RMT - Here We Go Again

[Flashheart]

Important for me to get this right early doors due to being on holiday when the season starts. Don't think the wife and kids will forgive me for ignoring them for TFF.

It clearly looks like 5:3:2 offers the best formation this year so here goes:

Ederson £4.4m - Top keepers deliver the points with saves included.

Laporte £4.5m - Cheapest way into City defence. Cancelo looks too pricey which means too many other compromises.
Robertson £5.2m - Cheaper than TTA and VVD and Liverpool defender is needed given their start.
Guehi £3.0m - Based on performance last year. Hopefully it can be maintained.
Lenglet £3.0m - Tottenham looking very strong this season and he could be a bargain.
Zinchenko £3.2m - Aresenal's start can't be as bad as last season given the early fixtures.

Johnson £2.5m - Cheap Forest enabler.
De Bruyne £6.5m - Not much value in midfield. Ended last season strongly and scoring in preseason.
Guimares £3.6m - Seems to be the 'cheap' midfielder of choice.

Salah £7m - Nothing needs to be said here.
Son £6.7m - Golden boot winner in a stronger Spurs team.

This gives me £0.4m if I need to bring in Haaland or Kane.

Only questions I have are around Lenglet and Zinchenko. I can start with Dier (£3.2) and see how Lenglet settles in and there's also the option of Spence (£3.1). I could start with Gabriel instead of Zinchenko but if I have Gabriel and Dier I would have to downgrade Bruno to someone like Bissouma.

Any thoughts welcome.

[buttonphobic]

I like the flexibility of being able to upgrade to those other big hitters. If it was me I’d just check out a few more combinations of those three cheaper defenders. I would have thought Zinchenko will be a regular given his cost!

[Johnners]

Just keep an eye on Laporte's fitness too. He didn't travel to the US on City's pre-season tour.

https://theathletic.com/3439099/2022/07 ... b-america/

[murf]

Not a bad team. Set up slightly odd with 3 solid but cheapish defenders at the same(ish) price mark.

I had thought of a cheaper keeper like Pope (others say Sa) but that doesn't really give you enough to upgrade to a City/Liverpool defender so your way is better other tgan the inflexibility.

That midfield is pretty standard on the RMTs. Not overly keen on it but there are so few stand out picks that I may use it.

Son? Maybe but I wonder if he'll keep pace with Kane/Haaland/Salah this year.

[blahblah]

Just keep an eye on Laporte's fitness too. He didn't travel to the US on City's pre-season tour.

https://theathletic.com/3439099/2022/07 ... b-america/

It's behind a paywall.... is he broken or unvaccinated etc?

[bob]

Robertson and Salah not involved in the World Cup (same for Haaland) which I like

[Johnners]

Just keep an eye on Laporte's fitness too. He didn't travel to the US on City's pre-season tour.

https://theathletic.com/3439099/2022/07 ... b-america/

It's behind a paywall.... is he broken or unvaccinated etc?

Not broken necessarily, but the article suggests it was for fitness reasons rather than his vaccination status.

[blahblah]

Thanks

[murf]

Robertson and Salah not involved in the World Cup (same for Haaland) which I like

Not sure how relevant that is now with 40 transfers and it being a few months off.

[blahblah]

Is the WC being considered as 1 week ie 5 transfers?

[murf]

Is the WC being considered as 1 week ie 5 transfers?

Shouldn't be. Not that it exactly matters unless you get very, very unlucky.

[blahblah]

Is the WC being considered as 1 week ie 5 transfers?

Shouldn't be. Not that it exactly matters unless you get very, very unlucky.

I'm thinking of fresh players after the WC, ie players that don't go deep in it....

[Flashheart]

Just keep an eye on Laporte's fitness too. He didn't travel to the US on City's pre-season tour.

https://theathletic.com/3439099/2022/07 ... b-america/

Thanks for that. Reading around it it doesn't look too promising for the start of the season. Any thoughts on Walker as a cheaper temporary replacement?

At least I'll have the Community Shield to see how City line up.

[Johnners]

Just keep an eye on Laporte's fitness too. He didn't travel to the US on City's pre-season tour.

https://theathletic.com/3439099/2022/07 ... b-america/

Thanks for that. Reading around it it doesn't look too promising for the start of the season. Any thoughts on Walker as a cheaper temporary replacement?

At least I'll have the Community Shield to see how City line up.

Walker could work in the short term, but he only played around half of City's PL games last year for one reason or another, and if Cucurella signs then it's a transfer waiting to happen. If it's a City defender you want then personally I'd rather stump up the extra cash and get Cancelo.

Like you said, no harm waiting for the CS team sheet first. You never know, Laporte might even be on it!