New Signings – Fantasy Premier League 2015/16. Richards, Johnson, Okazaki, Wijnaldum
Newton’s 3rd law of Fantasy Football. For every expensive player you have there is an equal and opposite cheap player. Like it or not, FPL managers are going to have to fill out their squad with some pretty unfashionable players. For every Eden Hazard there must be a Graham Dorrans. Spent £7m on Ivanovic? Here, have this bench warming Reece Oxford. You’re welcome. It’s buy one get one cheap. Balancing the budget is one of the most frustrating, yet ultimately fascinating aspects of the game. So roll up, and take a gander at today’s car boot sale featuring Micah Richards, Glen Johnson, Shinji Okazaki and Georginio Wijnaldum. Offer ends August 8th.
Micah Richards (Aston Villa 4.5m)
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[/three_fourth]In 2006 an 18 year-old Micah became England’s youngest ever defender. The following year, he became Manchester City’s youngest ever captain against his future employees Aston Villa. Manager Stuart Pearce declared Richards the future of the club and no-one had any reason to dispute it. So it is one of football’s great mysteries that Gary Neville’s heir apparent made only 13 international appearances. In fact his record of 189 club games in the last decade, latterly in the shadow of Pablo Zabaleta, gives him a hugely undeserving CV. One can only imagine how his career may have progressed away from the Etihad, given a fair run in the Premier League. Lest we need to be reminded, the powerful right-back not only has the physique of a welterweight, but also the nous to provide from advanced areas. His 5 assists in 2011-12 were the most of any Premier League defender. This is a good thing, of course, as few will be relying on Tim Sherwood’s Villa for clean sheets.[divider_1px]
Glen Johnson (Stoke City – 5.0m)
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Unlike Richards, Glen Johnson has had little trouble holding down his right-back position at club and international level. However, last year saw many of Liverpool’s players have their least inspired in a red shirt to date and Johnson was no exception. Quickly becoming a scapegoat for frustrated Kopites, he’s found himself usurped both domestically and internationally by Nathaniel Clyne. And so on to Stoke, a club evolving quickly under Mark Hughes. The aerial bombardments have been replaced by calculated possession, and Stoke fans no longer arrive at the Britannia in World War 2-era helmets, but adorning top hats to doff in confused admiration. That being said, they still have an 8 foot beanpole up front, so if Glen can launch a few towards Crouchy, all the better for FPL managers.
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Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City – 6.0m)
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His 27 goals in 65 Bundesliga appearances made him the most prolific Japanese player in the history of Germany’s top flight. He also arrives at Leicester with an impressive international pedigree, netting 43 times in 93 games for the Samurai Blue. Okazaki’s 12 goals last season with Mainz were all inside the area, so if Claudio Ranieri’s men can supply the 5ft 8 poacher with decent service, he could prove to be a bona fide ‘Fox’ in the box for Leicester. With Vardy, Ulloa and Kramaric for company, competition for the frontline will be fierce, but Okazaki can also play wide and in the ‘False 9’ slot. Aged 29 and costing the club £7m, the former Shimizu S-Pulse star has clearly been brought in to make an immediate impact, and one would expect him to get a fair crack at the Premier League this season.
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Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle United – 7.0m)
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After winning a transfer tug-of-war with their Mackem rivals, it’s the Newcastle fans who welcome PSV’s Eredivisie winning captain to the North-East. The 24 year-old followed an injury ravaged 2013-14 with an impressive 14 goals and 2 assists in last season’s 32 appearances. These figures naturally pale in comparison with those of compatriot Memphis Depay, another leaving Eindhoven for Premier League shores, but then most players’ stats do. In Wijnaldum, Mclaren has brought in a young yet experienced Dutch international who has all the credentials needed to slot into England’s top tier. How this translates to FPL may well depend on those around him, but having already impressed in his first training session, the Geordies have a class act on their hands.
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Oooh, Benteke a Red now, I like.
Lol, in pick teams he’s a red but in transfers when you try to transfer him in he’s still a Villa man. 😉
He’s in my team, and still a Villa man haha. Can’t wait to see him fire us into the top 4!
I guess I can settle for top 5 😉
Never mind. I was in transfer mode. You’re right: he is a Liverpool man only in the team screen!
Question peepz. Sterling really wanted a song for him made by the KOPS. Are they preparing one now? 😉
Second question, why is Albrighton on nobody’s list, his stats were awesome when he did play. He also made the team play a lot better. Anyway, 60 points from 1000 minutes would be 180 in 3000 which is pretty decent for a 5m mid, right?
Hi Raz,
1. Yeah I’d imagine so!
2. The projected stats do look good, I think the issue is just that though – we don’t really know if he’s a starter. Plus many saw ‘Ranieri’ and wrote them off. Poor kid also lost a relative in the Tunisia incident so no idea if he’s even with the squad again yet.
I actually have Albrighton as my fifth mid in my current draft
Thanks guys, Mahrez is my fourth mid, good choice? Or dangerous one?
He’s like the only doubt in my starting lineup.
Evening all, how are we? Cheers for that big Bry, great little read. Any sneaky tips for us fantasy managers waiting for the season to start?
Hey NZ, all is well here, how’re things over your way?
Hello nin, all good thanks. Hard training tonight before a big game on Saturday so will be sore tomorrow! How’s your team shaping?
Nice one, sounds like fun, even if it involves some pain
My team isn’t really shaping up at all! Just floating from idea to idea but have mainly looked at balance so far. I want to get that right in the hope of making it past week 3 with an intact WC 😉
This is what i’ve got just now but it’s by no means the finished article..
Nin, a really well balanced team mate. I’ve had kos and azpi since the start but have since downgraded kos to upgrade forward line although that was to J Rod and not sure he will start. I like the mid but would prefer wally over caz. What are your thoughts on mahrez? And would you start Wilson every week?
NZ – It’s certainly a work-in-progress. I prefer a fit Walcott to just about anyone! I just don’t want to start with too many risks and would like to get Aguero in for Costa with 1 FT, just in case he starts and goes mental vs WBA. The £0.5m saving makes that possible. Walcott&Mertesacker, or, Cazorla&Koscielny? I’m leaning toward the latter. Mahrz caught my eye last season, i think he’s priced well too but we’ll have to see what Ranieri thinks of him. Yeah Wilson would start every week. Behrami probably isn’t a starter but he’s just there as a price filler for now. Ideally i’d like two rotating 5m mid’s but that’s highly unlikely to happen!
I’m sure all our teams will look at lot different in a few weeks anyway but, how’s yours looking?
3-5-2 with rotating strikers? Anyone like the look of this lot….
Sledge, I don’t like 3-5-2 as a rule but I really quite like this team. I’d lose mert for a 5mil and upgrade your 4mil defender. Other than that I like!
He has 4 starting defenders, which is key. Though, Huth could be a doubt? I don’t know. Cedric for 5m is a very good option, I have Cerdic in all my teams.
Raz. +1
Not really. It looks good on paper but i see it running into problems down the line.
Thanks lad, captains picks be a problem every week I’m guessing. Two big hitters in mid, two up front and one defender seems to be d general way.
Small changes at the back, keeping in 4mil as a space filler…
Stick with Aguero/Hazard and you cant really go wrong most weeks. I’m wondering where the £2m for Aguero is coming from, and what that will do to a 5-man-mid. Something tells me it wont be strong enough to justify playing 5 across the middle.
Hi everyone! Any comments on my current draft?
GK: Ruddy / Butland (They rotate quite nicely the first 10 gameweeks and aren’t too popular (TSB 3,1% and 7,2%)
CPL (H)
sun (a)
STO (H)
WBA (H)
BOU (H)
LEI (H)
BOU (H)
LEI (H)
new (a)
WAT (H)
DEF: Mings, Huth, Prödl, Cissokho, O’shea
All budget players at £4,5M. I’ve been thinking about this for a while and I think I can rotate these five quite well (BOU,LEI,WAT,AVL,SUN). Do you think it’s a big risk having all defenders from “poor” teams? I’m just trying to fit as many “big hitters” as possible and I think rotating is the only possible way.
MID: Mata, Özil, Henderson, Fabregas, Anya
Maybe Mata->Depay? I’ve chosen Hendo over Milner because I think he will be on penalties. Maybe Özil->Walcott but I can’t find the extra £0,5M. Is Walcott a sure starter after Alexis is back? I’m also a bit worried that I can’t fit Hazard in my team. I’m still trying to convince myself that he isn’t £2,5M better than Fabregas. Anya is just a good £4,5M 5th midfielder for my bech.
FWD: Aguero, Rooney, Sakho
I’m not sure if I start with Aguero (will have to wait and see if he is fit) but I like to plan my team with him because when he is fit, I think he is a MUST in every team and want to be able to get him as soon he is fit. Rooney may score big this year if he is regularly played as a striker. Downgrading Rooney to someone else would free some funds to get Hazard. J-Rod is in my radar as he scored 15 goals in just 2565mins in 13/14. He’s training now and played a full 90min in Southampton’s first pre-season match. Also scored a hat-trick but it was against some lower tier Dutch club. Sakho just seems a good value. Might go with Wilson or Deeney instead of him. That would save me another £1,0M.
Forgot to mention that I currently have £1,0M in the bank…
SOover, it looks like you’ve put plenty of thought into this.
Re the 5 cheap defenders, I’ve looked at this myself and I might yet do it. However they’re cheap for a reason! I’d try to get at least one solid defender in there who you’ll play 99% of the time and rotate the other around him.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Benteke is given the spot kick duties which will make Hendo less appealing.
Over the course of the season Hazard is probably worth 2.5m more than Cesc but you’re not necessarily picking a team for the season at this point in time.
Kop Warrio, thank you for the feedback!
I will have to take a look which one of my defenders I can uppgrade without the whole rotation collapsing. It sounds a more balanced way to have one solid defender and rotate the other four. I currently have that £1,0M in the bank so I could easily go for Clyne or Cresswell.
In that case I need to consider whether it’s Milner or no Liverpool coverage in mid/att.
I’m currently planning teams without Rooney and they atleast seem more balanced.
If I choose to go with this approach I need to decide how much I can sacrifice for Hazard.
Walcott-Sterling-Fabregas
OR
Özil-Milner-Hazard
…Or If I go with my original 5-def rotation I can get Özil-Sterling-Hazard…
AAAARRGGHH!
I love FPL! Especially the preseason
Martin is the same price as Bassong (the Martin that plays for Norwich anyway) – I actually just swapped them
Thanks for the heads up on Janmaat.
Thinking Skrtel could do well for me instead of him, but then I’d have triple Liverpool, and would have to use a 4.5 mil defender to replace Alderwield. Worth it, or just choose two 5 mils? This price range is what stumps me. Don’t know who to pick, apart from Cedric., who will most likely go back in..