New Fantasy Premier League Transfers 2018/19 Alireza Jahanbakhsh and André Schürrle
Hello and welcome to New Fantasy Premier League Transfers 2018/19 Alireza Jahanbakhsh and André Schürrle. A couple of relatively budget friendly but potentially also relatively good value midfielders wondered into our FPL lives this week. One is a household name, the other not so much. For many reasons. One is a World Cup winner who has played here before and actually won the league with Chelsea (despite being somehow unaware of doing so!). The other has just featured in the World Cup recently in Russia but we doubt anybody actually noticed. From that snappy synopsis it appears one is a shoe-in for our FPL teams and the other you should just forget about. But don’t let history fool you, necessarily. Here’s why…
Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Brighton
FPL price: 7.0mln
First things first, a bit of housekeeping. Can anyone actually pronounce that surname? We rather suspect not, and so in time honoured tradition we need to christen him with an easy to remember nickname, a bit like Dave (Azpilicueta). We knocked a few around the office and having dismissed Chemical Ali as being maybe too controversial we landed on the more comical Ali J. And so he will hence forth be known!
Ali J has finally arrived at Brighton for a club record fee of about £17m from AZ Alkmaar. We say ‘finally’ as he very nearly signed for them 3 years ago but decided that the time wasn’t quite right and that he needed to develop more in an easier league. And develop he did. He was last seasons top scorer in the Dutch league (we know, we know!) with 21 goals but he also added in 12 assists to that, and all in just 33 games.
All in all for AZ he scored 34 in 85 games (1 in 2.5) and prior to that got 17 in 55 for NEC (1 in 3.2). Add in that he is still only 24 he achieved some pretty impressive statistics at an early age, perhaps culminating in him convincing himself after last season that he was finally ready to move on and test himself properly.
His underlying stats were equally impressive as he notched 144 shots last season, the same as Mo Salah, and he created 80 chances for team-mates. Let’s just hope the Brighton forwards are up to his standards or they won’t be his ‘mates’ for too long. Or ours.
All sounds good yeah?! What’s not to like, well we shall tell you that bit too! Anyone looked at Brighton’s fixtures?! Not that great. They start off ok with a visit to Watford (we say ok – they only scored 10 away all last season) and then it takes a turn the worse with Man Utd, Liverpool, Spurs and Man City in 4 of their next 6. They do have Fulham and Southampton back to back in GW’s 4 & 5 though in between that lot so if you can rotate then great but if not then perhaps wait until GW8 as their run from then until GW16 looks very promising.
André Schürrle
Fulham
FPL price: 6.0mln
Ok, so a bit of house-keeping here too, in the interests of fairness. Who can pronounce Schürrle? Probably most people. Who can spell it regularly though? Probably less. Either way we probably need a nickname. Atomic Andre was suggested, but that was deemed too explosive, all things considered. Something gentler perhaps? Maybe just Shirley? Done.
Our illustrious World Cup winner comes in at a full £1 million cheaper than Ali J (and perhaps crucially £0.5m less than team mate and fellow Fulham midfielder Sessegnon), but there’s perhaps a reason for that… In the last few years Ali J has been scoring, assisting, playing at World Cups and generally doing everything he can to progress his fledgling career. Shirley has been doing his nails.
He’s been at Borussia Dortmund for the past two seasons and made only 33 appearances in total, and only 19 of those were starts. He managed 3 goals and 9 assists in those though, so probably not too shabby for such an underused player. Prior to that he was at Wolsburg for a season and a half when he played 53, scored 12 and got 5 assists.
Criminally underused again at Chelsea, prior to all this, he did manage 53 appearances, 13 goals and 2 for them in his last spell on these shores. Before he was told to go and sit on the naughty step by Jose, before eventually being hounded out of town altogether, presumably for being too attacking. Don’t worry though Andre, it’s an illustrious looking and pretty crowded step right now, you can go bitch about the moody one with with likes of Mo, Kevin, Juan and Joe.
Given his sporadic playing time as of late it’s probably worth a quick look at his overall total career stats. They show in all games for club and country (whoscored.com) 315 appearances, 75 goals and 32 assists. So about a goal in 4 and an assist in 10, roughly.
At Fulham it looks like he will probably occupy the right flank of a front three alongside Mitrovic and Sessegnon, which to be fair sounds fairly deadly if they can hit it off. You can own the entire trio for £19m if you wish, although we probably wouldn’t recommend it as an actual strategy!
Their fixtures are a bit mixed with Palace and Burnley at home in the first three, Spurs away in between those, before again sandwiching a toughie with City away between two slightly better looking ones in Brighton away and Watford at home. You could also look at it as four favourable in the first six, but that depends on whether your glass is half full or half ‘Silvers’.
Thanks for reading New Fantasy Premier League Transfers 2018/19 Alireza Jahanbakhsh and André Schürrle. This article was written by Inittowinit
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Top stuff, Init. I think both are a wait and see with neither having great fixtures. Ali J’s price is off-putting when you could have Gross for the same, although his stats are top drawer (weren’t Memphis’s top drawer too though!? :D)
Also, ‘probably wouldn’t recommend it as an actual strategy’. This is the worst excuse for a fantasy website 😉
Dutch league though there’s so many premier league flops that have come from that league
Yep – my Memphis part was alluding to that!
Can’t think of many success stories obviously Suarez and think Alder came from Dutch league
Suarez did alright 😉
Think the phrase was ‘for a football website’. Do your research, or don’t, like Will. Blocked him and moved on anyway.
Football schmootball
Brilliant article Init. I think these fall into the wait and see category for me. I’m interested in both due to what Schurrle has done and what Ali J seems to have done in the Dutch league. But like AT says you can get Groß for the same price and he’s proven.
Chris Wood went off injured at half time tonight
Not surprised, he’s 58! …. oh wait ….
Just a thought, with Hendo still not back, will Shaqiri start GW1? Is it backing up transfers to have him from the off? I’d be surprised to see a player of his quality dropped once he’s in!
I reckon he’s bought him to be the Solskjær of Liverpool
Can’t see it will come on for Mane after 60 mins that’s my prediction
Yep super sub! He’s too lazy to do 90 anyway
The third midfielder spot is up for grabs. I could see it as Fabinho, Keita, & Shaqiri starting GW1 with Lallana and Milner on the bench
90 press-ups?
I agree with Smash: (potential) supersub cover for Mane and Salah.
For Hendo see Keita. Lallana may start GW1.
Anyone here thinking TAA rather than Robertson or VVD? I know, rotation. But I could use a million.
Shaqiri offers set piece delivery though. I think he’s starting GW1
Perhaps you could look to Gomez? He was rotating with. TAA and filled in briefly at centreback earlier in preseason when Matip got injured. By the time he loses his spot, Lovren will likely be back and he’s the same price. A bit of a risk, but something to consider
Yes, perhaps (your Gomez point). I’ll probably leave Rob but am scrounging around for a few extra pence.
I’ve got TAA for now. Klopp seems to really like him. He’ll start GW1 and he gives you that handy million
Thanks.
I’m shivering with irresolution. I may have a tinker.
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11457238/jurgen-klopp-optimistic-roberto-firmino-and-trent-alexander-arnold-will-be-fit-to-face-west-ham
Very good news, thanks.
Hey Kralin. I finally started experimenting. As you mentioned earlier, do we need Auba from the start is the question.
Option 1??????
Or Option 2???
I haven’t the moral authority to comment on Auba any more Ivan.
Option 1 looks a bit weird, I hope this isn’t some sort of initiative test. I thought I was suffering from double-vision.
Cheers Kral, I didn’t expect clearer answer but that helps to a certain extent 😆
I prefer option 2 but I think it’s very thin and you could come a cropper. Too much spent on defence. I’d monitor Mitrovic. Having him, Richarlison and Jota is pushing things a bit. A cheaper third defender may help raise a few quid.
Yes, that is a good point but I think Mitro will be a hit this season and I am going early with him.
Just watched the highlights of Hudson adoi. He looks like a talent. He’s so quick
I read a quote somewhere fom the manager saying he’d be in the first team this season, so he will get some action. But as a regular starter? Would be lovely, but I’m not holding my breath just yet.
Yeah Sarri said that. Will be interesting. He was the best player on the pitch against Arsenal.
Will he start?
4.5m….. imagine….
Think he’s in line to start in community shield
by all accounts he “stayed up” even when they were defending
A £4.5 attacker from Chelsea… the stuff of FPL dreams… All eyes on the CS for what that’s worth!
Left Bellerin for dead at one point. Even if he starts in the CS I doubt I’ll bring him in (at least as anything more than a bench warming punt). He’s 17 and they currently still have Haz, Willian and Pedro.
Sarri’s comments didnt exactly say “definite starter ” to me
Top work big man! Feels weird Brighton having two £7.0 options, think it’ll be a ‘wait and see’ on him as I’m never convinced Dutch league stats mean much in EFL. Now get back to those poolside cock… er tails… I mean beer! 😉