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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PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES
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Take Alisson out and get another LFC mid or striker. If you want a premium keeper its De Gea or Ederson for me.
Evening Dazza, everything looks good from the midfield up, everything below looks grim! Whilst you could get away with it, it’s not inconceivable that you end up with 0 starting defenders. I’d er on the side of caution and make some changes.
Alisson to Ederson
Kelly to wan bis
Stones to a £4.5
TAA to Robertson
Mkhi to a £6.5
Malone to a £4.5
Put up feet and relax
Evening, everyone ‘ok’? What have I missed?
All good here Cookie, when I say good I mean ok as in bang average, fair to middlin, actually it f@cking sucks… where am I .., who are you? Is it dinner time yet? Where’s my pudding!!!!
I hear you mate, sounds like you need a big GP hug?
Nothing wrong with two grown men rubbing up on each other in a vigorous manor, stay away from my man!
With the mrs snoozing isn’t this your Babestation time?!!
Got a good babestation story actually (doesn’t involve me) I’ll keep it for later
You know where to find me
I’m sleeping.
Be up in a sec hun X
Rich changed the badges, I know right, that’s amazing stuff.
That’s Jackanory stuff 😉
New season, new man. Can he fix cars?
No idea but I’m pretty sure he’ll fix it ‘at the weekend’.
Which weekend is anybody’s guess but it’ll be at ‘a weekend’
The only thing Rich knows about cars is that it’s where he keeps the T-Shirts he’s going to send out… at the weekend … 😉
About 100 RMT’s and a new B&P comp I reckon. Good (liquid) lunch? Don’t mind Rosco, reckon he’s packed his Mrs off to bed and is on the champers.
No liquid lunch Init, I’m a changed man, exercise freak, weight loss, been on a coastal walk this evening!
How’s Turkey?
Hic who me!? It’s not even Sunday!
Guys I’m thinking of bringing in kdb and mkhi for erik and rambo, what do ye reckon? I know I’ve asked before. Cheers guys.
KDB if he plays the CS, not so sure on Mkhi, maybe Rambo to a £6.5 and put some money into that defence which needs some serious TLC!
Cheers bud
In the lottery of GW1 one punt is as good as another. But I wouldn’t try to talk you out of bringing in a Man City player, so go for it.
I read a rumour earlier that Liverpoo are sniffing around Rambo, who is currently ‘considering his future’.
argh Liverpool, damn. Serves me right.
You were right the first time 😉
Nobody would have noticed, sometimes it’s wiser to keep quiet.
One thing I do miss from FFF is the edit button – we had a minute to correct that sort of unforgivable solecism.
Man u man, it would appear, according to those in the know that Bennett may have lost his starting spot. Which is a shame for him and you!
That’s a shame. One by one the 4m players recede, like the mirage they always were.
My hopes lay with WB and that Peltier fellow.
yes, me too. Both sit trembling on my (very shaky) bench.
On the subject of mirages, my (often faulty) radar is picking up that Neves is on free kicks and penalties. I’m getting conflicting thoughts: can’t decide between him, Kenedy or Hughes for that critical 5m midfielder slot.
I’m on Kenedy but I’m breaking my own rules on regional bias, debating switching him out to Cairney but having watched Kenedy in the flesh plenty times last season I reckon my bias may be moot and he could get something in our difficult run… 6 days to go … eek… get in!!!
I’ve reached the pre-season superstitious phase now where I’m starting to feel slightly paranoid about making changes to my side. I keep getting the fear that I’ll jinx the team.
I quite fancy Kenedy for their first two games – without having any idea if he’s even played in any pre-season games, etc. Or what sort of shape Newcastle are in. I was thinking placeholder until some 4.5 genius emerges. Hearing Neves has pretty much carte blanche on their dead-ball situations however makes him more alluring than I first thought.
We’ve been pretty shit and he hasn’t played much, what could possibly go wrong …
If you’re right on Neves then he is your shout.
It also allows you to sit out Newcastle’s bad fixtures. They’re a struggling side right now.
My biggest concern with Neves is his ownership. After Kante ( who picks Kante!?) he’s the highest owned £5.0, a few 2 pointers and the fickle will sell sell sell and he’ll drop quicker than Neymar, think I’ll jist stick it out with Kenedy for first 2 and see how he looks
I’ve a terrible feeling that the Kenedy selection is one I may come to regret. Their fixtures as well, what in god’s name was I thinking?
I’ve hurriedly changed him to Neves, for now at least. I’m thinking Hughes as well, as Wolves’ fixtures are almost as bad as Newcastle’s.
See you on the other side amigo! 😉
Cheers Cookie. Peltier is probably the one so.
Test
Didn’t work
Dang
Kolasinac
Nacho to do some good stuff then..
How does one get injured during a penalty shootout? 🙂
Sphincter goes into warp drive?
Watched the WHU match yesterday……really disappointed to see Arnie not playing as CF. ….with Chicharito and Antonio in, Arnie looks totally confused in his new role. I could not really determine his positioning – looked more like deployed behind Chicharito and Antonio…..and linking with Noble.
Earlier pre-season matches, deployed as a CF, he was much more effective.
Hmm he will be up top surely. I won’t want him unless he’s playing there
May have been the gaffer having a pre-season tinker.
WHU are trying to buy another striker so he’s a winger, att-mid then.
Now I can’t decide on any of my forwards!
I’m dithering between Wood and King as my third striker, with Austin lurking in the shadows. Wood being flagged as injured is handy, in a way.
Yeah I might go back to 3-5-2. When do West Ham play again?
I’m still on 3/4/3. The front three being Firmino, Kun and Wood/King.
No idea about WH.
GW1
Found this in anyone wants a quick read.
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/west-ham-vs-angers-preseason-live-stream-online-latest-score-goals-watch-tv-highlights-lineups-a3903536.html