ARs Thinking Space

[Sutter Kane]

Can you have too template?!! Lots of people aren't using the FH so template will still crush most people. Chelsea should keep one clean sheet, defensively they have been decent vs lower teams. (bar B'mouth away game) The thing is, what else is there? Palace are definitely not better defensively; Chelsea are the fourth best defensive team in the league, only 1 GA more than Spurs. Duffy offers threat at set pieces I guess but they have FA Cup game and S'ton are OK in attack nowadays (and also a bit desperate). So it's the lesser of evils and in this situation many of us are in with the FH, those last few spots are often lesser of evils, that's why we pick them last and why it's easy to pick holes in those choices! Son is another one. Alli, Son, DSilva all capable of big hauls this week but with caveats for each player.

[Aldershot Rejects]

Can you have too template?!! Lots of people aren't using the FH so template will still crush most people. Chelsea should keep one clean sheet, defensively they have been decent vs lower teams. (bar B'mouth away game) The thing is, what else is there? Palace are definitely not better defensively; Chelsea are the fourth best defensive team in the league, only 1 GA more than Spurs. Duffy offers threat at set pieces I guess but they have FA Cup game and S'ton are OK in attack nowadays (and also a bit desperate). So it's the lesser of evils and in this situation many of us are in with the FH, those last few spots are often lesser of evils, that's why we pick them last and why it's easy to pick holes in those choices! Son is another one. Alli, Son, DSilva all capable of big hauls this week but with caveats for each player.

Exactly. There is a reason for the template this week. Most of those you mentioned I considered - If Lukaku was definitely fit the side would have looked a bit different but the main body wouldn't have changed.

[Aldershot Rejects]

Too template?

Two Che atb seems a bit heavy, and Son hasn't scored for ages? He was at the WC, then the Asia thingy... Was he busy the summer before as well?

Chelsea have 12 cs this season behind only City and Liverpool and comfortably ahead of everyone else bar Spurs - I'll be surprised if they don't deliver at least one cs.

Son has had a heavy workload until the last month.
2nd March - 79 mins
5th March - 71 mins
9th March - 18 mins
22nd March - 90 mins
26th March - 90 mins (scored)

That's a fortnight off before the international matches. Hoping we will see the benefit this week

[pokeface]

Last I looked, Rashford was flagged, is he good to start? Currently on Eriksen/Jiminez. But might go Rashford. Fairly torn.

[Aldershot Rejects]

Last I looked, Rashford was flagged, is he good to start? Currently on Eriksen/Jiminez. But might go Rashford. Fairly torn.

It still seems unclear vis-a-vis Rashford. Earlier in the week it seemed like Lukaku was out and Rashford was playing which made him more attractive. OGS didn't mention either by name today although all the focus seems to be on him at the moment rather than the team. I haven't seen what the Manchester press are saying.

[blahblah]

I posted a link in the Pub, which implies that he is ok ie was knackered and has had some rest...

[Aldershot Rejects]

I posted a link in the Pub, which implies that he is ok ie was knackered and has had some rest...

OK, I'll have a look. Still not entirely convinced what will happen with the Utd forwards - The Rashford pick was also done on the basis that Lukaku was injured, I'm not sure the latest news https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... d-16051212 is particularly clear either way.

One option would be to do:
Son - Rashford - Azpi - Kepa to Higuain - Jiminez - Luiz/Rudiger - DDG [means 3-4-3 rather than 3-5-2]

I keep toying with Higuain and this also gives some Utd defensive cover. Although it also means Jiminez v DDG

[Aldershot Rejects]

GW32 Review: Free Hit - 103 pts; rank from 42.7k to 29.8k

I guess I should be satisfied with that - 8 pts higher than the top 10k average of FH players and 12 pts above all FH players. It looked so much better after the first round of matches where I scored 70 pts and was nestled just outside the top 20k. Of course, my team had a much easier set of fixtures for the first half of the week but it is always disappointing to fall back. In practical terms, I am back to pretty much the same rank that I was before my disastrous GW31 and the trend is still upwards. Top 10k which is my target still feels a little way off though.

GW33 Preview:

I moved Aguero out to Vardy. If he is fit I might want Aguero back for my WC, but that is far from sure and last night's price drop means the maximum hit to get him back is 0.2m

My team for this week looks like this:

Fabianski
Robertson Alexander-Arnold Ake Pereira Lascalles
Hazard Salah Westwood Fraser
Wilson Vardy

Hamer Barnes Westwood

I feel quite positive about that. I still haven't finally decided on whether to go with Lascalles and Barnes. Barnes plays against Ake whereas I have no CPL player.

[Smurphy Paw]

Isn’t it cheating to play with 12?

[TheRumourMill]

Isn’t it cheating to play with 12?

Not if you have 2 westwood's in your squad Although going with Lascelles and Barnes as suggested makes it 13, which may be stretching it a bit!

[Aldershot Rejects]

It's been a long week and I'm knackered and looking for any competitive advantage I can find.

[Pirlo's Beard]

It's been a long week and I'm knackered and looking for any competitive advantage I can find.

You cheating b*stard.

[Aldershot Rejects]

It's been a long week and I'm knackered and looking for any competitive advantage I can find.

You cheating b*stard.

[blahblah]

Murray time?

[Aldershot Rejects]

Not sure he gets the minutes to justify it. But possibly.

[blahblah]

They need points, and have a DGW at home. I'm not sure that I trust their defence, so they need to score.....

[Oxford NZ]

Depending on Rashford's potential playing time I would take Murray (for another hit) for my squad, I must be the BHA of NZ - I need points, have no defence and need to score

[blahblah]

Hits aren't big or clever

[Aldershot Rejects]

Hits aren't big or clever

[blahblah]

I think that is the right emoji

[Aldershot Rejects]

GW33 Review: 74 pts and up to 21,654

Vardy & Hazard (C) assured me of a successful week. Only frustration is that I went with the wrong side of the Bournemouth v Burnley game, playing my 3 Bournemouth players and benching Barnes and Westwood. Westwood has done really well recently boosting my bench average considerably I did briefly consider playing BB last week but it meant taking a 4 pt hit - I would just about have hit the century if I had done it.

Anyway, I am not about 30 points off the top 10k which is now my target along with trying to get promotion from the FISO H2H Championship and avoiding the wooden spoon in my division of the Spring League. Of course that is achievable

GW34 Preview - WILDCARD

Having just about come up with a team and a strategy I was happy with, Harry Kane got injured. Of course, the fact that I was planning to TC him in GW35 (with a GW36BB) only made matters worse. Of course, I am not alone in this and it is better that it happened midweek than half-way through the Huddersfield match.

I am acutely aware that there are only 4 free transfers left after this week so there is that balance to be achieved between taking advantage of the DGWs and maximising points over the whole period. I think I'm going to go fairly aggressive this weekend with 2 Brighton and 2 Cardiff. The 2 Brighton picks are not unusual but I don't see that much love for either Etheridge and Camerasa. Of course part of the reason for this is that most WCarders and using BB next week when Cardiff have Liverpool, whereas I know plan to use mine in GW37 when Cardiff are home to CPL. Of course, Cardiff might be dead and buried by then! The trip to Fulham in GW36 is another possibility although I will probably TC Salah that week.

Conversely, I will start with 2 Liverpool players in GW35

Anyway this is where I am with a few hours to go (with £3.2m in the bank)

Foster Etheridge
Robertson Valery Dunk Duffy Doherty
Salah Son Eriksen Jota Camerasa
Aguero Deeney Jiminez

I must confess I am not entirely happy with this, but it feels like I have run aground here and can't see anything I prefer. Will probably to Duffy to VVD for GW36 (although Mane/Firmino are also options). Deeney will probably become Firmino or Rashford by the end of the season. Jota could become Martial before the deadline but that gives me a serious benching dilemma this week and I'm not sure how Martial quite fits into the Utd team at the moment - WHU is very tempting though.

I'm not entirely sure about going without Sterling or Hazard but Aguero and Salah just about got the nod. If I'm reading the starts correctly, Aguero has started every league game he has been fit for this season apart from GW22.

In terms of captaincy, it is probably a toss up between Son and Duffy.

[Mr Clarinet]

If I recall, our 1st drafts were pretty similar... the "final" versions may be even more so.
There are 9 picks the same, and 2 of the the 6 differences are my planned transfers in, in GWs 35 & 36 (if nothing untoward happens!). So that's Murray to Deeney and then Sterling to Salah. The other differences are my Ederson/Ryan to your Foster/Etherdidge as GKs, plus my VVD (who you are planning to buy!) to your Dunk and my JWP (who would've been Deulo if fit) to your Camerasa. So I'm very much hoping you have some great picks there, and a big score incoming!

[pokeface]

Quite shocked you don’t have Sterling tbh! You have long been his advocate.

I’m personally ditching Salah for now and using the Strategy of having 2 Liverpools (TAA and Mané) then using Sterling as the enabler for Bringing Salah back in for GW36 and potentially using my TC on him (form dependent).

I feel like we’re in a situation like we were earlier in the season where Salah/Mane have very similar ownership levels but a 3.0m price difference, so as I am not captaining Salah for the next 2 weeks I’m happy to go without.

[Aldershot Rejects]

Quite shocked you don’t have Sterling tbh! You have long been his advocate.

It was really between him and Aguero and I think Aguero will probably play a bit more. Finding it difficult to have both at the moment and Sterling has looked slightly off the pace in the last couple of games.

I’m personally ditching Salah for now and using the Strategy of having 2 Liverpools (TAA and Mané) then using Sterling as the enabler for Bringing Salah back in for GW36 and potentially using my TC on him (form dependent).

I feel like we’re in a situation like we were earlier in the season where Salah/Mane have very similar ownership levels but a 3.0m price difference, so as I am not captaining Salah for the next 2 weeks I’m happy to go without.

That was similar to my original plan - but I'm still torn between Mane, Firmino and VVD for my third 'pool player. I know I want Salah for GW36 so it seems best to bring him in now, particularly as I am not tight on budget the way my side has worked out.

[Aldershot Rejects]

If I recall, our 1st drafts were pretty similar... the "final" versions may be even more so.
There are 9 picks the same, and 2 of the the 6 differences are my planned transfers in, in GWs 35 & 36 (if nothing untoward happens!). So that's Murray to Deeney and then Sterling to Salah. The other differences are my Ederson/Ryan to your Foster/Etherdidge as GKs, plus my VVD (who you are planning to buy!) to your Dunk and my JWP (who would've been Deulo if fit) to your Camerasa. So I'm very much hoping you have some great picks there, and a big score incoming!

Interesting. I'm wondering about Camarasa to JWP anyway.

[Aldershot Rejects]

Having had two Cardiff players in my team all week, I have now jettisoned them both in my last minute tweek.

With 10 minutes left, it probably won't change from this:

Foster Lloris
Robertson Valery Dunk Duffy Boly
Salah Son Eriksen Martial Ward-Prowse
Aguero Deeney Jiminez

£1.3m in the bank and Duffy captain this week.

Good luck everyone. I'm going to lie down in a cold dark room and give my brain a rest.

[bigcliff2]

Quite shocked you don’t have Sterling tbh! You have long been his advocate.

It was really between him and Aguero and I think Aguero will probably play a bit more. Finding it difficult to have both at the moment and Sterling has looked slightly off the pace in the last couple of games.

I’m personally ditching Salah for now and using the Strategy of having 2 Liverpools (TAA and Mané) then using Sterling as the enabler for Bringing Salah back in for GW36 and potentially using my TC on him (form dependent).

I feel like we’re in a situation like we were earlier in the season where Salah/Mane have very similar ownership levels but a 3.0m price difference, so as I am not captaining Salah for the next 2 weeks I’m happy to go without.

That was similar to my original plan - but I'm still torn between Mane, Firmino and VVD for my third 'pool player. I know I want Salah for GW36 so it seems best to bring him in now, particularly as I am not tight on budget the way my side has worked out.

Unless something comes up, I'll be doing Lacazette Firmino for 36.

[blahblah]

They need points, and have a DGW at home. I'm not sure that I trust their defence, so they need to score.....

Permission to.....

[Aldershot Rejects]

They need points, and have a DGW at home. I'm not sure that I trust their defence, so they need to score.....

Permission to.....

NO!!!!!!!!!!

[Aldershot Rejects]

So if I'd stuck with last week's team, I'd have 61 from 8 (without any captaincy scores). With wildcard, I have 22 from 7 (although two of those will play again).

Ho hum