S8 Ep37: FPL Pod: Keep or sell Erling Haaland?

Midweek fixtures returns to FPL pod does too. We reflect on Gameweek 27 and debate whether

it's time to sell Morgan Rogers. We ponder over a Liverpool triple-up and we're sweating

over a fair few injuries ahead of Gameweek 28.

I tell you what, sometimes I dread these Monday morning records when we're still kind of

seething from the Gameweek, but when you've had a better Gameweek, it makes getting up bright

and early stuck in FPL a lot easier. Guys, I don't have good weeks very often, but if I'm going

to, I'm glad it's from all we are speaking the next morning. Welcome back, Kelly here, Salmon

Jaws also here. I have, for once, had a good Gameweek and it felt like it was a better Gameweek

in general. This is your first reminder, by the way, choose a night deadline. That's why we're here,

six o'clock, 90 minutes for the first fixture, with three actually early kickoffs on Tuesday,

get underway. So yeah, there's your first reminder, we're going to dive into everything from the weekends

and look ahead to those fixtures for you over the next 35 minutes or so, but yeah, I'm quite

happy with my Gameweek. What about you, Jaws? Well, 64 points in the end is not too too bad, it's

above average, but it feels like this was the weekend where you could rack up a lot of points,

and I missed out really, and it feels like a missed opportunity, really, which is a bit

a bit annoying. I was saved by Bruno as captain. You know, we talked about it on the last show.

I felt it was a really strong captain. The first half hour, I really cursed him and cursed

him, I've been given him the number because United was so bad and Palace was so just so dominant and

so easy. Really, after that, it got better with the penalty, obviously, and the bonus points,

the assist for the Chesco goal, all of that. So it was good. The problem is,

Harlan, obviously, surprisingly, not now involved. I had Enzo, because as you know me, I don't

really care who's on the bench, who's the first serve, second serve third serve. I didn't even know

there was first second on third. So I had, you know, I leave the few points with Sennesee

on the bench instead of Enzo, but overall 64 points are taken, but it feels really like

for everybody who plays the game, seriously, it could have easily been 75 plus really.

Yeah, it was above average, it was never 53 at the average. It's just rare that you have a

significantly worse game week than me to be honest, Jules. It's just about the level, it's

I'm going to mention that you might catch him now. So let's give the listeners

and the viewers some context then. So I got 90 points this game week. Jules got 64, as he said.

Sam got 72. So we kind of hit all brackets. We kind of went from, we were all above average,

but we went from mid 60s to 90. Jules is on 1621. I'm on 1588. So there is still quite a,

there's a 33 point gap between the two of us, but I mean, I made up that almost this week.

This week? Yeah. Exactly. And then Sam is on 1541. So you're now 37 points by me. So that's

completely catchable. So it's actually, it's all quite competitive. I talk a lot about the

FPL pop mini league and our mini league. It's, it's very competitive as well with kind of 30 or

40 points between all of us. So yeah, Sam, talk me through your 72 points because you went quite

bold with the captain, I thought. Yeah, that's about your luck as well. From the bench.

Oh, yeah. Okay. We'll talk about that in a minute. Um, yeah. So I was on Bruno

a week and then on Friday night, I decided that I would try and roll the dice and just see if I

could move, move the dial a little bit because sometimes when you're chasing, you just have to take

a bit of an educated gamble. And I kind of thought, well, Bruno, it obviously in, in his

self will be a differential captain over Harlan. Um, but can I just pick somebody that maybe even

gets more, has more potential? So I went with Chargo in the end. And on Saturday, so Kels on Saturday

afternoon, I was nine points behind you because most of your points came on Sunday. And so I was

like, right, this has gone well. And I knew that it was going to take a hit on Sunday because I

only have three players to play, whereas everyone else had a lot more and you obviously had your

captain to come. But generally, it was a good week. Yes, I did have some luck off my bench,

but George, that is why good FPL managers put their bench in the correct order. I'm sorry,

let me start from this podcast for not ordering your bench. I just don't even look at the bench

to be fair, usually. So you're digging a deeper home. That's getting worse. So I had gay, he come off

the bench. I actually thought that leads would score. And it's, to be honest, in the first 25

minutes of the game, I was like, I did, yeah, I did it. DCL is my first sub. Imagine how good my

game week could have been if he'd have kind of particularly those early chances, cheese. Yeah,

right. And so actually, you know, I thought that they would score. And to be honest,

watching that game, I was like, I think I've called that right. And then actually in the end,

they kept the clean sheet. And by the end of it, when the career Riley was subbed off, I was

sitting there thinking, if this clean sheet goes now as a gay hero, and I will be fuming because

obviously, Riley's dead locked in already. But yeah, a decent week, a really nice big green

arrow again. So it's moved me in the right direction. I most enjoyed the sub-oslight of

Virgil goal when that happens. And you get the goal and the assist. It's like, oh, that's the

stuff of FPL dreams. So I very much enjoyed that one. Yeah. So a really good week. Thankfully,

because the rest of the football season isn't going so well, but at least FPL is starting to improve.

So yeah, moving in the right direction, at least. Yeah, I think the difference really

sounds between yours and I team. Because obviously you had two other captains. Yeah, but also

Eckertike. Yeah. And we'll see you in Wilson. Have you? I don't have Wilson. So he

went 27 points from Eckertike and Wilson. So that was a big thing for me. Yeah, I think

it was a third of my points. The reality for my team is that had I captained, because obviously,

Tiago ended up on six, Bruno ended up on 13. So had I left the arm band with Bruno,

the jump would have been massive and I'd have been like, I don't even done the maths on that,

but it was significantly better off than I was. So that would have moved me closer. Because

I didn't have Eckertike. I did get the points out of Virgin and so was lying that game. So that

kind of covered for some of that. Harry Wilson, yes, I guess that, I mean, that hurt for sure,

and still not convinced that the first one should have stood, but there we are. That's maybe just

my spirit. I do. It's maybe my spirit is coming in. I didn't see. Well, let's not go there now.

We'll talk about that again. But yeah, so those two hurt, but they didn't hurt that much because

actually their ownership like hasn't isn't that huge. So in terms of the overall game, it benefited

you massively because they almost act as a sort of borderline differential for you because they're

only in the like 20% ownership. So that's great, but it doesn't have a catastrophic impact on

right. And the rest of my team performed well, like you even got the upside of Cineci over Hill

this week with the Defcon points, which for a change that felt like a bit of a win having done

that good, good defensive points actually all around. So yeah, it was frustrating not to have

those two, but equally the rest of my team performed well enough that they kind of covered it out.

I just can't seem to get the captaincy right. And maybe I over thought it this week with the

trying to trying to do something a little bit different because I thought actually maybe that's

the best way to try and catch you is to look at doing something different to what you're going to

do and having done this pod together on Thursday. I was pretty sure you were going to

captain Bruno. So I thought, well, why don't you do something different enough now though that I

think all it takes is, should I mean, one time we had a very similar team, whereas I think we've

I've gone a bit different so it makes it a bit more fun. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, and that probably

will end when you wildcard, I guess. They'll look closer to each other so that gives me more

three weeks to try and make the most of the the differences that we have. I'm just going to block

all of your moves everything you do. I'm going to talk to you. I'm joking. I'm joking because actually my

target be great to finish above you, but my target like this week. And I'm saying this to the

listeners, by the way, that have had a really disappointing season because I think, I mean,

Jules hasn't had a particularly disappointed season, but myself and Sam definitely have

last week alone. I went up from, I think I was about 1,380,000 in the world and I'm now about

eight, nine, two K in the world. So I went up, I think it was about nearly 500 K in rank. Yeah.

And that's a 35% rank change. So it does just show that even if you've had an awful season,

just one game week can really change how you feel about the whole whole campaign. Just a couple

of players difference can make a really big difference. By the way, Sam, someone called Bolton on X,

message me and said, Sam, I'm juxtile for all of us. Maybe not. But isn't that what we said on Thursday?

I'm just what I'm going to do now with your your players every week, Kels. I'm just going to

pick one of them and jinx them with different weeks. And gradually goes from a whole team until

all of you say Sam, we've got on because of course these Monday pods are very, very busy indeed.

Just to check in then on the FPL pod mini, Henry captains, Eckertike and Boughton Wilson,

like minded top managers have those players. He got 91 points. So he just scored me. I'm joking.

I'm joking. Kim Lambert says now overtaking Oliver Tarby into seconds. Captain Bruno transferred

in Wilson, but the end dose that was a good move with 83 points. Overall, Oliver Tarby got 70 points.

He didn't make a transfer. And now it's five free transfers heading into game week 29. So

many wild cod on his hands there. Matt Marshall has gone from 10th to 4th. He got 94 points this week.

And Pedron Maschini climbed from 60 to 6th with 95 points, both Matt and Pedron, like Henry also

captained Eckertike. I remind you, then your code is xy6xpl. Let's crack on them with our off-the-bench

style roundup of game week 28. We'll start with Friday night football, finished wolves too.

Villanile, that was a huge result. In terms of FPL, though, the main interest, I think,

in that game for us was Morgan Vodges. Almost 730,000 managers sold him since game week 25.

I have been touring with it every single week. I told you that last week as well. And I'm getting

closer week on week out. Third successive blank. I mean, Sam, you're going to tell me you got a

match high for shots, but is it maximum? He's not returning. No, honestly, my rage at Morgan Vodges

I can't tell you how upset I was with him because the fixtures have been so nice on paper over

the last few weeks. And it's been impossible to sell him despite the fact that the performances

haven't really been there. Roll into this game on Friday evening. And I was like, right, okay,

it's wolves. It's a derby, surely, Aston Villa, and therefore Morgan Vodges turn up for this game.

So I'm going to hold him. But that's his eighth blank in 11 matches now, despite the fact that he

had four shots. But the problem is is that he's having these shots and no player in the midfield

has produced more shots since game week 18 than he has, but the quality is just not there.

So he's had 32 attempts on goal and just one of them has been classified as a big chance.

So you're not realistically going to get many returns out of shots that are either off target

or not good quality ones. When you look at his XG, so his expected goals per shot that he's taking

over that period is 0.07. So he's not expected to score these chances that he's having. And that is

a massive issue because it's obviously for us in FPL, you need those numbers to be high. You want

to see high levels of expected goals because that means that they're more likely to convert into

actual points in our FPL team. The positive thing for us, Kells, is that the fixtures are about to

swing for the worst. So now it's an easy sell. We can now say that. You say that, but his fixtures,

the next two are horrible. Chelsea at home, Manchester, nice to wake. I've looked at this a lot.

Then from 31, and we're all a bit obsessed with 31, aren't we? They've got West Ham at home,

Forest away, Sunderland home, Fillham away, Tottenham home, Burnley away. So actually,

I don't know. There's a couple of bad ones, so we'll sell. And I maybe need to stop being so

obsessed with 31, but after that, they're not that bad. But then if he's a pulling form, what's the

point? I don't think he makes a difference anywhere. The bad against good team, the bad against

bad team, they think they got quite lucky to be as high in the table as they were because all the

data, all the stats were really poor. I mean, the way they've overperformed the XG is ridiculous.

I mean, the, the, the XG that they have compared to the position in league is ridiculous. That's why

I meant because they just don't create it. They know good collectively, but they've never been

this season. And yet, at times, Rogers or Wendy saved them. But now he doesn't work like this

anymore. And that's why they so bad. That's why he has to go regardless of who they face, I think.

So you're going to get rid. Yeah, definitely. Okay. Sam yourself. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the only,

the only thing to caveat this with, of course, is that we're all in a position where there's a lot

of injuries going into this week. The Harry Wilson went off with a ankle problem. Nico Reilly went

off with an ankle problem. Declan Rice went off. Harland didn't play at all. So managers might

very easily find themselves with all four of them in their teams this week. And then you've got to

consider, well, Morgan Rogers, despite not being gray, is fit and can play. So no issues in your

team. He's an easy sell. I'm in the situation, though, where I've, so I've got of those players

he mentioned, I've got Harry Wilson and Erling Harland. I mean, we'll wait here updates on both of them,

particularly Harland, Erling Harlands, because I'd be less inclined to sell him, but I don't really

want to sell Harry Wilson, so I've got money in him. As it stands with my team set, which I do as soon

as the deadline passes, I had Morgan Rogers on my bench. I am more inclined to sell Morgan

Rogers on my bench than Harry Wilson and my team at the moment. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I would

do the same as well. So, but you, I think you can, depending upon where people lie, you can't

carry four injuries. So if you've got all of them, or you've got, you've still got a doggy or a

gear or, you know, one of these players that's been injured and isn't playing or just isn't playing

anymore, you just have to consider that. But if you are in a place where you can sell Morgan Rogers,

then you should sell Morgan Rogers because it's just not there. And it's not just that

he's not performing and he's not having big shots and big chances and he's not doing this stuff.

Village generally aren't doing it. There's five goals in the last eight Premier League matches now.

They're very slow. They've become quite predictable in their play. Yeah. They just don't look great.

And they're being chased down rapidly for the top four now. So I think, for me, they're an easy

sell. Any asset and better asset that you have is an easy sell to be honest, but especially

Rogers. Where do you go from there to elsewhere? What's your plan with Morgan Rogers? Where would you

go? I think Wilson will play probably him. I just think he's got the momentum again. And as we

saw earlier in the season, he's such a streaky player, isn't he? He's capable of returning for seven

eight games in a row. So I think I probably go there. You save a bit of money as well. You

know worried about the injury. I don't, I don't think he didn't look like a bad injury anyway.

And I think they need him, but he's the best player. So unless he really cannot walk and the

ankle is swollen massively, you know, I think you you play him. It's a, it's a, it's a massive,

I think it's massive played for for them because they, they do well and they can probably qualify

for Europe if they get unlucky. And you can't, I don't think you can play without him. It's been so

influential. So I think he will play. And that that's not a big, big injury. And also the ownership

is, it's quite big now again. So every time he heard, he scores like this weekend when I didn't

have him, he heard too massively. Sam, quick, they would you go to even more just say, well, my,

my plan was to do rise to rogers this week, but now I'll potentially do a lot of rise to rogers,

rise to Wilson. No, two rogers to do. No, definitely not. Now I might do, I might do

rogers to Wilson instead, but again, I'm just going to wait for team news before, before I decide

because I think there are other options that you can go to and we'll talk about some of them as we

go through. But Wilson does feel like the best, cheap midfield option in his freezaps and money

as well, which is always handy because you can then reinvest that elsewhere. Word on Joe Cesar,

because at a time where it just feels like goalkeepers, well, maybe it's because I've got Robert

Sanchez, aren't keeping clean sheets at the moment. Over the last three game weeks, he's total 23

points with two clean sheets. Is he now an option for us and goal jaws? I would say yes, if they were

not facing Liverpool, for example, in the next game. It's just that I think it was too comfortable

for them on Friday night against Villa and you didn't expect it that way. So whoever started him

this weekend, great for you. It was a outstanding pick really. Going forward, I'm not sure.

I think they would concede pretty much in every game going forward anyway. So he makes a lot of

saves. He's a good goalkeeper. They're doing a little bit better. There certainly would be happier

with a bit of momentum for the last nine games of the season. But they still will have difficult

games. Don't forget, they also blank, obviously, in 31. So for all those reasons, I'm not sure I

would be investing in him if I didn't have him already. Okay, moving on, then boom with one,

Sunderland one. Tovernie, there was a lot of debate. I felt like when people were looking at what

he went, Ryan or Tovernie, if you wanted to slight differential in midfielder, Tovernie had four

shots, which was a match. I'm an assist. Of course, he was returning to the starting level. He

has been out injuries. He's got set peace and penalty. He's on penalties as well. A home fixture

against Brentford and then a trip to Burnley. All the signs Sam are pointing to us getting

overexcised about him and then in Blanken. That would be difficult, wouldn't it? This game was

really frustrating for me as a Root and Sinesee. I was really hoping for a Nile Nile jaw. Of course,

it finished in a 1-1 jaw, which was not ideal. But yeah, he looks like a great option. And last

week, I really seriously considered doing Ryan in. I was really unsure about what impact it might

have on Bournemouth having him come back from injury because at that point, it's like, well,

who's going to drop out of the starting level and how do they shuffle the path to fit him in

because he was expecting him to start? Now, I think we kind of saw in this one. It was ever

nilson that stayed on the bench. Creep played up top in the traditional striker role. It really

got that well for him, did it? It was one of those where he, normally, he's really, really good

with his shots. Then, normally on target, this time around, he had two attempts. They both of them

went off target. Eureola brings on ever nilson at half time. And it makes a big difference

to the game. It puts Creep back in the 10. Eureola goes on to score their goal. At the end of

the game, he was talking about how he was much better. So, I don't think it's both well for Creep.

I'm still not sure I'm any clearer on which one of the midfielders I actually want, though,

because I still think Ryan looks like a fantastic pick. And that's kind of the problem,

is that going into the next couple of weeks, there's certain teams that I feel like I want to

invest in more heavily than I am. But I still can't quite decide whether which of the midfielders

at Bournemouth, I think, is the better option. And with ever nilson picking up what looked like a

dead leg, maybe he doesn't start again in midweek. We'll have to see how that one goes. It was a,

it was a, a performance from Bournemouth, where maybe they were a little bit, I'm like,

you're not to score again, as well, to be honest. George, George, where do you stand on the Bournemouth

attack midfield, Crandrum? Yeah, I think it's quite an interesting one,

because there's clearly different dynamics going there. We say Creep is so good,

so much, so good value for money. But then if he doesn't return, he might be cheap, it doesn't,

it's not good for us anyway. So Tavani could be an option, you know, I thought Brooks could,

could do well. But then in that, in that 10 roll, and then he came off half time because he was

not very good at all in that first half. I thought he lost the ball a lot. So as you go by,

I would not invest in the attacking players, but maybe Sam is right, maybe Ryan or Tavani,

or even a Vanill son, if he can play, and if he's fit again, because he looked sharp to be fair

when he came on. Maybe he's still a decent option. Just a word on my under as well. First start,

since game week 23 scored, we'll probably start again versus lead to only Sam, because

injured. What are you thinking about Sondland in general, and in particular his kind of options

in terms of FPL? Sondland is a really interesting, because they had such a brilliant start to the

season, especially at home, they were looking, you know, incredibly good. But over the last few

weeks, we've seen kind of a bit of a tailing off of their performances, even when they've been

playing at home. So the next few weeks of the fixtures are, so they've got leads away in midweek,

which is not an easy place to go, as Manchester United proved in the game we've just seen.

Then it's bright and Newcastle spurs, Villa, not in Forest Wolves, like the fixtures are still

kind of there. So I think you can invest. I think there's probably better options instead that you

would go to. But as a roofstone, I'm probably just going to hold him. I think with the forward line,

you just have to kind of, I think there's better options than the Sondland ones to be fair.

Yeah, it's hard to invest in them at the moment. I'm just missing Michiela. I was enjoying his

points. But of course, he's our injured Bernie three Brent for what an afternoon it was on Saturday

in terms of goals, by the way. Let's start with Michiel dams guard, shall we? Because I thought I

was quite pleased with Dango bringing him in as my transfer. I thought I was quite pleased with

his assist, but dams guard completely out of shunning with the two goals and an assist.

I've got 18 points, which is highest of the season. It was actually also, though, whose first

attacking returns, it's game week 18, which maybe tempers are interest a bit, Jules?

Yeah, a little bit. Also, he was a bit in and out of the team because he had some

some little niggals. The front four of Brentford all returned, which is quite incredible. I know

this called four goal, Brentford's got four goals. So it's likely, but still, we don't have many

front fours who returned in the same game in the Premier League and they did all of them. Shadr,

Thiago, dams guard, Dango as well. Pretty incredible when you think about it. So it's almost

pick, pick who you want really depending on your budget, what you need, who you think

could get better. Damns guard looked outstanding. Really, I thought Thiago could have had.

He took his goal really well. Maybe could have had another one. Shadr was maybe a little bit lucky

with his. Dango was a threat all the time. They were in really good form and they were that close

of not even winning the game, considering how good they were as a front four, which tells you

maybe that the rest of the team was not very good and credit to Burnley as well for coming back.

We mentioned Coyote on the last podcast and that maybe it could be a decent option,

you know, and massive jinx, the poor guy I had. And I actually think that he's called two on

goals, not just the one that was given to him. I think he's two and he goes really lucky to only

have minus one and not minus 15 or something like that. Sam, anything to add?

Kelle Herr was missing because his wife was having two babies actually, she had twins.

So he'll be back for midweek and therefore probably that improves defensive security, although I

don't think Vladimir. So it was the problem as two said. It was a nightmare for Coyote, wasn't it?

So yeah, from a Brentford perspective, I think I bracket them in the same sort of conversation

that I've just had about Bournemouth. I'm still really not sure about the Bournemouth midfielder

choice. And I still don't feel like I'm sure about the Brentford midfielder of choice. Like

Shadr and Dango, I go backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards

because I watched Shadr and I really enjoy watching him play. But then Dango is the one that seems

to pick up the majority of points and draws his right. Maybe Shadr was a little bit lucky to get his

points in this one as a Tiago captain and I was fuming with him for not getting another goal,

because I think he probably should have had another one during the course of that one. And then

I'm laughing if he gets a brace. And I think the Brentford fixtures, they remain nice over the

next few weeks. Obviously it's born within midweek before walls leads Everton and Fulham.

And then Manchester United and West Ham, it toughens up towards the back end of the season, the last

three weeks for them. It's Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Liverpool, so you could probably

afford to sell over the last couple of weeks, but between now and Gameweek 35, if you are a manager

that has already used your wildcard and therefore doesn't have one to play in Gameweek 32, Brentford

looked like a really great team to invest in relatively heavily, although I would steer clear

of the defence, I think, and just focus in on getting a different attacker or another attacker

rather to go alongside Tiago. OK, Liverpool 5, West Ham 2, as we've already said, really good

week for Hugo Eckertique and Virgil Van Dyke owners. Hugo Eckertique actually scored one of his

two shots and registered to assist. So these guys are going to tell me that he was lucky. 15 points

is his fifth and highest double digit return of the season. And Virgil was the most transferred

in and rewarded owners, almost company my luck with that one, and scored, which does mean that

he's got an attacking return for the third week in a row with 35 points across those three game

weeks as well. Those two, given the fact that Virgil missed out again and is a doubt, those two,

the standout kind of not must have skills, but if he wants to invest in Liverpool,

head of the season running, it's got to be those two. Yeah, I think so. If you have the money,

obviously available because they're not cheap, one as a defender, one as a forward.

If I could decay, he had one return in his last six in a Premier League before and then,

but that's the thing with quality players, talented players, it might not always

happen for him in a game, but you know that eventually if you just keep a bit of faith,

he would return and when he returns, usually he returns well. And that's exactly a kitty-kiss season.

When you think about it, the last return was 13 points, but between that, it's only two points,

and before that, it's only two points as well. So it feels like with him, it's just a lot or

not many. There's not much in between, certainly lately. For Virgil, I was just so happy knowing

that you two had him, that they considered not just one, the two goals, because at some point,

I could see the huge Liverpool win, not conceding Virgil's goal, and I was like,

oh my word, but at least you didn't get a clean sheet. But yeah, it's obviously a great option,

as we said. I went for Stobos Live because I just didn't have defends for either a kitty-kiss or

Virgil. Maybe I could have worked a little bit harder to find the money available and go there,

but I was happy at least with the Stobos Live assist. It could have been better because I thought

he played well. And I guess if you still own more Salana, and I don't know why you would,

but if you did, and you watched that game, five goals, and you had nothing, and did nothing,

I think you'd be really worrying, and it's the start to let it go, obviously.

Yeah, I have a kitty-kiss and Virgil's, I've said numerous times now, but Stobos Live is still

high on my radar. I might go there as my third Liverpool option, Sam, you've got him.

Yeah, I've got him, and I've got him in this week. I've got him in partly because I have

how bad West Ham have been from set pieces so far this season, but also because Liverpool have

improved significantly. So between Game Week 1 and 22, they scored three goals from set pieces,

which was the fewest in the league. Between Game Week 23 and 28, which is the game we've just had,

they scored nine, so they've obviously changed their set piece coach. That's the most.

They basically become better than Arsenal at set pieces and Arsenal are pretty good at them.

So, and Stobos Live takes most of their set pieces, so why would you not want to invest in

the Liverpool set piece, take a given that over the last few weeks they've become really,

really good at them. So, yeah, having Stobos Live and Virgil, I said early on in the week last

week that I thought that they might be the perfect combination to exploit West Ham's problem

from set pieces and their own strengths from set pieces. And so when that goal went in, I was

absolutely delighted. And unlike George, I was really hoping this clean sheet was going to stick

in this one, but I think owning three Liverpool assets genuinely is the way to go right now,

because they also give you a massive hand with getting through Game Week 31 if you're planning

to play through. So, I have Virgil and Stobos Live. If Harlan is not available from midweek,

then Harlan to Eckertike seems like the perfect move to make ahead of the midweek. The one thing I

would say is that on paper, this game against Wolves that they have looks great, but actually Wolves

at home have improved significantly in recent weeks. So, I think there is something to be said

about, you know, not, I wouldn't necessarily expect the clean sheet to stick for Liverpool. So,

I'm a bit worried about that, but then Virgil can easily score from a set piece, but tripling up

on Liverpool feels like a really good option right now. Just a word on West Ham, then Castellano

scored his second goal in four game weeks. Jara Bowing got an assist and they got the death

con again, exactly what you want from your forward line. 10 Defcon points this season now, but

West Ham's fixtures and form looks a bit tough. So, I'm sure it's not going to be too much

interested in investment there. Newcastle too, unless you're Sam, because she loves Jara Bowing.

Sam, are you considering Jara Bowing? I'm always considering Jara Bowing. I love him.

Yeah, he's great. I thought you were just going to say no and we'd move on.

No, I really love Jara Bowing. And I think the thing is, if he's going to pick up two extra points

every week, then as a third option, he's really not that bad at all. And if you don't have the

expensive assets, like if we're not having Colparmo or Sacka or maybe Harlan, if he's not fit,

then you can afford to have three decent forward options. Okay, Newcastle two, Everton three,

Beto scored his first goal since game week 24, Sandra Chenali, greater match, high three chances

against Everton. I'm struggling to invest in either of these two teams at the moment. Jules, are you?

Yeah, completely. I mean, I think for Newcastle every week, we think, okay, at some point,

they're going to hit their stride. It's going to be better. It should be better. Look at the

players that they have. We've said that all season long. And it's just not happening. I thought

this game was exactly, I mean, Newcastle are 13th in the table. 13th. I'd like to be 13th in the table

to be heard. Yeah, but you're going to go down to the championship anyway. But for a real team,

I'd like to see this team back in Asia. Yeah. Well, you two will play each other next next

evening in the championship. Everton, I'm eight. I'm not even, I don't even know how these

Everton team can be eight in the table, to be honest. But for Newcastle, it's the summary of

their season. I don't think what Eddie has doing works much to be fair for tomato as a 10,

Gordon as a nine in a game like this. I don't mind Gordon as a nine against a team that plays

super high defensively. This was never going to be Everton in this game. I just don't get it.

And you get what you deserve in a way. And it's the game that I think Newcastle should have

never been losing three, two, really. And they did. And the absence of Bruno Guimarage is so

impactful, negatively for them. That is going to be a problem until it comes back. Anything to add,

Sam? No, I agree with everything you just said. Wonderful. And then you against each other.

No, not too much of that. You're wrong on that. Because I was being, Sam's being

preferatiana, we might get promoted through the playoffs. Exactly. You'll come up with a list

for the Premier League. This is even worse than what I said.

At least no Manchester City one. The headline is Erling Harland. And Sam dropped a bit of a

bomb shell there, didn't she, where she said that potentially you could sell Harland for

EKTK. Jos, you thoughts? Yeah, I mean, yeah, of course, I thought about it last night.

It's risky because I'm not just the way I would say it. Guadalaj is not going to say, yes,

he's going to play. No, he's not going to play. He's going to be out for three weeks, two

weeks, one week, seven weeks, ten weeks, whatever. That's not going to happen. So we won't know.

So you might transfer him out. And then obviously he's going to play start, score, hit you massively.

All of the edges don't know. So I would rather keep and then hope for the best. Then maybe letting him

go because if he does, unless we know for sure, OK, he's not going to be there this midweek,

next weekend is the FA Cup. So it's a bit different because after that he will have

ten days to come back and play in the next game week for us. So that's a bit different.

I just think it's risky. I would love to. And if you two convince me in our group chat,

yeah, just go for it. It's guaranteed not to not to play. Then yeah, for sure, I think it's an easy move.

With them, with City and Guadalued, like keeping secrets kind of thing, as we saw this weekend,

because it was never mentioned ever that he was not going to play, then I would be gutted.

And also, I think the thing for me is the money I've kind of got in him as well, Sam.

So I was looking at that last night. So there's two things that put me off a bit.

First thing is Forest and West Ham, other midweek games, other next two games before the blank.

So ideally, you would have Harlem for Forest and West Ham. They both feel like Fixers,

they could do very well in. However, if he's out of midweek, then could you ride through

the West Ham game without him, particularly if you're going to go for somebody like Eckertike,

who has good fixtures, because then there's the blank in 31. And then you could potentially

bring it back in after the blank and target in on the double-game week if they have one. Of course,

they could still not have a blank in 31. We still don't know for definite what's happening there.

So then I thought, well, if I was to sell Harlem, how much would I sound to lose? So I've

currently got 0.3 in him. It's come down, because he's taken some price drops. So now there's

0.3 million team value in Harlem. The reality is that a lot of managers will end up selling him

over game week 31 to get out of full-playing team. So he will probably reduce in price that week

anyway. So I'm probably going to end up losing 0.1 overall by selling him. If he's out midweek,

then maybe I lose, you know, maybe you don't even lose that. Maybe by the time you buy him back,

he's back at buy price again. So I four weeks ago, I would have lost 0.5. Now that felt like too

much because you can't, it's hard to get that back because you're then relying on him coming down

a lot. Whereas right now, I'd lose 0.3, I think I'd get some of that back over coming weeks.

I've other people selling him ahead of the blank game week. So it's not something that's massively

putting me off, to be honest. What puts me off is I don't think Harlem's going to, I don't think

Pepp is going to tell me the truth about Harlem. I don't think Pepp's going to come out and say,

Harlem's not available. And if I sell him freckity K and then find him in the starting 11 versus

forest, I'm going to be needing a very, very large sofa to hide behind because it's not going to be

a pleasant experience to watch the highest don't play him in the game, play at home against not

being in forest. Like that, that feels awful. So I'll be keeping a close eye on what Pepp's got to

say for himself and hoping that he has a little bit of a change of heart and decides to be really,

really honest with us all about what's going to happen with Harlem. Of course, he won't do that.

But there's definitely a risk. If you are a manager that wants to take a risk,

Harlem to Eckertike, and then bring Harlem back in after the blank game week,

that feels like a relatively good decision if you're a risk taker.

OK, what about Niko O'Reilly, Jules? Angle injury. He was pictured in the gym, wasn't he?

I think it was a shame, yes, fair. I'm not sure that's the positive news or not,

because you can still do, I don't know, work on your abs in the gym, even if your anybody's a

little bit dodgy, you know, it's not like if he was doing the bleep test. So I don't let's wait and

see. I don't think again that Pepp is going to tell us much about Niko O'Reilly. He doesn't tell us

much about players fitness anyway, regardless. So it's a bit tricky on this one. If you have him,

maybe put him on your bench or suddenly have as we all do because we plan and we play this game

seriously, your first serve very important always. Every game week, your first serve very important.

Just in case, you never know, just in case somebody doesn't play it, then your first serve can come in.

And then in that case, you covered even if Niko doesn't play.

OK, Smenio, top point scoring midfielder in fan season, the 14th goal of the season is fourth,

since joining Manchester City in game week 22. Sam, it's hard to sell him at the moment,

isn't he? I know there's a blank, but he's firmly going to be one that stays on my bench during the

blank. He's currently got my captain on band for them a week round because it's a really tough

week for captaincy this week. So and especially if Harlan's not around, then I really liked Smenio's

performance in this one. I like what he does. It was a bit odd not to see him flipping through the air

when he scored his goal and celebrated afterwards, but apparently his mum told him not to do that

anymore. So we all listen to our mum, so that's a good thing. And his friend told him to do something

funny, didn't he? So that's why he did the guitar thing. Yeah, it was very random because I just

so used to seeing him back flip. But yeah, I look, I think Semenio is a fantastic pick. And he's

one of those though, although his ownership is relatively high still, has come down a little bit

over recent weeks because I think managers have been looking for to sort out their teams ahead

of the blank game week or the potential blank game week for Manchester City, but they've also been

looking at other options in midfield. Now I think for me, Semenio therefore becomes an even more

important player in my team at least for the next couple of weeks because it's forest and west

hammers we mentioned when we were talking about Harlan. It's two great fixtures. I've got money

invested in him. And I want to hold him beyond game week 31. I think Semenio is a player that you

have till the end of the season despite the blank. He'll be one that takes a seat on the bench

for the blank game week so that he comes straight back in in game week 32 because I think he's just

too important to us in FBL and he's becoming too important to Manchester City as well. I will bring

him as well. I know there's the the the blank. I don't care. I bring him in and then I find a way

because it's just every time he returns he's hurting me and especially when Harlan doesn't play,

he will be even more important to City. We'll have more shots more balls. He's going to be on him

more than than when Harlan when he plays up from with Harlan for example. So it's a no brainer to

bring him this week for this game against four. If we include the Defcon from last week that returns

in five of the last seven starts that he's made for Manchester City. So like you can't that's

an incredible run of form for somebody that's just come. I know that he's got Premier League

experiencing his pay for Bournemouth but to arrive in a team and play in the way that he has been

that's just excellent. Okay, Bryson too for us one Danny Wilbeck back on once the goals again

back to back games for the first goals and back to back games. Sorry for the first time since

game weeks nine and ten ten goals for the season his best ever Premier League season tally any

consideration there. Jules wider of you. Yeah, you should really you should if you're looking for

that third forward. I mean, I'm very happy with Joe Pedro Thiago and Harlan. He's still happy with

Pedro. You're going to play? Yeah, I think he's outstanding. I mean yesterday there was a tough

game obviously but even yesterday I thought he did well and if he scores that header by the way,

where I think he should have. I don't even think he's that great obviously from Raya

on that set piece in the second half on the corner. I think it turns out to be a very good

game for Dr. Pedro who I think had a very good game and I think he's an outstanding talent. He

really is even against Saliba and Gabriel so I would keep him and I know sometimes like we said

for a QtK they would they would be game week where he blanks obviously but I still think he's

so good that he's capable of of having massive returns but if you are looking for the third forward

and you can't spend that much on I don't know Harlan and QtK and Joe Pedro for example,

I think where back he's great. His first touch on his goal yesterday is outstanding. He's such a good

player, such a smart player that he's going to return again not probably not every game between

90 and of the season but you're within your guaranteed. I would say on the next nine games

you'll be guaranteed three or four goals which is a return that you take every time.

Okay, well back though Sam and you consideration. I feel like we've all not considered in this

season and probably maybe missed him at times. Yeah, probably and I don't love the fixtures for

Brighton. Obviously it's Arsenal in midweek, Arsenal at home, Sunday in the way, Liverpool at home,

then there's a nice game against Bernie, then they got spurs, then it's Chelsea, Newcastle,

Walls, Lee's Manchester United. There's a real mix bag of fixtures but over the next few weeks

if you were while carding in game week 32 I'd look at Wellbeck but right now I think for the next

three weeks I'll just avoid because Arsenal and Liverpool in the next three I just that's not

idea, is it? They were scored against those two teams. I'll tell you right now.

They are great attacking team. They are really good attacking team.

For them two spurs one, Sam, let's try to go about this one too much. We've already spoken

about Harry Wilson haven't we and he went off with all of like a twisted ankle I think it was

wasn't it and we're going to wait and see but he scored, got an assist bonus, got 12 points overall,

he's fourth in the whole midfielder standings with 140 points. You're both considering

bringing him in. I think we've spoken about him enough. Ellie Anderson's Defcon return has come

to an end. Anything else that you want to say Sam on this game? Actually don't know why I put

the Ellie Anderson stack there because it should have been in the forest game and just transferred

it. It's because Anderson has said that it's because there's an Anderson for yeah well and actually

when I saw the team she and the other Anderson missed out through illness I was like oh okay well

maybe the fuller will be a little bit weaker they weren't really but yeah Ellie Anderson's

defensive contribution run came to an end that was sad. That was man come on moment wasn't I

Yeah. Well that's my fault because I've transferred it into the wrong one. Harry Wilson I think

remains a brilliant pick. I think there were a lot of managers that weren't for Rauhiminers

last week looking for a new forward. I still don't think that that's terrible either. I think

fuller remain an investment. The fixtures look nice. Really good run that they have over the next

few weeks. They definitely feel like the cheap team to invest in like because none of the fuller

assets cost very much money so if Harry Wilson's fit and available then obviously he is the best

pick in that film side by by a long long way but if he's not then Rauhiminers instead feels like a

really decent option despite the fact that he missed out this week I think you could go for Anderson

in defense and that looks like a really nice option as well from a spare perspective just don't

get any just don't get any and then you'll be all right because they won't disappoint you like

they do me every week. Man United to Palace one I'm not even letting get involved in that conversation

of course so the call sent off for Crystal Palace meaning he'll miss there's a nice huge game

actually against Benjamin Chesco just staying in fact first starts since game week 22 with his

fourth goal in five matches. What do you think it was of Chesco? I feel like you'll have an opinion.

Yeah yeah it was my differential because you knew that he had that kind of momentum with him

he's getting so much better than what it was when he arrived which is normal you always need a

bit of time to adapt especially the mess that we saw in the Ruben Amorium for most of it or

certainly when he was playing now with Michael Carrick everybody's better individually the better

collectively he had acquired first half like that pretty much the whole United team and then the

second half especially after the red card which is which is a massive turning point obviously

it's much better for him it's to grow ahead of the scores I think he's got a lot of talent a

lot of potential that is still very raw because he's still very young but as you saw on the header

if the service is good he will give you that and you said 4 in 5 I think it's even 7 in 8 I think

and he's got a kind of form and against the team like Palace probably more than Arsenal of City

previously under Michael Carrick it's right that he starts ahead of Mbomo in the number 9 and

Bomo could go on the right like we saw and he was still interesting and Kunya on the left

this is you're almost hard again the front four or returning yeah okay anything I want to add on

that games no probably a bit unlucky Bruno owners that you didn't get or Bruno captains that you

didn't get a little bit more obviously has that free kick in the first half that is tipped over

the bar so probably he could have and maybe did have more but yeah really good performance

from Manchester United in the second half in the first half Palace doing well until obviously

they go down to 10 man so yeah I think Palace still remain a non-invest I can't see any value in

investing in them to be honest even despite the fact it spurs up next I think longer term the

Palace assets don't look like an invest but Manchester United certainly do and just having

Bruno Fernandez in my team I'm starting to question whether there's enough Manchester United

investment given that they don't have any other distractions it's literal focus on the league

maybe now's the time and if sesco starts again in midweek I can see me going for him in the

forward line as a bit of a differential between now and the end of the season but it's the risk of

him not starting every week the kind of puts me off doing it Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1 Gabriola got

an assist defcon and three bonus nine points no player can betroth 21 bonus than current season

or none of the defenders can better his 14 points earned from defcon it goes back doesn't it

just what we said about women managing the blank game week he's got so we've got to keep him in

our team whenever money in him as well he's just got to be benched hasn't he's by far the best

Arsenal defender despite timber scoring yeah absolutely timber scoring Saliba scoring although

of course as much as I love him and as you know he's my brother he should have never got that

good because I'm not sure he's on target but anyway good for him good for Gabrielle 2 in a tough

game as we said not much between the two teams decided on set pieces the three goals came that

way it's very positive if you don't have Gabrielle you have to if you already have him you keep him

and like you said you bench him for 31 when when he would blank you timber right of course

sold this week to score but we still have of the mindset Sam that is just Gabrielle as the

Arsenal defender we need yeah because they're not going to score like this was timber's first goal

game with two so he's not going to score every week and in recent weeks he's been in real

disappointment or I know he got the assist in the North London Derby but he then got substitute

early so only picked up three points on the back of it and Arsenal just haven't been keeping

clean sheets like early one in the season it was like clean sheet after clean sheet after clean sheet

and so you had to have two of them if you're going to make it make a difference to your team whereas now

yeah okay this week Gabrielle timber and Saliba all in the attacking returns but nonetheless

that won't be a thing that happens every week and so for me I still think that you can sell timber

ahead of the blank game week you hold Gabrielle rice is probably a bigger conversation obviously he

goes off in this one we'll have to see whether that's something that's going to keep him out I mean

week or not he's a he's a sell now that at this point isn't he where is he I mean he definitely

is ahead of game week 31 yes for sure the question I have is is he a sell right now ahead of

Brighton and Everton like maybe he's not maybe I would have held him for the next two weeks

because I'd rather have sold Morgan Rogers I mean maybe I'd sell both of them to be honest

but yeah rice will be a sell ahead of game week 31 and then probably not to reinvest

but I think whether you do it now or maybe depend on what our teta has to say later on in the week

okay let's just discuss then game week 29 very quickly it's 29 isn't it yet 29

because I think we've mentioned briefly what we're going to do with transfers and captains but it's

a tricky one isn't it Sam in terms of the midweek there's the FA Cup at the weekend too and there's

so many injury doubts so how much is all that planned into your mind yeah massively because like I

mean Liverpool travel to walls twice in a week and so you you've got to consider what might happen

like Finn points just come back from from injury came on in this one will he start in one of those

games yes probably will it be the bleed game yes probably but could it be the FA Cup game

instead maybe like there is a there is rotation that we might see across the Premier League sides

because we always do in midweeks especially when it goes into an FA Cup we can that follows

and then obviously you also have to consider the fact that if you have rotation in your team and

you're carrying a number of injuries that could cause you a big issue in midweek now obviously

sometimes these will come to nothing the injuries particularly as they're like they seem to be

rolled ankles for most of them so you know the Wilson's and the O'Reilly's maybe they'll be all

right for midweek and if that's the case then that takes a lot of the strain off of FPL managers

but we probably won't know for sure because our tetalike hard and I'm not expecting him to come

out and directly tell me that rice is perfect and then he's going to play so it's just something

you just have to manage I think across your team and as best as you can try and prepare for some

rotation and jaws for goodness sake set your bench up correctly yeah I always do usually different

of the week then jaws as you said you went with Jessica you got eight points Sam you went with Hill

and you think stay me got two points so jaws you go first thank you very much yeah it was

very good from Chesco this week we talked a lot about Liverpool and we highlighted Virgil obviously

a kitty case Tobos Lai all of that which is all good there's a player even more informed

than them and he's good to see him back in that kind of form because he was not for most of the

season based Alex McAllister who scored again he's only owned by 1.6% of the managers and yes

it plays a bit deeper than Tobos Laiber as we saw he's got quite a lot of freedom too

in the last last third of the attacking third if you want six point two million

13 points and nine points in his last two games he even got Defcon when he got the 13 points

and because he's back probably to his best or close to his best I think he's a really good asset

for Liverpool going into this wolves game but also obviously for you in FPL if you're looking for

a midfielder and have that kind of budget and are looking for maybe a third Liverpool player or

something like that I think it would be a good option Sam who's yours is Ken and Juice Behold

so he's going to cost you five million he's 3.7% owned despite the fact that Everton actually

been really poor at home in recent weeks they haven't won there since game week 15 when Forest

visited they have been looking really good in their away fixtures and they had nine attempts on

of which three were big chances in that in that last period. Juice Behold has created three of those

chances two of his chances created were big chances and over the last four game weeks he has a

goal and two assesses but it's four defensive contribution points and three bonus points he's

had a direct hand in 50% of Everton's big chances in the last four weeks. But Bernie have scored

seven goals in the last four weeks which only four teams have scored more than but they've had no

clean sheets in that time and they've conceded nine goals which only spurs have conceded more than

so I suspect that we could do a decent return at Juice Behold despite the fact that at home

it's not a great it's not been a great place for them to be but when Bernie visit I would expect

Bernie to be defensively vulnerable shall we say so Juice Behold. Okay Transfers and Captains

very quickly as Jules you've already I don't know if you've said Jules you said Harry Wilson didn't

you but who are you going to capture? Yeah Wilson and Semenio Wilson and Semenio will come in

for for Rogers and Enzo it's about time both of them to be fair and then Captain Rana is

Harlan with the vice on Semenio but then a bigotid if Harlan doesn't start it comes on for the

last ten minutes to be ready for the FA Cup next weekend and then so I probably swapped that

and have Semenio captain and Harlan vice for something like that. Sam hates Captain in

picking the same game and vice captain in the same game so she won't do that what are you going to do?

If Wilson's fit and available and hopefully still will tell me some truth and then I will do

Rogers to Wilson unless rice is rolled out and then I'll do rice to Wilson instead. I'm going to

captain Semenio regardless I think so I don't have to concern about what is happening with Harlan

because I do worry about a one-pointer so yeah I think Semenio will be my captain and hopefully

he will get six returns in eight for him. Yeah that would be nice and I think I'm probably going

to go there as well or a reminder then this was a very long pod so thank you for staying with us

today and but it is a Tuesday deadline at 90 minutes for the three early kickoff swing Evan

and Bernie Lee's in Sunderland awards and Liverpool. We'll be back on Thursday to review what we've

seen in game each 29 so far Spurs and Palace of course one of played which is probably good for Sam.

See you in the next video.