New Fantasy Premier League Transfers 2018/19 Lukasz Fabianski, Jack Wilshere and Felipe Anderson
Manuel Pellegrini has been a busy boy since taking over from Moyesie at West Ham. A re-invention of the squad was required after a season of underperformance last season and this article will focus on three of the Hammers ‘newbies’. Keeper Lukasz Fabianski was so desperate to leave Wales that he not only travelled the length of the M4 but half way around the M25 too, Jack Wilshere took the slightly shorter route from North London to come ‘home’, while Felipe Anderson decided that he’d rather ply his trade in Stratford than Rome. It’s a strange old world but the lure of Pellegrini was clearly strong for all three so let’s have a look at all three to determine if any are viable FPL possibilities.
Lukasz Fabianski
West Ham
FPL price: 4.5mln
Lukasz Fabianski is of course a name well known to us having impressed at Swansea City before joining West Ham in the summer. Clean sheets have been fairly sparse for the keeper in his time at Swansea – he produced 13 in 2014/15 but only 9, 8 & 9 in the following three seasons. However, it is his save points that has seen Fabianski outperform many of his similarly priced rivals, producing well over 100 saves in each of the past four seasons, ranking in the top 3 in each season and topping the charts for saves last season.
The only keepers to score more FPL points than Fabianski were DDG & Ederson.
Therefore his price of 4.5mln looks attractive.
The Hammers of course face a tricky run of fixtures to begin with but the fixture argument seems fairly irrelevant where Fabianksi is concerned, as is highlighted above in his time at Swansea. Given his FPL history he may just prove to be as much as a ‘set and forget’ as DDG or Ederson – sure there will likely be less clean sheets, but there will surely be more save and bonus points. The Pole scored 15 less points than DDG last season in what was deemed an overperformance by many FPL stat ‘experts’ – if they are proven to be correct then surely a 4.5mln Fabianski + 1.5mln in the bank surely deserves at least some serious consideration?
Jack Wilshere
West Ham
FPL price: 5.0mln
Ah good ol’ Jack, the Arsenal lad who was actually a West Ham fan as a boy, according to the man himself: “It feels special. Many people know that I’ve had a special bond with this club growing up. I’ve got good memories of my childhood supporting West Ham, watching them at Upton Park.” Between banter-filled afternoon/evenings on the Chicken Run at the Boleyn through to a 10-year career at Arsenal, Jack has suffered 13 serious injuries which curtailed what promised to be more than a promising career for Arsenal and England. It could have been so different – Wilshere came of age for Arsenal back in 2011 when he dominated a Champions League tie vs a Barcelona midfield consisting of Xavi, Iniesta & Busquets. That remains the highlight of Wilshere’s career and it will need all the efforts of the Hammers’ medical staff and a whole load of luck if Wilshere can come anywhere close to emulating those days of seven years ago.
If he can stay fit then West Ham have a hugely creative and combative midfielder and at 5mln he could prove to be a bargain for FPL managers.
Manuel Pellegrini admits that the club will need to tailor a special fitness plan for the midfielder who is still only 26 years old – “We are doing a plan with the doctor with him and with the physical manager. We are trying to do a different thing with him so he can be comfortable. And not to try to play every game of the season because he must work in a different way.”
My view for now is that West Ham’s tough fixtures give us the excuse to observe Wilshere to see how he settles, find out his role in the team and most importantly track his fitness.
Felipe Anderson
West Ham
FPL price: 7.0mln
Felipe Anderson became West Ham’s record signing when he completed his move from Lazio for £36mln in June. Anderson or Pipe as he likes to be called scored 34 goals in 177 appearances and recorded 31 assists. Just 25 years old, Anderson won an Olympic gold medal for Brazil at the 2016 games and has been linked to clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United over the past few seasons.
A pacy attacking midfielder he will be seen by Hammers fans as a creator rather than a scorer and his critics will argue that his potential has thus far been unfulfilled. A concern is his physique for the Premier League with the fear that he may be knocked off the ball too easily. If he can overcome this and settle into Premier League life he could prove an interesting FPL prospect under Pellegrini, who is an intelligent manager and understands who is ideal for the system he wants to use.
West Ham director of football, Mario Husillos, is quoted as saying, “We believe we have signed one of the most exciting talents in European football” – it’s now time for Pipe to live up to this and realise his potential. Like Wilshere, it’s a watch and wait.
Thanks for reading New Fantasy Premier League Transfers 2018/19 Lukasz Fabianski, Jack Wilshere and Felipe Anderson. This article was written by Cookie
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New Article, Thanks Blue!!
I do like Felipe, but those fixtures… Wilshere at 5.0 is kind of a sneaky punt at that price, but do we think he makes more than 2-3 games without being injured? and those fixtures!
Almost there…
Dam. 6 mil.
Joe Hart heads to Turf Moor for Burnley medical
https://www.mcfcwatch.com/2018/08/03/joe-hart-heads-to-turf-moor-for-burnley-medical-ahead-of-4m-move-from-manchester-city/
Do we reckon this means Heaton’s injury is more serious than has been suggested, or that Dyche just wants a GK with real PL experience (and recent gametime!) to back up Heaton given his other two GKs are Lindegaard and Legzdins?
Could be both reasons but right now he is panicking for next Thursday EL qualifying game.
Dyche said Heaton might have been able to make yesterday’s qualifier (which he obviously did not manage to do). I’d therefore presume that he will be okay for GW1 but yes, that was Lindegaard’s first game in two years and Legzdins is not at the PL level so a new keeper for Europa might be handy 😆
There goes Burnley as a CS magnet.
Precisely, just got Cork out of my team as an enabler, with Hart, CS will be a distant memory
Hart won’t play if Heaton is fit.
And Heaton won’t play when Pope is fit. CFC should buy Pope imo.
Zorro, is the My Rules league up and running yet? What’s the code? Cheers!
Correct, although Pope will be out for a while, which is why I didn’t include him!
Come Zorro, name the eejits then. I’m all ears. :popcorn:
There is the code ZL. 42458-16279
Zed, Rule & your team name (including Zed please), then I’ll open the league for you…currently locked to prevent the eejits joining, lol.
Elle, no idea I just keep deleting them. People just go round joining up on any league going, whereas ‘My Rules’ must have peeps with silly rules. Ivan has the same problem with MLS H2H, except can’t block peeps who’ve joined so have to delete the whole league & start over.
Scousers with big ears I’d imagine Elle 😉
Zorro, I doubt Ivan does, he’s not published the league code anywhere. It’s strictly by DM to him so he can vet it by application. Same as Elle does with the FPL Regs League on here. Of course you’ll always get the odd ejit who gives said code to a friend but Elle is very vigilant and has a ‘none shall pass’ mentality.
Up to you but personally I’d shut the league and say ‘application by DM only’. And post your twitter account accordingly.
Innit, my reference to Ivan was previous history mate, just explaining to Elle, next season when I do My Rules H2H, I’ll do just that, cheers
Zorro, are you getting old, we talked my rule through already, it’s African players only!! :woot.
“Zed’s Afro Jazz”
Nailed the emoji there 100% :woot:
Cheers Ivan, still going with the newbies I see!
Yes Zed, for a sixth seson in a row. I think this time the harvest is good 😉
At least you don’t have to do the To Salah or not to Salah bit… I don’t have to do it either 😉
Yep, Keita is there to take over. I am seriously considering him even for my main team. High risk/high reward situation.
Zed, old & senile, lol
He’s African so I’ve got him! Actually I have the whole Liverpool midfield of Salah/Mane/Keita
Yeah, you got me worried for a moment. I thought Egypt have joined the EU as well while I was asleep 😯
Many thanks for this Cookie. I was originally very excited by the prospect of the ‘Pipe’ but that waned somewhat whenthey slapped him with a 7.
Wilshere has been saying publicly about playing ‘more forward’ but looking at their pre-season he’s clearly got a spot on the left of the 3 in behind the 3 in a 4-3-3. Get forward he may but clearly he’s still expected to fulfil the defensive side of things too. If he was a no.10 @ that price I’d bite, but doesn’t look likely.
Great read thanks Cookie! Pipe!!! oh my!!!
Any potential transfers that people are hoping happen before GW1?
This one would interest me if he can stay fit and healthy!
Excellent, sounds like you will be doing the Ings profile.
With Benteke, Sorloth, why bring in Ings? And that too, GBP 24 m?
The more players Palace sign, the more it feels like they want to buy before they sell Zaha
Because they’re both sh!t!?
Got it in one Rosco!
Becasue Sorloth sucks so Ings in form will do well
Can I have a shirt Rosco please it would have to be a Leeds one 😉
Yeah course mate I’ll do one for you tomorrow!
Put the gorilla in a Leeds shirt drinking a beer. 😉
Not far wrong there Mito21
Pic att getting busy
Christ what’s wrong with this
Cookie,
Lovely look at the Hammers lads there pal, your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Closest I’ll get is the goalkeeper if I rotate but I think I’ll stick with the premium so I’ll be watching West Ham from afar and we’ll see what happens.