math(s)! 2020/2021 RMT Covidiot Edition

[Ironfist]

I would rather not anger the math demon or I will spend an eternity determining the root of random numbers in my head

That reminded me of an old sci-fi short story called "The Accountant" by Robert Sheckley from 1954. Excellent stuff, very funny.

[math!]

I am currently top overall and also top in the monthly points. I am 4 points clear in both so it is tight but really want to get manager of the month and take home the 70 euro. I would really love any and all recommendations/suggestions. I am not that bothered by the rotation risks at the back right now but Silva being doubtful is pushing me to wait (and miss price rises) until the end of the week.

[Curmudgeon]

If you really have a one week focus then upgrading Watmore to Martial for Sunderland's visit would seem to offer quick points.

Also, as Silva is doubtful, you could fund it by downgrading him to Depay, who might benefit from the Wearsider's toothless defending.

Depends whether you think that would be worth giving up your 4 point advantage by paying for a transfer.

You might also consider playing your AOA chip with that revised front eight, particularly since Gomez and Darmian may be tactically omitted and Targett may be injured.

[math!]

I like the AOA idea, it could more than cancel out the hit. Wouldn't Mata be more dangerous than Depay though? I didn't see the game earlier so I dunno how well Depay played aside from the assist.

[Curmudgeon]

Mata would also be good, as would a sideways switch from Silva to Toure if you thought Spurs couldn't keep up their clean sheet run. You have several options if you decide to take this short-term approach, which isn't necessarily too damaging in the medium term either, much as I like Silva. Get Martial soon (he DID rise last night, so he is not another Pedro) and you might even make some money as he could rise a further couple of points this GW, and certainly the next if he succeeds against Sunderland.

I have not been particularly impressed with Depay in previous games, but Martial's mobility (compared with Rooney's) means that there is more space inside for Depay to use, which seems his principal focus. I would be concerned about Mata and Rooney competing for the same space, but if they got that sorted out UTD might start to fire.

[math!]

I was a little worried with having a Man Utd midfielder as well due to future fixtures so I went with Watmore Martial before the rise (personally I think Martial is the real deal and may hold onto him after SUN) and had a change of heart with regards defence and did Darmian Evans for the long term. If Silva is fit I will fire the AOA, if not then I'll just go 3-4-3 this week.

[math!]

1 Free transfer with 2.3m in the bank. After a -12 last week I find myself still top of the league in both overall (level in points with another player) and monthly.

I'm currently thinking about replacing Richards with either Moreno/Sakho/Dier but frankly Swansea are so out of sorts right now he may actually get something next week.

[Curmudgeon]

Roll your FT over; Kolarov is fit, which reduces your exposure to post-European injuries and late withdrawals or non-selection (I am looking at you, Ranieri).

Or maybe switch McCarthy for Hennessey and gain 0.1 and a (currently) playing keeper.

[math!]

I miss Payet.


So I'm thinking about getting Aguero in for the Swansea game. Any suggestions on how to complete the puzzle? Stanislas was Hazard and Aguero was Ayoze. I don't intend to confirm any transfers until the end of the week unless potential price changes take effect.

[PitchBookMaker]

I miss Payet.


So I'm thinking about getting Aguero in for the Swansea game. Any suggestions on how to complete the puzzle? Stanislas was Hazard and Aguero was Ayoze. I don't intend to confirm any transfers until the end of the week unless potential price changes take effect.

Coutinho in for Mane

[math!]

With news that Aguero is still out, I may just change the plans. Was thinking Manè to Stanislas and Ayoze to Giroud (AVL away, MCI home, SOU away, BOU home).

So the team for next week would be:
Butland
Bellerin, Kolarov, Nyom
Hazard, Ozil, Mahrez, KDB
Giroud, Lukaku, Kane

[math!]

Well I'm about 27 points clear on top of my ML and I'm wondering if I should try to hold onto my free transfer this week with the aim of keeping 2 for the DGW period. I've avoided taking hits for a few weeks because it was so tight at the top.

[Ironfist]

That is a very nice team.
Bar personal preferences, I wouldn't touch it.

[19Yorke]

Agree this is a nice team. Would maybe consider Dann to Spurs defender? Or Giroud to Lukaku, who has a nice run of fixtures coming up.

[math!]

A roll is my main consideration though seeing Targett at 97% is tempting me to get him back. I had him from GW1 and lost 0.3m from his drops. I'm convinced from last season that he is a genuine up and coming talent.

[Mo Bot]

Roll or replace McCarthy for a bit of housekeeping. As per IF, nothing I would change other than personal preferences.

[Curmudgeon]

A roll is my main consideration though seeing Targett at 97% is tempting me to get him back. I had him from GW1 and lost 0.3m from his drops. I'm convinced from last season that he is a genuine up and coming talent.

I agree that he is a future star. If I was Chelsea I would be trying to buy him, and if I were Targett I would wait for a good team to make an offer.

[Ironfist]

A roll is my main consideration though seeing Targett at 97% is tempting me to get him back. I had him from GW1 and lost 0.3m from his drops. I'm convinced from last season that he is a genuine up and coming talent.

I agree that he is a future star. If I was Chelsea I would be trying to buy him, and if I were Targett I would wait for a good team to make an offer.

Not Newcastle then...

[math!]

I have made questionable decisions this season. I have made transfers that later made me scratch my head in wonder so i guess it's time to document my thoughts and actions so I can reflect on what I am doing.

Ok 1st in the ML is now around the top 3k. My team stands currently at

Elliot/Foster
Luiz/Jones/Maguire/Dann/Dunk
Hazard/Salah/Sterling/Gross/Carroll
Kane/Jesus/Wilson

I have already taken Abraham out for Wilson this week (and once again missed a Wilson hat trick ) so any further transfers will elicit a points hit.


Goalkeepers
Foster - WBA are awful this season. I might keep him due to Pulis being sacked. I would like to see Allardyce come in so I can hold. Plays Spurs this week so maybe he will get save points.
Elliot - the main issue is not the busted clean sheets, it's the lack of saves. He is cheap however and Dummett should be returning eventually.

Potential replacement: Foster Pope. Burnley are doing too well to ignore (why did I remove Mee?). But can Burnley keep this up? It seems unsustainable.

Defenders
Luiz - Obviously not nailed anymore. I brought him in back when I knew he would be used either at CB or in midfield. Conte won't use him in midfield again unless the whole squad pulled their hammys. Christensen is the future and should play as often as possible. Luiz can't remain benched can he? It is possible that Luiz plays UCL and Christensen plays in the EPL. All the same he has to go, but when is the right time to do it?

Potential replacement: Luiz Daniels. Bournemouth have a great fixture run. I would love a different Chelsea player but Christensen could be rotated any time and Azpi/Alonso are too pricey for my team structure.

Midfielders
Hazard, Salah, and Gross seem able to score in any match. Hazard is central to Chelsea's attack again and has been in great form for a while. The haul this week wasn't a surprise.
Sterling - a rotation risk and can easily be inconsistent on top of that. I don't feel safe having him.
Carroll - bench fodder but unreliable as a sub. I would like to remove him but he is too low a priority to be considered outside of a WC.

Potential replacements:
Sterling Sane. I don't consider this sideways as Sane is a much better player and while both could be rotated, Sane could earn more points over the season.
Sterling Pogba: Similar price. United played well this season with Pogba in the side. Would potentially leave me with no City coverage.

Strikers
Kane - Has a tendency to blank and with his price he might be better off becoming Lukaku or Morata.
Jesus - Will get goals but is too much of a rotation risk to be considered. Will definitely not remain in my team.

Potential replacements:
Kane Lukaku. Both are prone to blanks and the odd drought but Lukaku + 1.1m might prove useful.
Jesus Morata. Not really a potential replacement. Morata will be in the team but do I hold off a hit and wait until after Huddersfield? I can see both players scoring this week if both play.


I am thinking about Luiz, Sterling, Jesus Daniels, Sane, Morata. I could hold and take the chance that the former three play or do the -12 and improve the team now where all three replacements have a good chance to pay back the hit. I think I will wait until after the midweek matches. Sanè could rise tonight so I may have to decide on him today.


GW team will either be:
Elliot
Jones/Maguire/Dann
Hazard/Salah/Sterling (or Sane)/Gross
Kane (C)/Jesus (or Morata)/Wilson

or if I bring in Daniels and play 4-3-3 due to Gross having Man Utd this week:

Elliot
Jones/Maguire/Dann/Daniels
Hazard/Salah/Sterling (or Sane)
Kane (C)/Jesus (or Morata)/Wilson

[Smurphy Paw]

First of all, some of the players you are considering have midweek games. Saving £0.1m on a player who then suffers an injury is the most demoralising event. If you bought that player in for a hit already....I’d hold fire until later in the week.

This will also give you time to find out about Jones’s recovery. You had 3 non-players this GW. If that continues, perhaps Luiz is the only hit to take? Too many unknowns today though. Sleep on it

[No Way Jose]

I'd wait to see who plays for city and hear on jones like the paw. Much safer and apart from sane nothing seems too urgent and he has risen already now I think of it writing this. I want sterling out for sane too but will be waiting a while for that to be done without a hit. If sterling plays 90 this week and sane is rested I may change my tune as the hit would be worth it most likely

Sterling out not a pressing issue this week though. Every chance he gets a score this week against Huddersfield

not the worst week to take a hit given gross likely won't haul and Chelsea have pool. Luiz to vertonghen or otamendi would be 1 premium defender for another and likely make up the -4 this week given luiz is likely to score zero and gross 2

[math!]

So my intial thought was a maximum of Luiz, Sterling, Jesus Daniels, Sane, Morata.

After allowing Sane to rise (somehow I am not that bothered), and waiting until the last day it seems like I can retain two of the three.

- Jesus I believe is Pep's preferred striker in away fixtures and with Aguero playing midweek it looks more likely.

- Sterling is surprisingly City's top scorer with 11 goals (Kun and Jesus are on 10). I know being subbed in midweek means nothing but I'm willing to risk him featuring at some point. It will also give me an extra week to decide on whether he needs replacement (7.9m bought price for the top scorer of the top attacking team in the league!) and look at the potential replacement (i.e. Pogba, Fabregas).

- Luiz is still someone I need to remove. I think Daniels is a good choice but Christensen may be worth taking a chance on. I could wait and see if he plays against Liverpool and if he has a good game however the next match is on wednesday which makes rotation a threat. I don't see why he can't play all of the matches though. Azpilicueta was able to play every single minute of every EPL match in Conte's short Chelsea career.

[math!]

Two quick GWs since my last post. The first GW a (C) Hazard cameo denied me a differential (VC) Salah haul but thankfully I stuck by him and the haul was passed back to Eden.

First GW I made a triple swoop removin Luiz, Jones, and Abraham for Wilson, Christensen, and Kiko Femenia. The Wilson transfer had already occurred so the next two were about finding the funds to swap Jones for Christensen.

The second GW I rolled a transfer so I now have two transfers to play with for the first time this season and, with my OR rising by 400k today, this is hopefully a turning point.

• Goalkeepers Foster/Elliot
  
  Holding Foster turned out well this week, hopefully Pardew will build on the CS. Elliot on the other hand may be a necessary removal before he inevitably drops. So I am a situation similar to past seasons where I have only one GK and may have to rely on him for a bit. Elliot :transfer: Speroni would be ideal if he can be guaranteed to play ahead of Hennessey.

• Defence Otamendi/Christense/Maguire/Dunk/Femenia
  
  I have spent a bit on fixing my defence but I am quite happy with what I have. Most of them have great fixtures over the next 6 GWs or so. One player I would love to have is Sakho, a player I've always rated even before he joined Liverpool (though it was more potential then). He has raked in 28 points in the last 3 matches and I somewhat regret not pulling the trigger when I had the chance (I jumped on the Dannwagon instead).

• Midfield Hazard/Salah/Sterling/Gross/Carroll
  
  Three potent players in form, a player who used to get points but has the class to get them again, and a rotter. I would like Gross and Carroll to be Ramsey and RLC. Being able to spot when a player will go on a dry run is pretty advantageous (they are not impossible to spot, but still a bit risky - almost ike playing poker). If I were to make a transfer it would likely involve Gross Ramsey. Pogba was of interest until his red. Sterling is City's top scorer and I see no reason to remove him atm.

• Strikers Kane/Morata/Wilson
  
  I have felt a few times this season that Kane is overpriced. I feel he is able to score 3-4 goals in one match but he can blank quite as easily. I think Morata as S1 might be better for his price. I am not committing to Kane someone (maybe Lacazette if Giroud doesn't dislodge him but having an Arsenal striker is a gamble) just yet but it is a thought. Another consideration is going 3-5-2 with Ozil or Sanchez coming into the midfield and downgrading Wilson.

Carroll is dropping and Speroni is rising tonight so my decision might be made for me it seems. I have no qualms with my other players right now so this could be an easy enough decision.

[math!]

GW1 & 2

What did not go well:

Jota - I picked a player I knew nothing about and went off the appraisal of others. Instead of picking Richarlison, a player I knew well and even suggested to the forum last season.

King - Frankly he just let everyone down. Wilson of course scores when you don't have him so I will not under any circumstance bring him in

Mahrez - an instance where I went against my intuition. I never felt he was a safe pick this early in the season and he has disappointed.

Arnold - to an extent. Needs to stop getting booked first and foremost, after that his distribution must improve however at 5.0m it isn't a necessity.

What did go well:

Pretty much everything else.

Alonso - A natural risk due to a switch to a back 4, a new manager, and a new style. Last season I brought him in at roughly 7.1m because I was stubborn. This season I'd rather have had him at 6.5m

Mane - hopped on and off pre-season but someone mentioned his stats would have been on par with Salah last season (or thereabouts) had he not gone to the ACON. Has always looked a threat. Is an explosive player (yes, explosive), and is the kind of man you'd expect to see powering into the box with the ball at his feet, with the quality to boot it into the net (explosive ).

Mendy - Looks like a battering ram on legs. 4 assists in two games.

Gray - Looked a good player in a confident team with a hard working striker partner.


GW3 time

Transfers:

King Ings. A template transfer to be sure, but a welcome one. Looked good pre-season, and at Burnley. Often mentioned as a steal at his price and so he is in. Jimenez is not known as a prolific scorer, perhaps if Wolves signed one, and he was cheap, it would be great news for their fans and FF managers alike. Still, he is worth monitoring.

Jota Rich. Correcting this mistake 2 weeks late. Had I started with Rich and sought a suitable alternative to Mahrez, I'd probably be in the FISO top 10. Jota could be good later in the season and may return. Mahrez will be out next weekend ready for GW4.


Captain

Salah or Aguero?

Wolves last two matches:

Everton had 6 shots, 5 in the box, and 4 of those 5 were on target. 3 on target shots came from open play, and only 1 of those 3 (Richarlison's goal) was inside the box.

Leicester had 6 shots also, 5 of which came from outside the box with 1 being on target, the one in the box was on target (Chilwell from the left). The 5 from outside the box were all clustered together in the centre just outside the box.

In both games Wolves played against 10 men (Jagielka off around 40', Vardy off around 66').

Looking at Brighton's second game. Man U only had 1 shot on target in the box (not counting the penalty) and it was Lukaku's goal. The other shot was a Pogba long distance shot.

I'm still leaning towards Aguero here, though the landslide Salah vote is causing me concern - particularly when so few are saying why they choose him.



On the radar:

Hazard. Under Sarri he could raise his game to a new level either on the left or in the 'Mertens' role. With Kova and Jorginho in midfield, we have three players who can 'unlock defences'. I'm not cautiously optimistic, I'm downright excited.

Sterling. 11m too much, too little, just right? If he starts it could be underpriced. It's a choice of either him or Aguero.

Arnautovic & friends. WH I expect to be good eventually, with the quality and manager they have brought in. One to keep a close eye on.

Holebas. Can terrorise left flanks with Pereyra, is also on some set pieces and corners. Needs to stop getting booked.

[Aldershot Rejects]

Great write up and 2 solid transfers.

Agree re Hazard. At the moment, I'd much rather have Aguero than Stirling I think. Arnie also on the watchlist but fixtures are putting me off.
Holebas could be great once they get their tricky run out of the way.

[math!]

Wow math! only 2 pages in, what, 4 years? Fashionably late start too? Get it together man.


Ok then. What's the dilemma here?

Goalkeepers

Well everyone has Pope, and why not? His only concern is injuries and a random Hart attack. Do I like this selection? Yea. So who else is there at 4.5?

Dean Henderson. An impressive U-21s keeper who is signed (re-signed even) to Man Utd. Sheffield did well defensively last season conceding an average of 11:54 shots, with an average of .70 goals per game with Henderson in goal but Henderson only had an average of 2.43 saves. Not quite what you want but then again that's the Championship. I smell a differential here but will I go for it?

Button up? A rotter who seems to be the least likely of the 4.0s to remain a rotter. I'm not rotating keepers again after last season. Stick to your guns man.

Defenders

A lot going for Arnold over Robbie for that Liverpool 7m slot. That's despite Robertson scoring better last season and Arnold having a chance of being rotated with Gomez.

Zinchenko aka KDB jr. - so he is seen as a risk but from whom? He ended the season well enough. Mendy is injured (is he ever not?). Danilo is gone. Cancelo is a right back really. Would Pep actually move Walker to the left one day? Probably not anytime soon.

KWP (I keep calling him Kevin Wright-Philips)- risky but Aurier is shit. Cheap and has a good first fixture during the darkness era of the season where nobody knows nothin'.

Digne - can be an amazing attacking player on his day but he is 6.0m.

The 4.0m - So Rico is so hot right now. I have Kelly currently. I liked watching him last season when he played. Shame about the Cahill signing as that made Kelly more likely to play. Has PVA to usurp at LB so maybe I will go for Rico as well

Zouma - Has the advantage of being a lefty. Rudiger is no doubt the best CB we have but the alternatives are a bit dodgy. Zouma was a class act pre injury with potential. Has been shaky in pre-season with Christensen (Another player who was rated highly potential wise). I have seen Christensen play dodgy with an experienced partner as well. Could be Zouma + Rudiger or could be Rudiger and Azpilicueta in future. Then there's Tomori who Lampard will give a chance to if he earns it.

So D2 is still up in the air here with players like Digne, Coleman, even a drop to 4.5m player like Lascelles and an upgrade to someone like KWP.


Midfield

Salah - yes. However if he looks like entering a goal drought he is gone.

Sterling - yes.

The other three are where I have the most issue. So who is causing this headache?
Martial/ Pulisic - The two 7.5m lads. Okay so Pulisic had some good moments in pre-season and scored some good goals. I want him. Now Martial (Who's an actual striker) might be playing up top? Sounds gold. Regrettably going for the Man U player

Barkley/Trossard -
In the Blue corner we have a man reinvented for the second time in a year. Has taken pens and scored every one. Has played some absolutely beautiful passes that lead to goals. Can play in both the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 that Lamps uses the most.
In the white and um blue corner we have Trossard, a man I have never heard of before but has been mentioned quite a bit here and on FFS. Turns out he did quite well for Genk and is going to play for a manager who wants to attack more, with one of the best opening run of fixtures.

Can't I just have both?

The 5th man - Dendoncker. Yea everyone has him it seems. Just a placeholder for the first few weeks really. Have my eye on Callum Robinson but he is 5.5m.

Pepe - I watched this guy a few times for Lille and loved him. Was my favourite player in L1 (Sorry Kylian). Absolutely lethal on a counter attack, he would pick the ball up on the right wing and just go for the jugular. The price is too high to gamble right now but if Emery plays a style that suits him, it will be hard to ignore.

KDB - Could be undervalued at his price. The only reason I don't have him is because I have Sterling. He's played in pre-season from what I have heard.


The goal getters/dodgers

S1 - Vardy - always liked him. Is a natural goalscorer and I think Rodgers will play a style that utilises that.

S2 - King. I've never been a fan of either King or Wilson because they never seem to score when I have them.

S3 - Che (Guevara) Adams. My pride and joy. Can score, will score. Did well in pre-season. Could be undervalued at 6.0m. The sale of Austin made him even more likely to start.

Kane/Aguero/Auba - You know they are going to score eventually but will Kane start slow? Will Aguero be benched on 60 mins again every game? Is it worth ditching a defender or mid for him? Auba traumatised me last season, he scored when I had Lacazette yet blanked and was benched when I had him.



Team for GW1

Henderson/Button

Robertson/Zinchenko/Digne/KWP/Rico

Salah/Sterling/Martial/Barkley or Trossard/Dendoncker

Vardy/King/Che

The issue with this team is I have to bench a player.

I have always focused on players rather than price-points in the structure, and on qualitative analysis rather than quantitative (even though I value both). Maybe it's time for a paradigm shift?

[blahblah]

BB? But might take a little fiddle ie Locadia for Che to get a playing GK though.

[math!]

GW 1 Team:


Pope

Robertson/Zinchenko/Zouma/KWP

Salah/Sterling/Martial/Pulisic/Trossard

Vardy

Bench: Adams, Greenwood, Rico

Risky defence, a lot of potential in midfield, and a solid striker.


After GW1, Adams comes in to form a 3-5-2 with Zouma and KWP rotating. If KWP is in danger of rotation (or Zouma) then Montoya replaces on of them with 0.5m in the bank.

[math!]

What begun as a 3-5-2 became a 4-5-1 and now even the 4-3-3 is becoming tempting.

Goalkeepers

Pope got the cleanie. Burnley at home are a good bet. Hence why I benched Adams.

Dean Henderson still remains a solid alternative. The Sheffield Blades looked as solid defensively as they were in the Championship. Only two saves (one lead to the goal). Bournemouth had to go wide with their passing into the final third.

Defenders

TAA got the assist but the way Robertson kept running into the box or hanging around outside it makes him look like a real threat. He also has less of a rotation challenge. Defensively TAA and Gomez were liable.

KWP - wasn't hugely impressive but hopefully is still considered better than Aurier.

Zouma - Poor overall. Christensen was far better. Zouma could improve over time. Rudiger is in the 23 man squad for the Super Cup.

Emerson - He had three shots in or on the edge of the box and a total of 3 shots on target plus hitting the frame. He looks like he could score but Alonso is a threat to his position by just existing. If Emerson plays well he should keep his spot as Lampard prefers to give the starting berth to the strongest candidate.

Maguire- was very solid and nobody should be surprised. He was immense at Hull and I was amazed that he went to Leicester instead of a top 4 team. Would love to bring him in.

4.5m defenders -
Soyuncu had a very solid game and looks a steal for the price if Leicester can keep clean sheets.
Montoya played fairly advanced for Brighton.


Midfield

Trossard's 0 minutes was a shock considering how well he has played in pre-season. My concern now is Potter's tinkery. I can see him switching between 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 either at the start of the game or during which puts Trossard's minutes at risk.

Barkley - Clearly played on the left but his average position was a little more central left. Even though Mount played in the centre of the 3, he was forced sideways. Willian is in the 23 for the Super Cup and Kante is coming back so anyone can be a rotation risk. I think Lampard wants Barkley to be in the team in some fashion.

Dendoncker. A handy first sub with his advanced play. Still worried about taking any Wolves players while they are competing in europe. One of the reasons to consider a 4-3-3.

Pepe - A promising cameo and one to watch.

Pogba - Despite the assists, he actually played better defensively. He was the best defensive player for Utd along with Maguire.

Eriksen - changed the game when he came on. One to watch at least.

The goal getters/dodgers

S1 - Vardy - No Vardy no Party last weekend. Leicester were very sluggish at attacking but he came close a couple of times. Worth giving him another shot.

S2 - Adams' average position was more central than wide. He didn't get many shots. Interesting observation was that Ings' average position was deeper and had 0 shots. Burnley aren't an easy team to attack so Adams deserves more time.

S3 - The rotter Greenwood. Is more of an issue as I am interested in getting two more Man Utd players which means he has to go if so.

Kane - hit the ground running and looked threatening when Eriksen came on.

My most wanted transfers are Zouma -> Maguire and Vardy -> Rashford. Greenwood would need to come out of my team to facilitate this and it would have to be for a 4.5 (Brewster>).


If I were to completely restructure the team I would want Kane, Rashford, Adams as my front three.

[math!]

GW2 team

Pope

Zinchenko, Robertson, Rico

Salah, Sterling, Martial, Pulisic, Trossard

Vardy, Adams

Springing the 3-5-2 a week or so early due to Liverpool's defence being liable.


Defence

I really would prefer to have Henderson this week over Pope. Arsenal away for Pope v Crystal Palace at home for Hendo. SU conceded half as many shots and half as many goals on average per game though in a lower league.

Henderson could be a solid pick for Gameweeks 14-19 and gameweeks 25-30 along wih a possible defender. John Egan had the most shots on average last season among the defence though not a huge difference.

Zinchenko and Robertson should be safe to start though I am concerned about their CS. They could well get attacking points though. Rico hopefully will continue to start and be involved in set pieces.

Midfield

Salah v Sterling for (C). No strong feeling towards either but Soton shipped 3 goals. I may do a late swap to Sterling purely because of the Super Cup.

Of the midfield, Pulisic and Trossard are concerns on whether they will start but if they do then there could be attacking returns. Trossard is one to consider removing if Potter tinkers with his formation too frequently.

Martial might struggle against Wolves, I figured the european distraction would weaken Wolves but they cruised through their ties while resting some players (Jota is doing better comparatively at the start of this season than last. One to watch).

Strikers

Vardy has one more chance. Before the super cup I would say he had a good chance but Chelsea improved a lot. Perhaps playing to penalties late at night in humid conditions may give Leicester an edge.

Adams comes on from the bench for similar reasons along with Adrian possibly being injured. Hopefully Adams plays as the focal striker again. As a result Zouma drops to the bench. An additional factor is my preference to avoid attack v defence. I think Zouma could grow into the role and partner Rudiger.