Hi, my name is Duncan and we are the fancy Football Fanatics this week. I'm joined by Matt in London and Ian San Fran and new pot stirrer Gary in London as well and welcome guys, welcome back and Brilliant pod last week. I was gutted to miss it.And I had a little baby which has been amazing. So I've joined Matt in the world of podcast. Managing a child at the same time which is going to be good fun, but Gary's here now. So we've got a big Squad and we're going to rotate Squad rotation. So it's all good and football moment of the week Gary as it's your official pod debut as an official Potter. What was your football moment of the week? Okay. Well, yeah, it's my my big money move back from there. The Chinese Super League back to a more friendly time zone. Well, I've just been desperate for the football season to start again, and it finally did because Sheffield Wednesday fan the the championship games were on Saturday. And yeah, it was it was so good after a miserable preseason of whether we're in an embargo or not and Steve Bruce Judas walking out as going to to Newcastle. It was good to actually get back on the pitch and we won 3-1 at reading lovely turning shot in the last minute from Lucas gel to seal the wing in then then he probably going to leave as as well now after that but let's stay positive. It's yeah, it was a good performance and good to see some football proper football's back. And in that in that kind of positivity, you know, positively it's great to see Sheffield United in the Premier League, isn't it? Gary as a Sheffield man? Well, I don't must come I must admit I listened to the first podcast and I think you guys have turned into the Sheffield United show. It was so it seems that you're even trying Henderson in your team wasn't even on the game yet. There's a you anticipating new Sheffield United players to come so I will not be joining in with any of that. I will be boycotting Sheffield United players through the through the whole season. So I'll leave a leave the joys of their overlapping center backs to the rest of you. I think I think this is POD is definitely a United party. I don't think it's a Sheffield United pod. It's clearly a Man united pod is any regular listeners will know we are outnumbered you and me Gary by the man united fans. So on to the glory Hunters Randy, what was your football moment of the week? I'd like to point out that we are still my United fans and this is definitely not good. Not much Glory hunting going on right now. But as a man united fan, I think my will highlight of the week is that there's finally an end in sight to be in seemingly. Interminable Harry MaGuire transfer Saga. This is For absolutely ages with papers reporting the same thing every week that Lester 180 million pounds and man. You don't want to pay 80 million pounds, but it seems that in the end funnily enough. You have to pay the price of the play. You're drunk by Wood Wood high gonna play 80 million pounds. Yeah. I was having sex hagelin self down from 80 million pounds to 80 million pounds plus add-ons. So that's the that's what we've ended up. But yeah, finally that's over. We're going to have a Defender, which is nice. He's not probably as good as Van Dyke, but he's better than anything we have so that's an improvement and it's over and we can all move on. And so Jones is is gone. Oh, no, he's got he's got a new contract hasn't he? Yeah went along with Ashley Young and Chris Smalling and probably some other people that we've never heard of in not very good at football. That's nice. Isn't it Ma? How about you do any other great menu highlights Phil Jones was it? I've already covered that man. You sort of dominate the transfer rumors at the moment. I mean, it's pretty because the manufacturers Just Keep clicking on the bait that's put in front of them, but the Man, you story this week has been the can we ditch the car coup at all to be offloading for the price we want and we've got the nice proud moments man. You player manufacturing have empowered about to bother saying I do really want to play for you guys. I'd much rather not so that's been that's been really endearing if he doesn't move in the end as like are great. I feel like you really got passion for the club. But he's he I'm Duvall has got a place in the event has bench. So that's pretty good. Isn't it in comparison? Well currently yes that is that is better but that is also a bit tragic for man. You giving the we'd probably build a team around him if he was if he was willing. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, I know but you've got Pogba for now. I'm you so that's good. Yeah. Yeah, I mean we might finish by the Arsenal you never know and speaking speaking of Arsenal my football highlight of the week a quick one. Shout out to Nicholas Pepe the new great. Hope for the other half of North London. And obviously I've done the YouTube videos. He's my football moment of the week. I would recommend any Arsenal fan who is As low as an Arsenal fan is usually go and have a look at Nicholas peppe's top 50 cars and because that will make you feel a little bit better. And my mom says it's shades of Perez. I don't know. I see a bit of of Omri a bit of couriers the error in the morning Stephanie Adams. Yeah, so that's great. So that's that's all sorted then for the league. But then shout out to my brother Ali who you sent me this which is a brilliant football highlight of this week. I don't know if you've seen this on BBC football, but we can tweet it from our Twitter account. So people can see it. I'll read out the article referee uses harmonica instead of whistle during none lead me and there's a video of it on the BBC football website and it's absolutely brilliant. So a stand in a referee improvise. By using a harmonica instead of a whistle during tiptree egain FC and stanway Rovers reserves pre-season friendly. The original referee was running late and needed a stand-in for the beginning of the match. But the substitute ref didn't have a whistle and had to make do with a harmonica. I mean that is non-league that is beautiful and that is football. And so I recommend people checking out that video is hilarious and so Quick one before we jump into rest of the preseason chat and fantasy football. And first of all, Gary you are the king of fantasy football team names. What is your current team name for your your fancy too? Well, to be honest. I haven't thought too much about it. But as you might have heard earlier, I'm still bitter about their the Steve Bruce debacle. So I just called my team cabbage heads in honor of the Aston Villa fan that through a cabbage Steve Bruce a few months ago. Might have to think of a better something hopefully preferably pun based but the moment I'm the Cabbage heads. I like that. It's very nice. And yeah, that's a good one. And Andy. What's your team name? Well, I minded placeholder at the moment. I haven't like Gary I had wasn't ready for this bit in the forecast. So I haven't landed yet. I'm currently you are my so shy but I don't see that last thing. I don't see Scioscia lasting either Matt. And what's your team name? I can barely remember. I think I just checked it is the will of the Week Speedy Gonzales James in honour of man united Speedy new well schwinger. Can you explain the joke as all as all the best jokes need explaining this work is a on Speedy Gonzales. And yeah and just adding the word James the end. Okay. Absolutely strong. I like it. I like it. That's so good. You look good enough, but can you better have a good name? What we wait for the Duncans avoiding giving his name now. Yeah, it was decided to go silent to maybe we did not do that baby. Just like not record that bit move on. Maybe we could do like this. None of us have got names yet. Maybe we can do like a steam for our names this year. He could be what see me you got in mind. I don't I literally just thought of the idea right then in that moment. So I haven't gotten them yet. Food maybe carrot phenomena. And what about I tell you my team name? All right, that leaves it's expensive. So I just a big long pause there to build the tension, but my team name is okay. Big build-up Crouch is so lanky. You know is lanky. Okay, I've got another one. I've got another one drop the den dunker. That's pretty good. Yeah, that's strong. It's got to speak to as well. I think then Duncan. Yeah, I like picking the player whose defense see player of pre-season. So last year was I remember Sokka and I went with Obi-Wan besakih this one it I think it's done dunker. So drop the den donker is based on the 90s comedy drop the dead donkey. It's a British thing. If you're in the state's look it up and I don't know if it's any good look it up. I'm not sure it's good to be plugging. It serious look it up, but don't watch a whole episode because it's okay. So we move on so I think our first section is needs a little bit of intro. So if you haven't listened to us before what we normally do when the season starts is we each go through our team tell you what went wrong tell you what when right what transfers were made. Made what points we got and what is breaking our heart in our team and we love do that. We love to talk about our teams, but it does take a lot of time when you have you know, four or five people. So this season bit of a change and I'm going to tell I'm going to hand over to Matt and Gary to tell you about the change. Yes. So we're going to pick a team across all of us on the Pod. And so we've had it go at putting together the Fantasy Football Fanatics. Fantasy team and what we've done is we've divvied up between goalkeepers Defenders midfielders and Strikers to each pick our own section. And then when the season starts what we'll do is we'll go around each week and one of us will have the final say on which transfer to do but we'll be debating transfers and reviewing how its performed in the past game week. So and did and if you want to just go through the team. Yeah sure. That's a good idea. So Duncan it was it was me rather than going by the way. And so on going that's that's why they finally get Sheffield United. I figured that was a team we can all get behind Fairly inoffensive. They don't have many brain cells. So you might be able to be able to win that one. Alright, so at the moment we have a goalkeeping Duo it's a budget go Gabby Jo of quetta and gun gun. Looks like he's first team for Southampton. So although all of their goalkeepers are four point. Five million that looks like a good deal and quite obviously was one of the stars of last season's fantasy league are our defense is pretty stacked in the moment. We've got both Alexander Arnold and Van Dyke in the defense. So against Norwich on the opening day at home. That should be pretty strong first week with Duncan zinchenko something for for two at this stage. So get Duncan to drink over two Defenders and then on the bench the defender is is Kelly from Crystal Palace. It looks like a good pick at the moment for the start of the season because they had a lot of injuries in defense. So he's probably going to get into the team but then fade away later on. So one that will it's transfer hour later, I think. The Midfield was picked was it was either pick me feel that that's like so we gate we divvied up budget. So I think it's between each position position. So I had about 40 million in Midfield. So which means I couldn't afford both Sterling and seller. So I've opted for Sterling Marlin a Berkeley at the moment and Perez as a starting ones and then dunker on the bench just to be the judge. One I had books instead of Berkeley until about an hour before the Pod and you reminded me that Brooks is in fact about injured and so therefore I can't look won't pick him. So that's one two, maybe debate. I'm not sure. I just I just picked a random player that was below six and a half million basically went to Berkeley to moment. Yeah, go thing, which probably since it was a kind of last-minute pig. That's probably one that we can we can do some debating on this week and I can be are part of transfer and team tick before we do that then moving on to the strikers. We even picked by then. We have Harry Caine Josh Qing qing's are an interesting point because born with obviously have pretty good fixtures at the start of the season and hurricanes hurricane, and then that leaves us with 4.5 million on the bench. So we have Mason Greenwood exciting for us the three of us, man. answer So that's the team and it doesn't does everyone agree. It's a good team. No. Not bad terrible is it it's not like I think all of us have probably picked a better players at our own teams that we have in this one. I think what we're trying to tap into here is the wisdom of the crowd the idea that by putting our minds together. We can measure out Gary's Madge Madge Maverick - we can get over Ben's Dullard - and and mats, you know Annoying winning streaks and Somehow between all five of us we can. We can produce a team that can be more powerful than our own teams. So it's very unlikely in the first is this team going to be competing in our mini-league to see if it can beat us and if so, does it when the Sweepstake we all could split this Roots take if we're in that very brilliant. I don't think is going to win. Be there no positivity and it looks like an okay team. I guess that none of us individually would have picked it because we've sort of had to divvy it up between different different players. And so each of us will see a player in there that we probably don't like I think one of the the structural things about it is that I don't know if we've got Kane in up front which is quite a heavy hitter and whether we want to shift that to Midfield or not, I guess. That debating point I didn't what others think about that. I've got three Heavy Hitters actually have ways of expertise tax team with Sterling Manet and Kane and then at the back, we've got the most expensive defender in the game and the third most expensive defender in the game. That's that sounds good. We've got big Heavy Hitters in the back big-headed as Midfield an attack. I like this Cannes in the team because I don't have cane in my own team. I've got quite gone with the template the you know, the Twitter template of FPL which is see Has to be heavy at the back because a lot of Defenders a lot of people on Twitter showing data saying that the lower price Defenders, even though there's 7 million or out scoring seven million midfielders. So they're worth having over midfielders and this outscoring even more the strikers who are 7 million 6 .5 s and so I've just got Josh King up front of my own team. That's pretty much it but I like the fact that Keynes in there because I wish he was in my team. I I just being led Away by the FL community. So maybe that's what we've done between us I mean I've gone with Kane at the my I haven't completely picked my own team, but I have I've got him in at the moment because he's a quite a bit cheaper than he was normally and I know he doesn't usually start very well in August, but I'm thinking perhaps it's become a look when he's got a bit of a point to prove. So I'm going to gamble that he's gonna kind of start. Well, I think he's also got some very tasty looking home fixtures. At the start of the Season his first three home games Villa, Newcastle and Palace. So so yeah, I think is a I think is a good one particularly looking at the first week is potentially I think the captain for Villa at home first week of the season. Yeah, I have them as well. When we spoke last week ahead of where robot my team is completely unrecognizable from the team that I described last week now and I have hurricane I've run as well same reasons. Okay. It sounds like we decided on K then which I can also see like it's quite nice to be different for my my own team as well as I can partly cheer on how he came as he scores goals in the first game week, even though he's not in my my main team because I went with the salah' Sterling sort of heavy hitting and then heavy hitting at the back. We spent I'm just gonna like Duncan very cheap up front of the moment. But yeah, it adds a bit of bit of difference. I guess. The other debating point is I said, I had books and therefore like the spawn this early fixtures and that also was a bit of a make weight as a six and a half million pounds player to be able to afford all these Heavy Hitters in our team. He's injured and so therefore we have a bit of debating point about who we were placing with I put in Berkeley as my personal suggestion. But welcome thoughts from others about six-and-a-half or below midfielder to put in. I obviously not has history of the Berkeley and the troubled and brutal hits. He had him and his team. Let's remind him about it last season. It was all going. Well Berkeley in and things just took a bit of a turn for the worse and he struggled but actually I think that you know, Matt is going against The psychology of ignoring that player who's done bad for you in the past and I think that is worth it. But if you look at the preseason for Chelsea in the stats, he's the top scoring if it was FPL point four preseason is the top scorer the Chelsea at the moment. I think he's got three goals three assists something like that. He's on penalties. I think he's been in on penalties and even when Georgina has been on the pitch maybe vampires looked at Georgina's ridiculous penalty. Technique where he jumps before he hits the ball, which just looks like the most stupid thing. Yeah, and that's basically why motherfucking is good pre-season. And yeah, I'm still slightly hurt by the his performance of my team last year when he'd scored about two or three on the charts. I thought we've got a new Lampard here for Chelsea put him in and I think sorry dropped him the very next game which is a kick in the teeth and it took me ages to get him out and cost me a lot of points, but this isn't my team so therefore I can put him in this one and it feels It was much better than that slight bit of distance and kicking him. I mean, my main question would be is he going to play because I that was the problem you had all last season was he was he'd either play the first hour and come off or he played the last half an hour as sorry had his kind of set rotations if he's going to play every week then then he's a good player to have a couple of other ones just to throw out there another fantasy football favorite, Nathan Redmond is 6.5 and if he still going to be playing more often than not as a forward, he might be one a shout or the guy you mentioned of the leaping penalties Georgie Neo might this one would be a bit of a punt but he's only 5 million and apparently is going to be playing a bit further forward and that would free up 1.5 million to maybe make an upgrade somewhere else in the team. Yeah. They met I'm I think that would be the way I'd go because I I think ioz Paris Is a bit of a like he's been a lot of hype about him preseason particularly fancy Community. I see him as being a bit like so Shinji okazaki, he works hard contributes a lot to the attacking play but doesn't actually get very many fantasy points for Lester just acts as a foil for the Jamie vardy and create space for him. And if that's true if that's the role that he plays. I think he's going to end up flattering to deceive and other players will do better than him. So maybe the way to do it could be that we can Upgrade thereby saving money on books. Hmm, so you'd be looking a sigurdsson or every child. Listen if you wanted to go for 8 million to upgrade from Paris, but I disclaimer something. I think I've got Paris in my team as well as the moment. So he's one I'm keeping an eye on. Yeah, I quite like Paris at the moment is of in the whole Striker for six and a half million for Lester and his scored. I think a couple of PCS and so I think he's a bit better than akazake in that role. So I mean so Berkeley to Georgie no is one option and that just gives us money to then spend Elsewhere on the team. Not necessarily Perez, but like wherever we we can maybe leave it in the in the in the kitty ready for game week one to no, don't do it. That's what I did last season. I have my the kitty all year and it was terrible. I'm not saying oh, yeah, I'm saying for like one week before we blow it. That's how it starts about. That's nice. Well, and I mean one of the one the one pick for a I thought was a bit weird was was been and gone with Mason Greenwood and I realize he's kind of gone for that just because he's really cheap and he just needed a make weight, but he's realistically he's not going to play. So if we did want to have a six million pound Striker then that could be an option. Yeah. Our bench is awful. Isn't it kelly didn't dunker in Greenville. The 10 dunk is gray. But should be dropped. Don't you have any insight and who's left to us? Who's not giving a suggestion for like a player to put in? Yeah. Can I bear to put in for who for Berkeley? I would I mean I think I said it before I just I think he's he sits such a cheap price point for his position in the team. I know that Mason Mount has look good in preseason and look good for Lampard and the championship last season for Darby, but I think I think that Berkeley is now established at the club. He's been there a while. He's come through his injury problems. Hopefully is it looks like he's on penalties. He looks confident. I've seen some of the highlights preseason and he looks like he's grown up a bit which he needed to do. So, I think he will be Mount to first team and I think he'll like The Challenge from now, so I think he's got everything that is needed for a fantasy player. Really? Well, it isn't Snoop ulasewicz is he not kind of that kind of attacking midfielder would he would he not be the first team player and Barkley would be the reserve. I think I think he will be a first-team player for sure, but I see him in the formations Chelsea been playing in preseason. I know he's experimented a little bit but I looks like there's three attacking midfielders behind the main Striker Tammy Abraham door Giroux. Whoever it is and those three attacking midfielders rotate between Hedgerow his look good in pre-season. Obviously William once he recovers and and but I think Pedro and William And the guy that you mentioned kilis sick, I think they're more Wingers. Whereas Berkeley seems to pay the number 10 and mount plays that role as well. So I think there's a slightly less competition for those positions. There's just the two of them. That's Central number ten roll Carpathia to they had last year he still there as well. Yeah, but I think he's still playing that deep-lying roll with Georgie. No, I think he I mean I hope why am I saying I hope I hate it and I think he will push forward more based on the highlights I've seen and maybe he looked good last season on the ball, but didn't produce any stats. Maybe he'll start making some more late runs into the box, but I don't think he will be an attacking Outlet so much as but hey, I agree with that actually if you look, A tragic history before he joined Chelsea. He was he didn't play that much Real Madrid deep. We sort of broke through and his really good Seasons at Inter Milan even then first of all, he didn't tend to play 90 minutes. He was substituted a lot even his best season and he scored five goals. He was he was playing as an attacking midfielder like in a number 10, Ron he didn't score a lot of goals. But if I sort of aleksandr head figure so I don't think hero absolutely celeb what I meant and I met him once You know, he's a meth lab. I met her Junior know the very shortest able to recognize them. I'm an asshole. I'm a man and I was waiting for a friend an airport and he came out just on his own obviously. No one recognized him as you just pointed out I said, oh my God Alexander of Z, you know pronouncing it in the Belarusian and can I have your autograph when he said yeah. Do you have a pen? And I said no. Ha ha ha so so he came with me becoming very with me. We can't you came with me to the travel money place. We got a pen from the lady and he signed a receipt I had in my bag more to learn once the hero. I think he thought I was a twat I like the idea that you've got a framed picture of flab with a receipt. Well, that's that's a crystal ball future. Look for metallic advantages. Well, I feel okay. So cavities we think is going to what I think anyway going to be defensive midfielder rather than attacking one looks like that that does I think leave us with Berkeley as a the favor for the number-10 row, which actually makes it a pretty shrewd pick I think so. I'm going to throw my the Berkeley ring All right. So we've got without without voted Gammy then so we'll keep Berkeley and it does give us zero point five on in the bank as well for the first transfer of the season when we realized that one of the pics we've had is disastrously wrong. So yeah, I think we're all set up. Could I could I could I try once again then 2 to boot Mason Queen without of the team because and I just don't think he's going to play I agree. I agree. You've got okay admittedly not a prolific goalscorer, but you've got Shane long from Southampton at 5 million and bear in mind that until recently Southampton would terrible. So he was mad just chasing look kind of lost causes but I seen it seems to be kind of close to first team and you did get a couple of goals towards the end of last season so I could I could at least see him playing and perhaps even scoring a few goals. Here here here is that I mean, I think you'll definitely score more than most in Greenwood because you'll be on the pitch. So that's obviously an improvement. So my counter will turn up What alternative pick how about lease mousette for Sheffield United Gary. So they're one of their new record signings at 5 million Striker from for me from Bournemouth. Might play a bit more these days. Um, I don't I mean as I'm not claiming carrying on my Sheffield United boycott into into this into this team I had will he go straight into the team. I guess that probably I guess they spent quite a bit of money on him. I would I prefer him to Greenwood at least will be potentially in the team straight away. They've signed a three Strikers have yeah, so they got Billy sharp was a bit more of a poacher who tends to play and last they have McGoldrick last season who's quite quick. I guess they're looking at new set as a potentially an upgrade on the gold Rick. Although this game rates McGoldrick is 5.5. So they may be the fantasy football brains. Perhaps seen the gold Rick still has a The first choice, I don't know. I think they've also signed all of them Bernie from Swansea for 20 million. Yeah, he's not an easy in the game yet. He's no he's not on the game yet. I'm presume. He probably go in at more than 5 million. Possibly set maybe won't be in the first team then which would make him pretty similar to Greenwood. Yeah is long actually first team first Hampton though. I'm not sure about that either and they signed Che Adams. So another Sheffield United ex-player. It seems to be full of full of shells. I plays this podcast. But yeah, I I think I guess that Shane long would play some games but not all I think I'm with Gary on the shenlong thing because he proved himself to the the hustle guy the manager last season hasn't hustle. And he loves as only coined the Hassan hustle hustle. So I like to press high and like to press high and Shane loves to run and chase people down. He's brilliant at that and so he's proved himself to the manager. And also nobody apart from us is going to pick Shane mom. But from Southampton fans, so when everyone gets rid of Greenwood because everyone's ammonia knife and apart from the sensible people and his value is going to drop to 4.3 something like that with all the transfers out. Whereas chains long value is going to stay at five because no one's getting rid of him because no one's got it. So we might as well have it. He's actually got six point two percent ownership along which surprises me a bit though. The other five million Strikers are obafemi also from Southampton jostle. Ooh, who's been sold? I think and only success and I you so unless we go with Matt's favorite Isaac Isaac success I'm not going to do is that one. It is UND only anywhere near the Brighton team. I can't you just move doesn't end only. All right. We check that. I like and Only If he if he hasn't moved I've had like 10 Downing. I think I've mentioned it a couple of times. I think if Potter Potter thinks Glen Murray can't handle every game then and only might see more minutes than other other two are the strikers were discussing. I think him and long have good options. Andy what is your research found a different player called and only moved brilliant, maybe let's so he's go with her and I think that Ben might be a bit miffed when he's chosen the strike we've exchanged one of his choices for fluorine and owning but I will brighten have a pretty good opening fixture list as well. Don't they say yeah, although is I think and the cardia actually sits above and own a in the pecking order behind So I'm not sure I think and only might be third choice Striker rights and it's like idea more of a kind of a support Striker and then down. He's a bit more of a Target man when Murray doesn't play I don't I bought seen masses of Brighton, but when they got there, they got a new manager. So they'll be playing could be a new system. So it's all about inserts and say it could be our game week one punt. I guess if we might quickly stopped him back out again having me. Has the error of our ways but we could go quite Maverick and go friend. Only I guess I guess this value at least can't go down with only point five percent of present system of selected in whereas lungs might go down 6% of gone for him. Okay, are we all decided then and donate? He's the one I just put it in, right? And then the final thing is we seem to pick a captain for game week one. So I think that illness shortlist this it's either going to be livable Defender because they've got no watch at home. So maybe Alexander Arnold or Van Dyke or cane at home to Villa or Sterling away at West Ham. What do people fancy? fancy cane you have it. I don't fancy pillar of God never shake. Well, they had a shaky defense last season and they signed loaded new players so they might be a bit weak at the back. Yeah, let's go for Kane then. I think that's quite soon as I agree of that as well. Although just just a bit of balance to my my only regret I do I do like Sterling playing in the striker role during pre-season while Aguero and Jesus are recovering from copper America and although his penalty took the other day was appalling and you know when he's if he is playing in that role in the charity Shield, but did he play in the in that role in the churchyard? Did anyone see the charity Shield? I didn't watch it. But yeah, he did start up fun. Yeah, okay. Well if he starts up front in the league, is that not a good role for captaincy? West Ham a crap sometimes I think I haven't even and another thing to throw in here actually which is to do with mayonnaise because Liverpool have a history of destroying Norwich by large gold margins, and so maybe you want Liverpool attackers for that. I don't think mayonnaise going to start although I don't think it'll last the full game because he went so deep into the afcon tournament that I think he's only I think probably missed most of pre-season. So I think that would be risky. When do we want to know if he's going to play? For 11 and a half million is the law for some reason play I'd say probably not at the moment, but maybe later in the season. Yeah, I mean, I think I put money in. I think you're right. That is a bit of a rotation risk for game week one with a rekey but I think the probably starts him and then set him off after 60 minutes. So I think it's a good shout through what is good for the first time and I think it's the best shout for captaincy game week one. Do you think it's a risk? You think it's not a risk for game week one, that's not worth taking like maybe we bring him in in game. Two or three once he's bit more up to speed. Well, I just think that if we're going to go Salas in our team, I think he's sort of a good balanced against that because he's still like a really strong player for Liverpool. They have some nice opening fixtures and we're saying he's had a limited preseason, but he's not injured or anything. So I think he's still going to be a fairly good shout for the early games fair enough and he has been on fire hasn't he for quite a while now? Yeah, and he's at that price tag from last season. Yeah, definitely. And if we were playing safe with every pair could be no fun. That's true. Okay. All right. Well my vote goes to Kane then. I will second that statistic like heard that. I thought that I'm not going to numbers and okay any more discussion points from the team? I think we can go into a bit more as the season develops, but I'm I think it's pretty good team actually is probably probably better than mine at the moment. I need to look at mine again. I think what we'll do is obviously the season doesn't start till Friday. Don't forget people Friday not Saturday season doesn't start till Friday. So we if we get any injuries to this team or if n comes back to our sun our WhatsApp group and says what the hell have you done to my Strikers then we might ask Bend to tweet out a poll the Twitter poll to see what you guys think if we get stuck. If not we can use that throughout the season if we're stuck we can throw You guys so you can get involved and but apart if anyone else wants to shout apart from that we will move on to the next section which is which is Gary and Gary's the king. I've told told some of the listeners about this last season when we introduced him as a guest Potter, but now he's official he is the king of spreadsheets when we when we played in a five side team. He used to run a spreadsheet for the whole team every different player had their profile picture. They had their stats their goals their assists. I think they might have been man of the match in the pub afterwards as well. It was incredible and get there were errors in the spreadsheet map and got you know, high ranking in the spreadsheet Gary needs to explain that before explains and rest of this but gut-punch see is is Gary's the main this season. So without further Ado over to Gary Okay, you'll be a public pressure. I mean, I don't and I don't actually think I've built a spreadsheet for the got pants, but I was going to do a bit of a league table. So what we did last season is that we picked a good punt just for each game week when we're looking at who we thinks going to do. Well that particular week you're looking at the fixtures, but just to add a bit more of an extra Dimension to the game. We're now going to have to gut points per week. But one of them will Our season long pants. So we're going to go for a cheap Defender cheap midfielder and cheap attacker and we've christened them safe for the Midfield as we called it like the Ryan Fraser trophy. So who's that? But Hidden Gem who can be a style wall over the so course of the season. But unlike the gut punch that we do for based on the fixtures for each game week the three that were choosing now at the start of the Season we have to stick with them through the whole season. So if they get injured It's just tough look you've got to go for someone. So so they've the principal there behind having three is that each week. We just have to select one to be our our regular Punt and then we'll have a guest got pain again. So so it will Kind of trying to attract some of these people to see who's going to be the next the next phrase are all the next Daugherty in defense. So that's that's the that's the thinking behind it. We can go into the individual choices. Unless anyone has any any comments about that just one comment that I think I love the names the Fraser trophy him and his trophy. I love the names but also I think how this applies to the listeners is that yeah. We are picking these for the season this is fun for us but for you guys and for everyone in the fantasy team Picking that gem start the season before they kick up his is crucial to fancy Premier League if you had Riyad mahrez in your team at 5.5 and that season where he went crazy and you were ahead of the game and that's what FPL is all about. It's about getting that player that differential player in two weeks before everyone else and if you're Gary and your Maverick, you can do it to me before that player even explodes. I don't know how he does it, but you can do that. So I think this is a really good new feature and unfortunately is uman. Yes, even in the game anymore. I don't think you can pit can we pick any alas? No, he cannot be picked. So this bed me some embarrassment there. Yes. Oh, so it shows some of our form from last season when Andy was extolling the virtues of him - at this time of the year, and I was extolling the virtues of check tosun and how I thought he could really explode at last season. So I think take our picks of a pinch of salt because that's what they were last year. So so yes, I will we'll have something to hold against each other as then if this goes horribly wrong, so maybe we'll we'll start with the docherty trophy and maybe Matt you want to explain why Max our ins is the man so I think no it should just quite attacking side. And as far as I'm aware, he's quite an attacking fullback that fits in that four and a half million pound bracket. Um, he's definitely picks a long-term. So I think they got some tricky opening fixtures. So I'm avoiding knowledge personally in the early fixtures and by pigs, but I think you'll come good hopefully of a couple of assists maybe the new docherty. So so dumb, can you don't agree with this attacking Defenders approach? You think Jamal lascelles Newcastle is the way to go. Oh God. Now you've introduced it. I know. So basically I my My Philosophy with all my defenders in my own team is just attack attack attack attack attack that so good question. Why am I going for genuine Stone? Well because this is counter-intuitive and we'll probably make no sense to anyone but me so Benitez has left but he's not gone. He's left behind him defensive solidity and unity at the back and that is embodied by one man. That man is jamala cells and Jamal the cells is a leader of men people say I've heard it and I've seen it when he's not in. Injured so maybe that was another reason for not picking him. And yeah, he gets goals. He used to be 5 million now, he's 4.5 and Newcastle are going to need a unifying Captain to get through the Steve Bruce here because cabbage head is not a leader of men if anyone hasn't listened to the 90s football podcast by Josh widdicombe and and friends. Yeah. He's really score. Yeah. Yeah. Need to listen to the episode about Steve Bruce's book called Striker and murder mystery about a striker who discovers a body in the middle is accused of it. All basically based on Steve Bruce's dream of him being a striker and it's just one of the best podcast episodes you ever hear about football and the man is a brilliant. Something and not Football manager, I could think it was about one more thing about Steve Bruce. I can think of lots of bodies. Everybody should follow on Twitter Steve Bruce at weddings. It's brilliant. It's a somebody has decided to take photos of other peoples weddings and Photoshop Steve Bruce celebrating goals into them is brilliant. Everybody should follow it. Sorry carry him. How do yeah, well, yeah as I say I can think of lots of words to describe Steve Brooks, but it's probably best I am move on. So I think and Andy you went for the Harry McGuire Chain Reaction, I think here you've done with Lewis. Stunk of Brighton or potentially maybe less stuff. Yeah. He's a tiny brightening the game, but I think he's odds on for a move to Lester. My my first choice is Max. Aaron was already taken by Matt. So I then had to rethink and I went for Louis phone because I fear is kind of one of the good things about brightens fixture list. This season is that they've got sort of runs of good fixtures and runs at that fixture so I can see them getting on a sort of a few sort of good runs of form where they don't concede very many. Goals, and so if he stays then great he's got that he's going to play every game and if you leave then he's going to upgrade significantly to Lester who will be one of the teams looking for looking to upset the top six this season and will presumably be better than if he was at Brighton. So yeah, that's that was my thinking around Louis tank. Yeah, no, I think that might be a that might be a good show and even if he stays at bright and he still star regular push pretty consistent Point scanner. So just Went with one of Sheffield United's attacking Defenders Jack O'Connell and I've gone for Isa Diop from West Ham who I think I put in for my free hit week last season and he actually did very badly for me, but I'm not been burnt by that by that and I do actually think with Pellegrini West Ham's defense might be reasonably tidy and he's also a bit of a threat from set-pieces. So keep an eye out for Isa Diop. My tip for the Dottie trophy. Moving on to the Ryan Frazee trophy. So I should just say that the Defenders we set ourselves a price limit of 4.5 million for the midfielder's we went first six million as bad as the limit. I'm immediately regretting my choice and maybe I'll hear a bit more from Duncan but I saw this one I went with Alex and whoa be I was kind of thinking now Ramsey's gone. Rosa was being praised out of the print out the picture. It looks It was actually a First Choice Arsenal player. But now that they've spent all that money on Pepe. Was it 70 million? I think he won't be might be being back to cameos Off the Bench. But who knows? Maybe he'll still come good Duncan was that foolish foolish punto is he and to watch? Well, I love Alex a wavy I think last season when he came off the bench and towards the end of the season every now and then he was just a player that we needed to take people on burst past them and he was just a burst of energy when we needed it a certain point. I just think the only thing that he's lacking is confidence in front of goal. And if he gets that then yeah, he could step into rounds his shoes shoes. As you know, an Arsenal plays been there a long time knows the club and the fans love him. Well some of the fans love him and but before Yeah, I think. I think it could be a good pick. I've always wanted to put in my team and I never never done it but I think it could be a good pick and I'd love it to be a good pick obviously because I'm an Arsenal fan and he'll probably start slow after the African as well playing for Nigeria. But yeah, I think he could form a really good partnership. I mean if it was me a play him on One Wing, but they Pepe and the other one tell hosel to pack his bags and and Yeah, I think that's probably hopefully what will happen by the end of the season. So we'll see if he can get that confidence in front of goal. And it's a classic Gary Maverick pick, but I love it. Okay. Well, well we'll stick with you don't because you think you're going for the Mavericks Maverick as your Ryan Fraser Trophy winner and Ross Townsend. I just and Ross, you know, and when he was playing for Spurs, I thought is really promising. You went to QPR and he looked brilliant and then he moved to Palace and then he just kept on shooting from ridiculous range when it was needed or not. But I think if so hard goes, I think last season Townsend started to add and impressive kind of creativity to his game Crossing. Assisting goals and he wasn't just shooting from ridiculous range. If so who stays all the better. I think I think that's going to create opportunities for towns in these can grow and grow and but if saw her leaves still a bonus, you'll become kind of the main man. I think towns and lost his rag last season and kick the Dugout or something like that and got dropped for the end of the season, but I think if memory recalls he came back into the team right the last kind of gasp of the season, so he's Something to prove to the manager and his stats are up. He's quite a think if you look sort by field as six million and under I think he's quite high scoring total score. So I think across the whole season. He's a safe pick to play every week get attacking returns in a team with a good manager and the settled team. So that's why I went for him. Okay, good thinking. So I'm Andy you went for a bit more of a Swagger with y'all's bit someone with a bit of an attitude. So Jack British. Yeah, I am it's of the spirit of this this competition is to try and pick the next sort of rehab mares. He's going to sort of come out of nowhere and score loads of goals. I think that's definitely not going to be and Ross Townsend. He might he probably gonna do. All right, but really she's somebody who might do amazing on might be completely terrible, but from his performances last year in the championship. He's obviously been a tough and not a lot by being kicked repeatedly. She got punched in one of the game. His innards of the Darby law season didn't he instead of her carried on with the game, but I did lie. Yeah, so I think his mentality has improved a lot since he was lost in the Premier League. He was obviously bill as best player last season and I feel like if any of the promoted sides this season have a chance of doing anything is going to be Villa because they've invested basically exactly what the different team plus which I would agree to still so yeah - I was of torn between him and maybe trezeguet who's also available. Player, but I went with greenish because I feel like he's more likely to start the season on a role rather than having to be bedded in. Matt you were saying that you think that he's won one pass behind the assister. Yeah, and I think that's just looking at his stats from last season. I think the other midfielders was it is Houlihan and begin who have favilla sort of outscored him and goals and assists and but everyone was raving about greenish and how amazing was and I watched very little of Aston Villa last season, but the bitter did watch around Christmas I saw that green It was definitely knitting play really. Well, you can see him sort of the star man hit had really good. It's a fair point. I think none of us really knows what the sort of flow of players going to be for us to visit this season, and he might well be the sort of player who is One path behind the assist but it's a pretty tight budget at six million and there's a chance that he might go wild. So that's why I picked him. I don't know. I think he's made Matt speechless. So I think is what he's going to do great things this season and he's got he's got short socks, which is so cool. If Matt's regained his ability to speak then he might be able to talk us through the core a has his pick maybe not. Okay. Well, it looks like Matt and Ben have gone for a couple of Watford Evergreens in Decorah and / are pereyra very rare. Am I saying that right who who were right up at the top of the price bracket? So of the points scored and this in this price bracket last season, so I think they're two pretty solid ones to look out for as well. Yeah, I think I think the core is a great pick from that. I think it's it's similar to my pic with Townsend. That's probably why I think it's good because it's solid he'll play every week. He gets the old gold, but it's mainly the just a playing every week thing. And then for the I guess we'll move on to the him in s trophy which is the strikers. He's actually really difficult to do this because we set a price limit of 6 million and when you look on the game, there's only actually 39 players to six million. And the number of them are actually play is quite limited. I'm afraid to say again. There's a very strong Sheffield United thing to this one. We've got to a Sheffield United Youth products. We've got two players who I think of the kind of players who will go to play for Sheffield United in the future maybe in the championship in a next season and one current Sheffield United player. So Duncan you want to start with Billy sharp. Yeah Billy sharp, and I think the reason that I went for Billy sharp is really because of I'm a big fan of the always cheating. Fancy Premier League podcast, I recommend it to anyone and who thinks we're crap. And yeah, and I think it was I think it was Josh on that podcast who's saying really sharp and has a good backstop what so I not good back story pretty pretty traumatic backstory and he's come through some tough times and and I think last season at one point. Yeah. Well, I mean Billy shop is I think he's one of the record goalscorer as across all the lead. I think he's the guy with the most career goals of all the players playing in the moment when you look at his goals, he scored across the league so well, I guess we'll see if he can do it in there in the Premier League Andy. Do you want to talk about Calvert Lewin? Yeah. Sure. So Everton really only have one Striker and there are various. Fucking side. It looks like noisy Kings on his way, which would obviously be a be some competition for him but a nineteen-year-old arriving from the Serie is unlikely to be starting on day one and if kind of carpet Louis knows a young player, he's a quick big strong. He's got everything that you sort of should need to succeed in the Premier League. So if he sort of gets on a good run at the beginning of the Season, then he could could retain that place up front and you know be be evidence First Choice Striker for the whole season, which would be amazing for 6 million said that's my thinking around him. Hopefully it comes off. Yeah, I went with another X Sheffield United player earlier in his career Che Adams who Southampton and spent 15 million on design from Birmingham. Again. This is a bit of a punt but I think he might fit in quite well to their kind of new pressing kind of pasty style of play. He's a guy who I think I played a lot as like a kind of a wide forward and it was only really last season that Birmingham kind of play them up front. And then in that kind of a mid-table team, he scored 20 yards 22 goals, I think so. He might I'm kind of backing him to make an impact at Southampton like that's not right that's talking about it is the gut punch league, right? There's supposed to be something that you're sort of gu using your gut a little bit and having us a feeling about somebody might do something. So I like that pick. And then suddenly just just to round off the other two Matt went with the top scorer in this point point price range last season Glen Murray. You got a hundred and twenty nine points last season. Can he still do it age 36. Well, we'll find out and then went with Danny Ying's things can only get better. So he's just about surviving the injuries. He got 90 Points last season he actually played more than I thought got seven goals. So if he can stay fit another good could shout out there. So yeah, that's the there the there the season Luongo Ponce will be doing our weekly got pain stay and add to them but with each have like a squad of these three players to pick from so each week. We'll choose one of them to be our representative in the gun. Good. We we also need to pick our way to do that for the first week. Right because by the time the next podcast happens, we will have the the next week already done. So we actually have this is the last time we're gonna talk before the start of the season. Yeah, sorry. I should probably I know this is going letting the listeners by the curtain but we're losing man. We are losing that power. The internet is not holding up to International partners and but I think we've still got three of us on the line. So yeah, have we do you think we've covered the gut punch Gary? Yes. That's the that's the well that's the the season long. Done. That's the we doing fix the previews this might turn into a bumper bumper addition. If we do our is there a special sneak extra material plan? But I don't know what your plans are Duncan. My plans are I think preseason is preseason. You know, you've you just put in the minutes. It's all about Fitness. It's not about Nat sharpness know it is about Matt sharpness is about getting that sharpness. I think we now Matt Sharp Although we've lost Matt. Yeah, man that's needs to work on his Fitness because he's not lasted two full length. Yeah, so we're not going to do a fixture preview for game week one this one. I think it's much more useful to talk about the season look at the big picture and then we'll jump back into the game by game previews as the season rolls on and if you haven't listened to us before we're weekly podcast normally. He's out Sunday night Monday morning you Kate. I'm not sure what time that is. What times that in states where you are in some foam and the middle of the night on Sunday. Okay and Gary and in Santiago. Are you moving to I'm guessing you don't know what time it is. It'll be about halfway between the u.s. And the and London site be just slightly earlier on the Monday. I think I think I like that you're moving now to Chile you were previously in. Anna previously to that in Korea. So it's keeping the international flavor of the Fanatics up its impressive work. It's mainly based around have been much easier to watch football in Chile and in China than the matches the Champions League kicks off in the middle of the night. Chili's got a nice kind of three our three hours behind so so the the Champions League will be nicely in the evening and the Premier League games on like the three o'clock kickoff will be at 12 on a I so I thought that was my main from almost nothing to do with the job or the culture. It was mainly about just just being able to follow the football. Nice. Well, yeah dedication and we respect that here at the Fanatics. And unless you guys have anything more to shout out and then I'll wrap things up. If you don't follow us already on Twitter. We're at FB L FF Fanatics. If you haven't if you listen to us last season your back again for another season with us our second full season, then please take the time to rate and review us an apple podcasts or wherever you get your quads. And it makes a great it means a great deal to the to us Fanatics and it'll make it easier for other potential listeners to find us and and follow what we do and how badly our team goes. Who knows maybe the group think will work for us. And so thank you Gary on your full pod debut. And for your Insight cheers, my pleasure. Thank you Andy for your Insight my pleasure as well. And thank you Matt, and I'm so sorry that you couldn't last the distance. Now he's still gone.
In the last but not least pod of pre-season the FFFanatics are getting close to match fitness. Andy and Matt get more minutes under their belts and there’s a first appearance of the season from big money signing from the Chinese super league - Gary - who impressed in some of his sporadic loan appearances last season. Duncan is back too looking for match sharpness and has news of another new arrival to the wider pod family. The FFFanatics talk FPL team names, introduce their new features for the season including a FFFanatics Fantasy team - managed by the collective - will Andy and Gary’s maverick tendencies balance out Ben’s Dullardism or will Matt’s pragmatism prevail? Gary’s gut punts have grown this season and the FFFanatics start by picking their season (Shane) long players to watch. Follow us on twitter @FPLFFFanatics. Why not take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to us and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks! 