FPL Captain Picks Gameweek 21
The spirit of Guy Sanchez
For those unaccustomed to said spirit it usually entails a meandering of the recent hand Guy has been dealt by life (as he knows it). Oft it’s not a good one, but often it’s a funny one. We’ve gone with him from Dayquil days to 12 hour work days, from Covid scares to Everton woes.
But why did I immediately think of Guy when I came to write this intro? Mainly because I don’t arrive with good news, but also because the lack of that allows me time to actually write this, albeit perhaps not in the best of moods. But then again who is these days. Actually I was, until about 8.02am on Wednesday morning…
I’ll unashamedly summon the spirit of Cookie’s Diary here too…
I was awoken at 6.20am with a text from the NHS to tell me that yesterdays Covid test was negative. ‘Happy days’ I thought, I’ll crack on and get ready for work. That was up until the point that Mrs Init decided to emerge from the bedroom, baring the worst news. She was the one with real symptoms and had indeed tested positive. My immediate reaction was to go and lie down for 10 minutes just to contemplate the next 10 days of isolation.
For the record, and a record it may well be, this is now my 7th time in some sort of isolation. And that’s having not shown a single sympton of having it myself*. Yet…
*(that’s if you discount nearly dying from it (I wasn’t, it just felt like it) last February, but it wasn’t even a thing back then).
I don’t expect or want any sympathy here, I’ve been lucky enough to be classed as a ‘key worker’ throughout all this and as such I have been able to crack on as normal, as such, sans the kids football games and going to the gym, etc. I even got to do some of those back in the halcyon days prior to Christmas, you know, that short period when we looked like we had some prospect of normality returning. But being isolated really doesn’t suit me at all. At all. I was bored by 10am, I was thinking of breaking out by 12pm, I was contemplating murdering my elderly neigbour by 4pm, just as an escape route.
Reflecting upon it all, the Init family here have a teacher, two kids of school age and a key worker; you go do the odds of contracting something at some point.
Anyway, we did. And so now I have some time to write some stuff. Every cloud, and all that…
Having asked our writers for their picks it is quite clear that there is a division this week, either that or they are simply taking the p*ss.
Either way, here are my picks this week.
DCL – Newcastle (H)
(Photo by Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
The Player / Everton
- Hasn’t actually scored since GW11 in the PL
- Is hardly a bonus point magenet (just 10 all season)
- Has a total of 5 points in his last 3 appearances
- Everton have scored an average of 1.7 goals per game at home
The Opposition
- Are rubbish
- Have lost 6 of their last 8
- Haven’t won since 12th Dec
- Haven’t won away since November
- Have (conveniently) conceded an average of 1.7 goals per game away from home
Conclusion
He’s due, for sure. He scored on his return in the FA Cup, so it’s not like he’s totally out of form. It’s perhaps no coincidence that his form slumped a bit when their cheif creator James also disappeared in GW12 for a few weeks.
Explosiveness: 5/10
Chances of scoring: 7.5/10
Captaincy Rating: 7/10
Gundogan – Sheffield Utd (H)
(Photo by Manchester City FC/Manchester City FC via Getty Images )
The Player / Man City
- Didn’t score for 12 GW’s
- Now has 7 goals in 8 games
- Has 12 bonus points in that short period
- Is a midfielder so his goals get you 5 not 4
- Always likely to grab a clean sheet Brucie
- City are joint top for home goals scored, averaging 2.1 per game
The Opposition
- Are bottom
- Concede an average of 1.8 goals per game away from home
- Haven’t won since… erm, Tuesday! Although that was their first success away from home
Conclusion
He’s in form, for sure. As are City. And he’s on pens now too, in theory. His brace vs West Brom also illustrated just how confident he is right now; they weren’t lucky goals, they were class goals, almost the sort you would expect KdB to get. The result at Old Trafford will scare a few off what was probably already a bit of a punt but with both him and City in this sort of form they may make that look like a blip. A 5-0 blip.
Explosiveness: 6/10
Chances of scoring: 7.5/10
Captaincy Rating: 7.5/10
Salah – West Ham (A)
(Photo by Phil Noble – Pool/Getty Images)
Salah is always on the Captaincy radar though, regardless of form, which is probably just as well. A brace vs Man Utd in the FA Cup was a reminder of what he is capable of.
The Player / Liverpool
- Hasn’t scored since GW14
- Scored 13 in 13 appearances prior to that
- Is still sat at 4th overall in FPL points
The Opposition
- West Ham were sat above Liverpool in the league table until tonight
- They have only conceded an average of 1.1 goals per game at home
Conclusion
We own him because we know he can go off on one at any given moment. We probably captain him in the hope that he does too. But he has failed us all so many times recently, but it’s always a risk vs reward scenario with him.
Explosiveness: 9/10
Chances of scoring: 8/10
Captaincy Rating: somewhere between 5-8/10!
Kane (or Son!)- Brighton (A)
(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
The Player / Spurs
- 12 goals and 11 assists in 20 games
- He has played all but 11 minutes of every game
- He has blanked in only 5 of them
- Spurs are scoring at a rate of 2.1 per game away from home
The Opposition
- Have tightened up as of late, remember when Man City were due to hammer them at home…
- Conceding at a rate of 1.5 per home game
- Lost narrowly to Spurs back in November, a late Bale goal edging the latter over the line to a 2-1 victory
Conclusion
Kane and Son will be popular picks this week, and a lot of that will be to do with casuals logging on and seeing Brighton as a given. However, they probably aren’t. But he isn’t the top points scorer for nothing. If he is indeed properly injured then Son may well play up top, but whether he can be as effective without his assist mate remains to be seen.
Explosiveness: 7/10
Chances of scoring: 8/10
Captaincy Rating: 8/10
The confessional…
This is where we ask our entire writing team to tell us who they think they will pick this week…. There are more caveats and get out clauses than a Lionel Messi contract but this is their initial gut feeling based upon who they actually own.
DMC — Cancelo
Jamesimmo — Dallas
Swirly — Sterling
Guy — DCL
Matt — Gundogan
Loud Atlas — Kane
Smash — Soucek (TC)
Kop — Not Bruno!
Cookie – Gundogan
The Gallant Pioneer — DCL
Rosco — Joelinton….
Ellefcee — Gundogan
Pre lockdown 2 goals, 3 assists.
Floydeth — Gungogan
AT — Gundogan
Init — Sterling
Mito — Salah
VOTE ON THIS WEEK’S CAPTAIN POLL GW21
Thanks for reading FPL Captain Picks Gameweek 21.
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Morning all.
I WC’d
Can you all pick holes in this for me please?
Cheers
Rüdiger? I think it’s a risk playing him at the moment. We don’t know Tuchel’s preferred CB pairing yet. He even took Chilwelll off after 75 mins. However, it could be a master stroke as well! He does have goal threat when in form.
Double Liverpool midfield seems overkill but what a midfield!! Wouldn’t you prefer to move on Liverpool mid out for say…Soucek and upgrade Watkins to Ings/Lacazette.
Do you think Son will be as effective without Kane?
Son without Kane (19/20) vs Son (20/21):
Mins – 529 vs 1619
Goals per 90 – 0.68 vs 0.67
Assists/90 – 0.17 vs 0.33
xG/90 – 0.59 vs 0.35
xA/90 – 0.08 vs 0.12
Pen area touches/90 – 5.4 vs 3.6
Attempts/90 – 3.9 vs 2.0
Shots in box/90 – 3.1 vs 1.4
Shots on target/90 – 2.0 vs 1.1
Interesting…nice! Thanks for that. I think that clears things up!
GK, I assume it’s him because of cost?
Benching headache as well, if you take out one of the strikers then you can improve your GK.
Areola is the Tits! 😉
Quite happy with him ATM.
Yeah the Pool mids are a fun punt really, would have kept TAA but with Matip now injured too their defence is gonna be even more suspect. But I’m banking on Pool ruining a few teams in attack soon, they looked on point last night.
I reckon Rudiger will be nailed now, the Manager tried to sign him when he was at PSG, he likes him, German connection.
Recognition for that first sentence. :yes:
Love it
I would be tempted to go triple City at the back or having 2 and TAA/Robbo. Keep an eye on teams who have missed a few games. I think I would be tempted to get Martinez or Mccarthy for that reason.
In a moment of rage at what really must be my worst season so far, I hit the WC button. Probably didn’t need to but I feel like I needed a fresh 2nd half start!
If you were wildcarding, who are your essentials? Should I be going on form? (Gundogan) Or go with a big hitter (Sterling), which leaves me a relatively easy path to bring in Salah/KDB/Mane/Kane…
Risk Chelsea players?
This is what I have come up with. I am open to suggestions!
Thanks a lot
Strikers are very hard to pick at the moment, I’m not sure who to replace Kane with in my own team. Would you go 3-5-2 just feel there are better options?
I would go 3-5-2 but not sure who would be a better choice…Bamford and Burke or Brewster and a 6.4 midfielder.
As for your team, transferring Kane out to someone depends on the rest of your team…Lacazette is in form…He could grab a goal against Utd. He’s on pens isn’t he?
Cheers mate! It’s tough to get the right balance at the moment but there some options, Tielemans would fit. Pope to Martinez or McCarthy would free a bit more cash as well.
I am keeping Kane.
Morning all.
I have 1 FT & 2.5 ITB.
I was thinking of Holding > Cancelo
AND… Anguissa > Gündogan for a hit.
Any advice please?
Many thanks
I would say ‘Nike your team’ (ie. Just do it!),
BUT…
I think I’d be holding Holding!
Can it be someone else?
I could take out Webster ?
I like the Gundogan move in principle but who are you benching? Soucek? 😯
Holding to Cancelo is good. I actually don’t mind both IF you are OK with having a player who could score big on your bench each week.
I guess it depends if I bench a striker and have 5 in midfield ?
Let’s say IF Gündogan is rested then my benched striker will come on in place of him?
That’s kinda what I thought would be the plan? Lol
It’s a game of risk. You might have all your first 11 playing and Gundgon might get 2 and Soucek 15!
Depends how you play the game.
I hear what your saying.
Is there any other players I should look to take out or all good to go? I know I definitely need to get Cancelo in :good:
I think it is a strong team branchy.
I’d be happy with just Holding to Cancelo.
Hi all,
Really unsure what to do this week? 1FT 5.7ITB Foden has been a huge let down the last 2 weeks, but now I need to change Kane, but for who?
Given that I had Foden and have now transferred him out for Soucek, Phil will now go on and score a couple and assist one. And Gundogan will be rested!!!
Cheers, I think I’ll have to keep Foden and just hope for the best. Laca is an option just can’t seem to pick the right moves and I’ll be kicking myself come the end of the game week.
I think you need to stick with Foden for the fixture at least if nothing else.
Kane to your pick of the poisons – Lacazette, DCL, Antonio, Watkins – the usual lot.
Not white sure what to do here. 1ft 7.5m itb. Was going to bring in kane for bamford before his injury. Not so keen on son now that kane is out. Thinking maybe bamford to dcl or anguisa to grealish. Possibly even both for a -4. Any thoughts?
You could quite easily roll your transfer over.