The Scout Squad – Gameweek 14

The madness of the pre-Christmas schedule is now officially upon us, with six Gameweeks to cram in before we can feign delight at the new pair of socks coming our way.

Rotation will be a key factor as things unfold, but our ‘expert’ panel of Scouts is approaching the first set of midweek matches with a unity of purpose involving stuffing their team with big-ticket Chelsea players.

There’s a clean sweep for their first-choice midfielder, Eden Hazard, and Alvaro Morata is also widely fancied up front.

Marcos Alonso looks like getting the nod at the back, with team-mate Cesar Azpilicueta mentioned in dispatches, but all that Chelsea goodness does mean the budget is going to be stretched, so cheap and cheerful options will surely find their way into the Scout Picks too.

We’ll be back later in the week to detail the exact nature of their grand plan, and in the meantime feast your eyes on the thoughts behind our quartet’s long lists.

Peter says…

Whether you subscribe to the double defence or think a twin strike force is the way forward, it’s all aboard the Chelsea bandwagon for the foreseeable future, with ninth-placed Brighton currently the highest ranked Premier League team they’ll face until 2018.

There tend not to be too many goals in matches involving Wednesday’s visitors Swansea City, but Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata get the nod, with Marcos Alonso completing a high-priced selection.

A few miles to the north, Arsenal host a Huddersfield side more resilient at the John Smith’s Stadium than on their travels, so Sead Kolasinac, Alexis Sanchez and home-loving Alexandre Lacazette come in.

My bank balance continues to take a pounding as I attempt the impossible mission of second-guessing Pep’s selection as the Citizens host the Saints. Nicolas Otamendi still has plenty to offer at the right end of the pitch, and I also fancy Gabriel Jesus to play a significant role this time around.

Naturally, I think City’s midfielders will excel, but rotational uncertainties and alternatives in other fixtures instead find me turning to goalkeeper Ederson.

That’s nine pretty pricey selections, meaning that I have to scrape a few barrel bottoms in order to also accommodate the on-fire Mohamed Salah in the hope that rotation does not bite for the Reds.

I’m pretty sure Pascal Gross will make the Scout Squad cut as the Seagulls host the Eagles, particularly after bonus-gate at the weekend, and it would be no surprise to see the German assisting (Glenn Murray maybe?) on Tuesday night.

Having painted myself into a corner by selecting a lavish midfield, I find myself having to back a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium, while covering the odds slightly by choosing defenders who could garner attacking points if the deadlock is broken.

Charlie Daniels and Stephen Ward are duly dragged in, along with both both Bournemouth’s and Burnley’s stoppers.

My final cheap and cheerful choices are Eric Choupo-Moting and, among a paucity of budget striking options and with no expectations that my fellow Scouts will back my choice, Andy Carroll.

Jonty says…

As Gameweek 14 is the second in three sets of fixtures over 10 days, we surely need to brace ourselves for rotation.

As a result I’ve dropped Raheem Sterling down to third choice despite his favourable home clash with Southampton. The winger has started Manchester City’s last five games in all competitions and a rest looks likely either for this tie or Gameweek 15.

I’ve also gone for Jesus over Sergio Aguero, after the Brazilian was benched for City’s last two matches, including their Champions League clash with Feyenoord. This looks an ideal scenario for the young striker to be unleashed from the start, at the expense of the Argentine.

For much of my selection, I’ve turned to goal involvement data to guide me, with the rationale that key men will be left untouched in squads sparser than Man City’s.

At home, Chelsea’s Morata has been involved in 83% of his sides goals, earning him a strong placing from me when Swansea drop by the Bridge. Similarly, Brighton’s Gross, who has a 75% goal involvement rate at the Amex Stadium, gets my vote for his side’s home derby clash with Crystal Palace.

Over the last four Gameweeks Hazard has been involved in more than half his sides goals (57%) to win him my backing, and Salah also gets my support for his trip to Stoke City, with a 54% goal involvement rate over the same period.

Harry Kane’s equaliser at home to West Brom has given me fresh confidence in a striker who travels to Leicester City on the back of exceptional away form. Over his last four road trips, he’s had a hand in 67% of Spurs goals, firing a brace on three occasions.

Arsenal’s home tie with Huddersfield looks a good source of value picks, with 7.1 priced Aaron Ramsey delivering returns in four of his last five league matches. At the back Shokodran Mustafi is performing well for his 5.4 price tag, with his clean sheet in yesterday’s 1-0 victory away to Burnley his sixth in seven starts.

Burnley and Bournemouth also offer up some bargains at the back, when the pair meet at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday. The visitors have six shut-outs this season, while the hosts will be looking for their fourth successive clean sheet.

Should there be goals in this clash, Daniels’ attacking threat wins him my support, while for the same reason I’m backing Clarets centre-back Mee – his eight goal attempts on the road give him the slight edge over his team-mates.

Paul says…

This week’s selection looks a tough one to assemble for our 84 million budget.

Not only are there a number of in-form pricey midfielders who seem poised for further points, I cannot ignore Kane and Morata up front.

Hazard and Salah practically pick themselves on current form, although both Sanchez and Leroy Sane also merit our attentions in the premium bracket.

Sanchez has three goals and an assist in his last five and our members data shows that he’s hinting at mirroring last season’s devastation.

Yet with Kolasinac averaging 8.0 points per appearance at the Etihad and Ramsey (a goal or assist in five of his last seven) offering value in midfield, the Chilean may have to be ignored for the visit of Huddersfield.

Sane, meanwhile, has four sets of 10+ points in his last five at home. If we’re willing to gamble on Man City, his explosive potential at the Etihad may be the best bet against Southampton.

Brighton’s Gross has averaged 7.7 points per home match and entertains a Crystal Palace side that is yet to register a clean sheet. At 6.0, he could provide a solution in our quest for value, then, with the aforementioned Ramsey, as well as Richarlison and Choupo-Moting (5.7), all in my back-up list.

Choupo-Moting could be elevated in our thinking at home to a Liverpool defence that’s conceded 16 times on their travels – that’s joint-worst with Everton. The second best FPL midfielder for shots inside the box at home (19), he has scored or assisted in four of his last five at home, including a brace against Man United.

Mark says…

Compiling my squad, I already feel that tomorrow’s Picks are set to mirror the current trend towards big numbers in midfield.

Kane and Morata aside, I’m far from enamoured by the options available up front and, with Hazard, Salah and Sane surely all shoo-ins, I think the budget may demand a 4-5-1.

I’d love to put faith in my own player – Sterling – but fear he’ll be singled out to sit alongside Guardiola this time out. Confidence in Sane might be fading slightly, but I have to back him as an apparent certain starter against Southampton.

The force in midfield is backed by a good degree of choice at the back.

Kolasinac has been a spectacular Fantasy asset at the Emirates, with 48 of his 64 points arriving on home turf. Meanwhile, Huddersfield turn up to face Arsenal having failed to score in their last five away trips. The Bosnian has to be a lock-in.

Alongside him, I have to show faith in Daniels having been treated to a hat-trick of clean sheets since signing him up, while things can surely only get better for Nicolas Otamendi. He was unfortunate to concede the own goal at the John Smith’s Stadium, but I think his fortunes will be reversed against Southampton.

Mauricio Pellegrino may now trust Charlie Austin to get him goals, but the Saints have to get the ball before they can think about feeding Chaz chances. I just don’t see it.

I’m anticipating a tussle over Marcos Alonso’s selection, but stand by his nomination over Cesar Azpilicueta. It’s a “dullard vs maverick” battle in microcosm this, and I’m not ready to give way.

And, if its a choice of Alonso or Morata in the XI, I’m going with the defender.

Hazard’s form and confidence levels are so strong, I believe he’ll dominate Wednesday’s match to put his Spanish team-mate in the corner once more.

The Community Champion

Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek will be A Manager Has No Name, who is a former FFS Cup champion and is having a sensational season at 364th spot in the overall rankings.

The Community Champion who has the best lead over the Scouts during 2017/18 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).

Gameweek 13’s champion, André94PT, emphatically beat the Scouts 47 to 30, but the champion to beat remains Gregor, who achieved victory over the Scouts by a 33-point margin in Gameweek 5.