my “no transfer” intention last week, and I shifted Cantwell out for Yarmalenko. It was largely driven by my concerns about Norwich on the road, and of doubling up on Cantwell and Pukki (when KdB was to be parked on my bench). I had no premonition about the horror show that was to come for Norwich against Villa, but in retrospect I am not unhappy with that transfer, despite it not delivering any short term gain, and exhausting my much-desired transfer carryover into GW09.

My next transfer will be Van Dijk to Soyuncu. What comes immediately after, I’m not quite sure. Having already shifted Cantwell, Greenwood will now stay and my focus shifts to Pukki. I can take one more price drop on Pukki without it impacting my sell price, so I haven’t felt the urge to rush a transfer there just yet (and Bournemouth isn't a horrible match-up, even if it is away).

At this stage I still favour Haller and Maddison in the Pukki and Yarmalenko spots. My second choice pair to take those spots would be Wilson and Tielemans. (I can’t get to Wilson and Maddison unless I lose Robertson, who I know I will want back after GW 12).

I know that many are moving away from Haller, but home to Sheffield United and Newcastle in GWs 10 and 11 has some appeal and a hop-off to Jiminez in GW 12 or 13 is an option (all my misgivings about the impact of Europa League exertions notwithstanding!). It also means the Yarmalenko to Maddison transfer doesn't feel urgent, if I can get over the slightly awkward feeling of a short-term West Ham double-up.

sounds sensible to me.

Can't work out whether I like the run of Leicester fixtures coming or only like it in a week or three's time. Having said that I have brought in Vardy and Maddison (probably overkill but...).

Pukki. Hmmm. I still have him but Norwich are not scoring much now and given their horrific injury list I wonder how soon they might restart.

[Fuzzy]

Can't work out whether I like the run of Leicester fixtures coming or only like it in a week or three's time. Having said that I have brought in Vardy and Maddison (probably overkill but...).

Pukki. Hmmm. I still have him but Norwich are not scoring much now and given their horrific injury list I wonder how soon they might restart.

For me, the Leicester attacker double-up feels a step too far, and I won't be taking a hit to achieve it. I consider Maddison to be better VFM than Vardy, and Vardy is a slightly awkward price. The Burnley home match is arguably the best of their next 3, and I am happy to wait a week or two to get Maddison in.

Norwich's fixtures aren't horrible but, to your point, the injuries are crippling them and they don't have a deep enough squad to cover. The gung-ho attacking style is all very well when the team is playing with belief, but that must be in question now. If Bournemouth rip into them (which is by no means guaranteed), I definitely won't want to continue to hold.

Prioritising the things I need to fix over my wishlist, which seems to be bit more "pliable", would mean that Pukki out takes precedence over Maddison in.

Had I not brought in Yarmalenko last week, I may well have taken a -4 this week to turn Van Dijk, Cantwell and Pukki into Soyuncu, Maddison and Haller. I am still heading in that direction, but will take an extra week or so to get there - as above, without having Maddison this coming week, I don't think he is necessarily an upgrade on Yarmalenko for GW10 given the fixtures (sou or SHU).

[raoul]

You now have me thinking Yarmolenko.

Which is interesting.

[Fuzzy]

GW09 Review

In what seemed to be an underwhelming week for everybody, I managed a (slightly fortunate) 47 points, and rank is now inside 200,000 for the first time this season.

With Salah, Otamendi, Pukki and Yarmolenko in my squad, I briefly considered wildcarding into next week, but I will resist.

My current squad (with 1.9m banked) is:

Ryan, [Button]
Robertson, Otamendi, Soyuncu, [Lundstram, Rico]
Salah, Sterling, KdB, Mount, Yarmolenko
Abraham, Pukki, [Greenwood]

My next move was going to be Pukki to Haller, but West Ham have been so impotent the past couple of weeks that I have lost faith in their ability to capitalise on the 2 home fixtures they have next. (And a fixture against the Blades doesn't seem quite so promising for attacking returns now as it did a few weeks ago).

I want TAA by GW13 (but not necessarily in GW12), and Pukki and Otamendi will be leaving my squad in that time.

I have thought about a few different options and possible formations, but will stay with the current 3-5-2 for the timebeing. (Up until yesterday evening I was more likely to head towards 4-4-2).

A combination of factors have swayed my thinking – i) I am fixed on having Trent and Robbo; ii) I have become a little more content with the options in the ~6.0m midfielder range, iii) I like the scoring outlook for 6.0m-ish midfielders more than for 5.5m-ish defenders (as I need to pair them with a 4.0m base defender or 4.5m base midfielder respectively) and, importantly iv) I can make the budget work (just) AND be satisfied with the XI I can put out weekly AND the flexibility. My increased confidence in Lundstram as an occasional starter, which allows me to go cheaper at D3 and to utilise a workable rotation through that spot, also helps.

Pukki to Jimenez will be this week’s transfer. Over the coming weeks, my outline plan is for Otamendi, Yarmalenko and Soyuncu to become TAA, Hudson-Odoi (or James, if he loses his yellow card habit) and probably Lowton. Unfortunately I need the Soyuncu downgrade to make it all work as I am 0.1m short.

Fixtures will impact the timing of the individual transfers, and price changes may also come into it. (I am not crazy about Mat Ryan’s fixtures from GW12 to GW15, but hopping on and off GKs is a fairly outrageous use of transfers, in my view.)

My one lingering question at the moment is when my wildcard will come out. I still have no idea (but it's not a terrible problem to have).

[blahblah]

If it comes to it you have the Lpool\WHam blank on December...

[Fuzzy]

You make a good point. I wouldn’t plan that way, but there is potential advantage to be had.

I need to look more closely at the surrounding fixtures to get a sense of what that could look like. (If a need doesn’t emerge in the meantime).

[Turd Ferguson]

GW18 looks really tough. Liverpool blank, Leicester are at City, and Chelsea are at Spurs. A wildcard might serve you well.

[Fuzzy]

GW10 Review

69 points, and a little more progress on rank sees me now sitting just inside 80,000.

With no Leicester attacking assets it was looking a little sad after Friday night, but I gradually ground my way back into the gameweek.

It could have been better – I dallied with bringing in Rashford for a couple of weeks before switching him out for Jimenez, which probably would have cost me a -4 somewhere down the track, but I opted against it. (With apologies to Rashford owners, I was a little relieved when he missed the penalty ). I don’t ordinarily like to dwell on “could haves”, as it clearly could have been worse, and it’s too early to call pass or fail on that decision anyhow.

Current squad (with 1.6m banked) is:

Ryan, [Button]
Robertson, Otamendi, Soyuncu, [Lundstram, Rico]
Salah, Sterling (c), KdB, Mount, Yarmolenko
Abraham, Jimenez, [Greenwood]

I am still on the same squad structure trajectory and the same transfers to get there: Otamendi will make way for TAA, with a Soyuncu downgrade to a 4.4/4.5m defender to generate the extra cash I need. Saiss may be the other half of that transfer (to subsequently become Guilbert at around GW16 when Villa’s fixtures improve again).

How long I stick with Yarmalenko is my other query. Fixtures are still OK so I have time to ponder – based on direction for the remainder of the squad it would be a straight swap with another 6.0m mid (or maybe 6.1m, if price changes don’t bite). Daniel James continues to be a watch, Grealish could be a longer term target, and even Harvey Barnes could be a possibility if I blink on the Leicester attack (although I am far from convinced of him just now). All that said, I don't have very high expectations for that 6.0m midfield spot, and holding Yarma isn't a terrible thing.

In any case, I am hoping to roll the transfer this week – taking my chances on Otamendi who is otherwise covered by Lundstram from my bench, and getting another week to chew over my choice of enabling defender.

[Fuzzy]

(Note to self - an alternate pathway to funding the small shortfall I have on getting from Otamendi to TAA could be Ryan Gazzaniga. I would like to keep Ryan for this week though.

Doing it that way I get to keep Soyuncu and I dodge Brighton’s tricky upcoming stretch. I still have the wildcard to undo Gazzaniga later.

I expect it was my stubborn resistance to hopping between GKs that prevented me from seeing this earlier )

[Fuzzy]

GW11 Review

66 points, and rank stayed reasonably steady at around 80,000.

Soyuncu on the bench stung a little. On the plus side, I chose to bench him rather than bench Lundstram. On the minus side, it was Otamendi’s 1 minute appearance that kept those points on the bench. I can’t get cut up about it, my reasonable assessment was that Soyuncu was going to be a 6-pointer at best and that starting Otamendi was a reasonable punt to take.

Otherwise, Jimenez justified his inclusion. Yarmalenko is a cause for concern. This week’s transfers have been made already, and it is Ryan, Otamendi Gazzaniga, Alexander-Arnold. I chose to go early to avoid being priced out by the Gazzaniga rise and the Otamendi drop. Maybe it’s 1 week early for Trent, but I didn’t see a lot of upside in a 1 week punt on another defender (and who knows what arising problem I will be looking to address after next week?).

My squad (with 0.0m in the bank) is now:

Gazzaniga, [Button]
Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Lundstram, [Soyuncu, Rico]
Salah, Sterling, KdB, Mount, Yarmolenko
Abraham (c), Jimenez (v), [Greenwood]

I feel a little exposed with no Leicester forwards (Vardy, Maddison, Tielemans). That said, I will go without for a while longer. I came close a few weeks ago, but decided to opt for Robertson and Yarmalenko over Van Dijk and Tielemans. That’s a bit of a wash over the past 3 gameweeks however Yarmalenko’s shaky job security is a concern.

He may go after next week. Nobody else has an approaching best-before date – forthcoming fixtures are generally favourable – however a 5th yellow for Sterling might trigger a rethink. Salah remains a watch, I would like to see how he presents after the international break before making a call on whether to sideways him to Mane. In all honesty I would prefer not to.