Kops Fantasy Football Tips Game-week 3
As John McEnroe said time & time again, ‘you cannot be serious’! In GW1 the average score was 34pts which they said was an aberration. They said things would return to normality in GW2 and all would be right in the world again. Well they were wrong! While the average score increased to 44pts, predicting where the points are going to come from remains more of a lottery than ever. If fantasy football mirrored real life we would be living in a world where Donald Trump could be the next leader of the free world. Don’t believe me? Well if Arouna Kone can pick up 16pts in two game-weeks well then who’s to say Trump can’t do it, after all this is the US we’re talking about. Ok, so I’ve clearly left the intro until the last minute and I’m waffling, it’s not even good waffle! That should be enough. Despite the current unpredictability of FPL we have below endeavoured to bring you a number of options whom we feel can deliver over the coming weeks. Enjoy!
Goalkeepers
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[/three_fourth]After the opening two game-weeks just three keepers are yet to be beaten so we’ll kick off proceedings this week with a quick look at each of the three. Ahead of GW1 we chose not to tip Joe Hart as I was concerned that City are not always that convincing at the back. While they are yet to be really tested at the back the early signs are good and as such Hart warrants serious consideration. Hart is undeniably a top class keeper and with those in front of him growing in confidence as a unit you can comfortably bank on him to pick up a significant number of clean sheets over the course of the season. In the short-term they have a number of relatively easy fixtures and given their current form I expect Hart to be the highest scoring keeper over the next 4-6 game-weeks. At £5.6m he is the cheapest member of the City rearguard who is guaranteed to start every week.
We didn’t tip David de Gea ahead of GW1 either because of the uncertainty surrounding his future, however we certainly didn’t foresee Sergio Romero being the top scoring keeper after the opening two game-weeks. On current form it would appear as though LvG is going to try and ‘bore’ his way to the title and while this has led to the likes of Rooney & Depay quickly losing their appeal it has certainly made Romero a much more appealing option. The issue with Romero is that it is beginning to appear as though de Gea will remain at United for one more season and if this is the case you would expect him to regain the gloves once the transfer window has closed. If like many you plan on wildcarding over the international break and you’re the proud owner of Adrian you could take Romero on a short-term deal.
Despite keeping two clean sheets Simon Mignolet and the Liverpool defence just do not fill you with confidence. However, last season was no different and they still finished with 14 clean sheets. They’ve got a number of difficult away fixtures as well some easier home fixtures over the coming weeks so I wouldn’t totally rule Mignolet out. Of the three Hart is definitely head & shoulders above the others!
A couple of cheaper keepers who deserve a mention this week are Aston Villa’s Brad Guzan and Bournemouth’s Artur Boruc. If the first two games are anything to go by it’s unlikely that Villa will be able to replace the goals of Christian Benteke. Therefore this means that if they are to avoid being dragged into a season long relegation battle they will need to keep things tight at the back, something which they have managed to do in their opening two games, conceding just once. Obviously it’s a small sample size but a look at their next six fixtures suggests they could very well pick up a couple of clean sheets. Bournemouth have conceded once in each of their opening fixtures and encouragingly they were not overrun in either game. In fact if the officials had been doing their jobs correctly at Anfield on Monday night Bournemouth would have had a clean sheet. They’ll have taken great encouragement from their performance against Liverpool and they’ve shown enough in their two games to date to suggest that they’ll pick up their first clean sheet sooner rather than later.
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Defenders
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[/three_fourth]Just like Manchester City, Vincent Kompany probably felt like he had something to prove this season. Over recent seasons injuries have curtailed his minutes on the pitch, last season he started just 25 games and whenever he was on the pitch he was prone to making the odd mistake. He’s enjoyed a great start to the 2015/16 season and while he’s not going to score every week it would appear as though City will keep their fair share of clean sheets this season. Should you be reluctant to spend £5.6m on Hart then Kompany is the one you should be considering because as long as he can keep himself fit he will start more often than not. While Kompany is the safe option he’s also the popular option as he already features in over 22% of teams. If you’re looking for an early season differential you could consider a gamble on Aleksandar Kolarov. The Serb has enjoyed a superb start to the season and while he’s yet to register a goal or an assist his underlying stats are exceptional, this is best demonstrated by the fact that he picked up maximum bonus in the 3-0 will over Chelsea and to put this into context Kompany scored and yet didn’t pick up any bonuses. Despite his great start to the season the shadow of rotation is never very far away and this is why he must be considered a gamble, but given his current form at £5.5m he’s possibly a gamble worth taking.
Against Watford on the opening day of the season it appeared as though the 2014/15 season had morphed into the 2015/16 season as Everton looked poor at the back and devoid of ideas up the field. Fast forward a week and we had the Everton of 2013/14 back, a season in which Everton finished 5th in the table and had the league’s 3rd best defence. One of their star players back in 2013/14 was Seamus Coleman who finished with six goals & two assists, and against Southampton we saw glimpses of that form as he bagged an assist and two bonus points. Now there’s no getting away from the fact that The Toffees have an extremely difficult fixture list over the coming weeks but if they can build upon the Southampton result and rediscover the form of two seasons ago they will fear no one, and due to the attacking nature of their football Coleman will inevitably pick up his share of goals and assists.
We’ve tipped Matteo Darmian in each of the last two weeks and while he continues to be an excellent pick our tip from the United defence is Luke Shaw. Injuries restricted him to just 16 starts last season and that meant he was unable to make the left back position his own. Obviously it’s too early to say that he has now made the position his own but he’s turned in two impressive displays and the position appears to be his to lose. While the Italian has grabbed bonus points in each game, Shaw has gone without, however his underlying stats particularly in the opponents half are quite impressive and these should hopefully bear fruit in the coming weeks. It’s also worth noting that thanks to the Darmian bandwagon Shaw is also £0.2m cheaper than the Italian.
A number of budget friendly defenders who are worth a shout are Bournemouth’s Simon Francis, Stoke’s Marc Muniesa and Norwich’s Russell Martin. As we’ve seen against both Villa & Liverpool, Eddie Howe is not going to change his philosophy now that Bournemouth are in the top flight. They will play the ball out from the back while the full backs will be encouraged to get forward which should mean that Francis will pick a number of assists over the course of the season. One point from their first two games isn’t a great return for Stoke, but they were undone by a Coutinho thunderbolt in GW1 while they showed great resolve in GW2 to come from two goals down to secure a draw against Spurs. As their style of play has evolved in recent seasons they are perhaps not as defensively resolute as they once were. However aside from a trip to The Emirates in GW5 they have a relatively easy fixture list over the coming weeks and I would expect them to pick up a couple of clean sheets. When Norwich were last in the top flight Martin claimed five goals & four assists across three seasons. Against Sunderland last weekend he scored a rather lucky goal, but he was in the right place at the right time! Norwich were unlucky not to pick up a clean sheet against Sunderland but given their upcoming fixtures I suspect they’ll pick up a few over the coming weeks.
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Midfielders
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[/three_fourth]Along with Kun Aguero David Silva was Manchester City’s star player last season and based on what we’ve seen over the opening two game-weeks he will again one of their most important players. His average touches both in the opponents half & the final third of the pitch are up on last season, while his minutes per chance created are also well above last season’s average. Raheem Sterling may not have had an impact in fantasy terms but he’s certainly had an impact on City’s play in that he’s created space for the likes of Silva to play in. The Spaniard plays the games in an aesthetically pleasing manner, but more importantly he brings intelligence to City’s attacking play. His ability to play between the lines makes him extremely difficult to pick up and his ability to play that killer pass at just the right will ensure that the assists continue to flow over the coming weeks, while we also expect to see his name on the scoresheet.
Memphis Depay arrived in Manchester having scored 22 league goals for PSV last season and as a result much was expected of him. As a team United have struggled for ideas in their opening two games and that has meant we haven’t seen much of the Dutchman. However he lit up Old Trafford on Tuesday night as United dispatched Club Brugge 3-1 with two exquisitely taken goals and his performance was somewhat reminiscent of Wayne Rooney’s United debut when he scored a CL hat-trick against Fenerbahce. United have struggled to fill their iconic #7 jersey since the departure of Ronaldo but on the basis of this performance they may have a new star on their hands. LvG will be hoping that this performance will kick start United’s season and they couldn’t have asked for a better opponent this weekend as they welcome Newcastle!
Despite playing just 24 minutes off the bench against West Ham and being substituted after 74 minutes against Crystal Palace Alexis Sanchez has already had more touches in the opposition penalty are than any other player in the league. Against Palace he was clearly Arsenal’s biggest threat and was unlucky not to grab a goal. Presently he features in just 10.6% of teams which must be considered a differential, however he won’t remain a differential for long so we’d suggest you invest in the Chilean before the masses do. Arsenal’s fixtures are somewhat of a mixed bag over the coming weeks but as we witnessed last season, Alexis is fixture proof.
While Silva, Depay & Sanchez are all in excess of £8.5m there is excellent value to be found in the mid-priced midfielders. The standout player from the first two game-weeks is undoubtedly Riyad Mahrez. No one could have predicted that the Algerian would be the first player to rise by £0.2m this season but thanks to three goals in his opening two games this has been the case. You’ll hear people say that his form can’t continue, but they probably said the same about Michu back in 2012/13 and Aaron Ramsey back in 2013/14! The truth is nobody knows if Mahrez’s form will continue but at just £5.7m can you afford to ignore him! Leicester’s fixtures would suggest you can’t.
Having arrived in the UK with a great reputation and then claiming a goal and an assist in West Ham’s opening fixtures you would perhaps have expected Dimitri Payet to have become an extremely popular pick but he still features in just over 8% of teams. Much was expected of Diafra Sakho this term but he has failed to shine in the opening games and it has been left to Payet who has been handed a central role in quite an attack minded midfield to already become their key player. With their next three home games against Bournemouth, Newcastle & Norwich there is every chance the Frenchman will remain amongst the points.
As of yet this season’s George Boyd has yet to emerge but should you be willing to spend £5.0m on your 5th midfielder you might want to consider Norwich’s Wes Hoolahan who has grabbed three assists from the first two games. At 33 he’s not the fastest player in the league, although he was never blessed with much pace, however he’s technically superb and has great ball control. If Norwich are to survive this season I suspect Hoolahan will play a key part.
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Forwards
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[/three_fourth]Is Sergio Aguero 100% fit? Probably not. Does it matter? No. Had he been 100% fit against Chelsea he would have taken a number of the early chances which came his way and he could easily have finished with three or four goals. What excuses Jose would have had made had that happened would have made interesting reading. City have scored six times in their opening two games despite playing a Tony Pulis managed West Brom and a Chelsea side who had the best defence in the league last season. City clearly mean business and with Aguero not far from being 100% there is every chance they will rack up a couple of cricket scores over the coming weeks and if this happens you know that Kun will be heavily involved. So can you afford to be without Aguero? We don’t believe you can. Currently he is owned by over 22% of managers, a figure that is only going in one direction. Of course there are cheaper alternatives, but why take the risk?
Despite a rather turgid performance against West Ham Olivier Giroud, to some surprise, started against Crystal Palace. Many expected the Frenchman to be on the bench with Theo Walcott deployed up top, but not for the first time Arsene stuck by his compatriot and Giroud didn’t let him down as he opened the scoring with a superb volley. What this proves is that unless Arsenal sign a new striker Giroud will start the vast majority of games and as we said numerous times last season, with the likes of Sanchez, Ozil & Cazorla in the team he will be presented with plenty of chances.
Three relatively cheap strikers who warrant some consideration are Swansea’s Bafetimbi Gomis, Leicester’s Shinji Okazaki and Stoke’s Mame Biram Diouf. Early indications suggest that Swansea may turn out to be this seasons Southampton and if this is the case Gomis could prove to be quite a popular acquisition. With a goal in each game to date he has enjoyed a great start and with the likes of Montero & Ayew creating chances for him I expect him to come close to the 20 goal mark for the season. While I don’t expect Okazaki & Diouf to hit such heights they are certainly players to keep an eye on. Both opened their accounts for the season last weekend and with both Leicester’s and Stoke’s upcoming fixtures being relatively easy, Okazaki & Diouf could prove to be a worthwhile short-term investment.
After the opening two game-weeks of the season the Everton duo of Romelu Lukaku and Arouna Kone are the highest scoring forwards. With 42 goals in his last three seasons it’s of no real surprise that Lukaku has gotten off to a good start. Kone on the other hand is quite a surprise. Having signed for The Toffees back in July 2013 he made just 17 league appearances for them over the last two seasons. As we have mentioned above Everton have a number of difficult fixtures over the coming weeks and as such both must be considered something of a risk, Lukaku because he’s £8.1m and Kone because we can’t be sure he will maintain his early season form. However, Everton have no European football to concern themselves with this season and if they can build some momentum they will make life difficult for even the best of teams.
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Thanks for reading Kops Fantasy Football Tips Game-week 3. This article was written by Kop Warrior
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Thanks for the Tips article Kop, full of great ideas and info as usual!! Can’t wait for this weekend to start so I can (hopefully) begin digging myself out of this mess.
Onwards and upwards, we go again! :biggun:
There’s a way out? Leave the door open will you? 😉
Haha, I hope so NIN! Otherwise it’s going to be a lonnng season.
Don’t worry mate, we’ll be back in the game soon enough. Hard to account for the madness so far.
I hope so man, the first two weeks were dire. And I forgot how annoying it actually is to have my WC active. Been flopping around with different ideas all week!
Once Aguero and Sanchez are in there you’ll be fine. Well, that’s not entirely true, but you know what i mean 😉
Hey guys..
WC active after a devastingly poor start..!
Any tips?
No love for Sanchez, Bigpopz? Or any Arsenal attack for that matter..
Hey Nin
Lots of luv for the Wenger boys…
But you tell me which attacking players are nailed other than Sanchez who I can’t quite afford…unless you can squeeze him in for me ?
Either Benteke -> 5.5 or kill off some of your 5.5 defenders to turn Depay into Sanchez, I’m trying to fit Haz/Kun/Sanchez and my defenders and GK’s have been massacred.
Cazorla is pretty nailed on, for me. He’s very important to their setup. As for Sanchez, it would depend on who you’d be willing to downgrade. Benteke&Hart maybe?
yea sanchez is a must. THe only other player as important is ageuro, and silva closely behind. But no chance anyone can afford those 3 at the moment
My trust in Chelsea has been shaken..
Think mourinho has lost the plot
His team looks of the pace
With Terry benched at half time he may have lost
The dressing room too?
Bigpopz – if wildcarding, I’d want to see Sanchez, Hazard and Aguero in there.
Dreamers..
Really …how much money you thinking we got to spend..?
Got Aguero
Got burnt by Hazard ..twice!
I prefer Silver at the mo’
Maybe could squeeze Sanchez in at the expense of Tekkers?……mmmm?
yeah Id take him over Tekkers
Hey Biggy, initially I was thinking just Sanchez missing there for me, but can’t really see where to bring him in… I mean you could downgrade Benteke to a 5.5 or lower and have Sanchez for Depay, but I’d probably rather have Benteke and Depay! Good team there mate.
Bigpopz. Wow what a team – especially that front 7 which is identical to mine. Forget about Sanchez. We’re gonna storm up the league!
Evening all,
How goes the planning? Although I’m not sure if I should plan anymore, maybe I should just hope or even pray!!! :say-what:
Hey Kop ..
Starting to lose the plot myself..
Couldn’t have had a worst start..
WC is my only help
May even use one of those activation jobbies..
Triple captain on Aguero maybe?
Desperate times require Desperate measures.
You can only use one a GW.
Hey Bigpopz,
The only good thing is that we’ve all had bad starts, at least I think that’s a good thing 😉
I wouldn’t go wasting a chip at this stage. Anyway, if you’re on a WC you can’t use one of the other chips.
Howdy Kop. Have you hit that button mate? I’m nearly done with the WC now, just a couple of decisions left to make now. It better work!
Nope, I’ve resisted the temptation. I’ve made two transfers already and I might yet make another two for an 8 point hit!!
Wow, a rare big hit from you eh? Says it all about how iffy things have been! What have you got in mind?
I’ve already sold Rooney & Haz, and bought Kun & Mahrez.
I’m considering getting Sanchez and Ayew as well.
Nice, four solid buys in fairness. You reckon Pedro gets a start this weekend? It’s pretty quick fire, but they need a boost and he’s 100% fit, for sure. I’m really considering him i must say.
It wouldn’t surprise me, particularly as he’s had a couple of competitive games already for Barca. He strikes me as the kind of player who has a good work ethic which usually helps players to hit the ground running.
Yeah, couldn’t agree with you more re the work ethic. I reckon he’ll be a big hit at Chelsea. Amazing pedigree.
I really don’t understand why you guys didn’t go for him in the end, I thought it was a done deal.
Yeah, it’s odd. I heard a rumor that Van Gaal pulled the plug at the last minute but i’m pretty confident that that’s waffle. We might have been his best option at one stage but once Chelsea activated his clause i reckon that was that. Maybe we’re losing our draw. It was always a possibility in the post Ferguson years.
heard two contrasting rumours.
1. United wouldnt meet buy out clause
2. Pedro didnt like LVG style of play
no idea of substance
Yeah, we didn’t meet the clause figure so we were almost certainly tip-toeing around that one. 2nd rumor there is more than plausible too, to be fair.
seems crazy to not meet the buy out clause. its small beer in their terms.
Look at who Chelsea have gone through in wingers – KDB, Cuadrado, Willian, Sch ( German guy), Ramires (stretching it), Oscar (taking the piss now…). I’m sure I’ve missed some.
That’s a serious list of talent right there, i reckon they’ll seriously regret the De Bruyne sale, kinda like United and the Pogba fiasco. What Fergie was thinking there i’ll never know.
Evening Kop. Ugh, have hit the button but am just sitting on any old team just now, can’t even begin to start choosing!
I don’t think I could take the pressure of a WC at this stage
Kop thoughts on Gomez?
I like what I’ve seen CC, Monday night will be a massive test for him. He’s certainly ahead of Moreno at the moment but he’s only 18 so they will need to be careful with him.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Moreno start ahead of him on Monday purely for the experience factor. He was fairly anonymous against Bournemouth which was an improvement on his partner down that wing Ibe who was bloody awful. He’ll be out for Firmino too.
Evening. Lovely article Kop, thanks mate. Transfers done here. See you Sunday
Wham, bam, thank you ma’am :hippo: Enjoy the rest of your break mate :thumbup:
Moreno might have more experience but he’s got fck all positional sense!!
Gomez had no such issues, he stuck to his position perfectly. And barely moved from it. And passed sideways anytime he got within 10 yards of the halfway line. It’s my first proper viewing of him so hopefully it was an unrepresentative performance.
In fairness to him he’s an 18 year old who’s never played left back before.
Init, not that I disagree, its just that Moreno is so absolutely terrible. I’d play Ibe at full back before him, hell I’d bring back Carragher and play him fb, and lfb at that and think he would do a better job. i’d even bring in Gary Neville on a ft for him.
in short – dont rate him at all.
Hey CC, got them WC jitters eh? :shiftyeyes:
CC – you’ll laugh I know, and rightly so, but how about Obertan for Hoolahan? Seems nailed on, plays In the opposition half, is 4.5 cheaper and, If that isn’t enough, they rhime!
Wrong reply button there, but same thread! Well you get the picture. And it’s 0.5 cheaper!
Ta DMC, that did cross my mind. Certainly more likely to happen than Wanyama coming in!
Calvin, could you look at my WC team at the bottom of this page. Cheers
Alright NIN, yeah having a mare just now. Need to cut 1.3 from my team, have got it down to 0.1 but can’t see what else to do without compromising :cuss:
You all set for GW3?
Hazard might drop tomorrow night, that could be the 0.1 you’re looking for if you plan to include him. I’m getting there CC, just two or three spots left to decide on. I’d love to get some feedback but i’m wary of posting it as a couple of mini-league rivals keep an eye on this forum, the bastards
Haha, get thee on Whatsapp then. And Hazard is a million miles away from my team!
See what you make of this lot please. Aguero, Benteke, Sanchez, Payet and Mahrez are going nowhere. I’m fairly set on Depay after his midweek heroics (know it’s not going on much, but hoping that kick-starts things for him), so that leaves one playing spot for 3rd forward and 5th mid.
Would love Pelle but just can’t afford him. Same goes with Courtois now that he’s 0.1 cheaper, but where to get the money from…?
How often would Hoolahan actually make your starting 11 CC? If he’s just there as bench fodder I’d start with him.
I would if i could!
Would you be open to a shitty fifth mid to raise what you need? Westwood or Surman or some such pish? I do like that squad though. Only concerns would be Stoke’s defensive rotation which can be a nightmare, and whether Gomez stays in the 11 long term.
Hardly ever Andy, just don’t think anyone under 5.0 is likely to get any attacking returns so it’s for the times a sub is needed..
I hate having a Wanyama-type on the bench, offers nothing, but you’re right, he’ll probably be the one to make way. Thanks.
Westwood at least takes some set pieces. Might get the odd something through assists to that huge striker they bought, cant remember his name just now.
Yeah I’d go along with Westwood, another shout could be Darren Fletcher of West Brom, Wanyama and Barry, to be fair though they’re all poor looking fantasy prospects.
Thanks guys. Probably go down that route, but what say you to having Ayew / Montero / Cabaye / Shaqiri instead of Gomis and playing 3-5-2?
I’d like your other team better if I’m being honest.
Agreed. 3-4-3 is the steadier formation, for me.
Gestude could be worth a punt.
Thanks again.
Hi guys I need help with my set up for next GW.
Gomes and Aguero I would like to get in if possible.
This is my current team.
Razor909 – You’re looking at a -8 to get Gomis and Aguero, are you comfortable with that?
I am it’s just cash issue as Rooney and wilson seem the choices to replace but would need to take a possible 12 point hit to get both forwards in and maybe replacement for Sterling but for who is the question
Hmm, a -12 seems pretty hefty. I was thinking of Aguero, Mahrez, Gomis in for Rooney, Benteke, Milner. A -8 is pretty hefty too but if you’re up for it then that is the route, or something similar, that i’d be looking at.
sterling>silva/memphis
rooney>pelle/kane (kane will score this weekend for sure)
wilson>gomis/idk?vardy? (i dont particularly like any of these options, but their teams do play attacking fotty so will get points)
Could take a large gamble with a 16 point hit as don’t like using WC this early.
Thoughts please.
1st team is current
-16 is wildcard territory, for me. Whether or not to do it is a personal choice. Tough to recoup that big a hit straight away.
I’m open to thoughts as I’m stuck and prices going up and not sure where or what to do
I posted some suggestions on the original one mate :thumbup:
16 points is a lot, either have more patience/ faith with your current team and make 2 transfers. Or play your wild card, a 16 point hit when you have no points already is just gonna make u drop even further back and you will just b catching up for the next month let alone getting a lead.
In terms of double gameweeks in the future, you know when they are coming up so you can plan your trasnfers accordingly in the weeks before. you really dont need a wild card, maybe only to shift them all back out your team after, but meh
if minus 16, use your wc.
had the thought crossed anyones mind to ignroe aguero. And go big bucks on midfield? Sanchez, silva, memphis, payet or chadli, & hazard.
The rest of your team financially would be comparable to greeces economy though
Not for a second. No other player can keep pace with Aguero when he’s fit so i cant see how it could work out, especially when (c) is taken into account.
midefielders tend to get more points generally, unless a striker gets 2+ goals. Some midfielders play like strikers. It is hard to ingore Aguero but his price is ridiculous and effects your whole team. A team without him would still work as well
If you feel it will work then give it a go. I guarantee the time will come where defeat will be admitted and you’ll have to buy him, probably for 13.5m, if luck is on your side.
Kun is a GW killer, very few others are at the drop of a hat. I wouldn’t envy anyone’s nerves or nails if they don’t get him sooner or later.
Evening chicky, all well down that there France ?
no luke.
he is a potential captain each week and a game changer.
last year ( did shit)
in one week I made up 30-40 points when I captained him and he ran wild
Indeed. Hell, he was a couple of top saves away from a first half hat-trick against Chelsea. A touch more sharpness and those chances were getting buried.
so your saying a team without aguero can never beat a team with him? Lol ok
He’s not saying that Luke, an Aguero-less team could win the whole thing but Aguero is undoubtedly one of the top FPL performers available (almost certainly the top one when fit) so by having him you are giving yourself the best chance of success, and are immediately up against it if you go without.
I’d be very curious to see what a stacked midfield could do in absence of him though, so if you do go for that please stick around and keep us informed
Luke you asked a very different question to that and got 4 honest and independent answers. If you don’t like those answers then fair enough but don’t then misrepresent them and attempt to laugh at them just because you disagree.