Thread by @BigManBakar

🧵 GW19 Preview Thread 🧵

Welcome to my latest GW19 preview thread where I cover:

🔴Tsimikas/Lascelles/Cash replacements
🔴The Haaland plan
🔴Trent – a priority?
🔴Darwin/Benching Dilemmas

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Q) When should be we looking to get Haaland back?

I don’t think Haaland should be a priority in Gameweek 19.

We are unlikely to hear anything about his fitness because of the Christmas holidays so it seems unwise to rip your team apart to bring him in.

Even if he plays, his expected minutes are expected to be low so he will not be an optimal captaincy choice.

Gameweek 20 is a more realistic prospect of his return to our teams – and even that is dependent on what we hear throughout the week.

Q) Who is the best Tsimikas/Lascelles/Cash replacement?

Tsimikas, Lascelles and Cash are all injury doubts in the times to come with minutes heavily in doubt – they are all sells in my opinion.

With all the Haaland money available, most FPL managers have a lot of cash to play with. Hence, I would strongly advise going for Trent.

I think Trent should be a priority transfer for anyone who does not own him.

Since Gameweek 10, there has been a huge improvement in Trent's data.

In the first nine games of the season, he created just 10 chances (only two big ones).

In the next nine games, he has created 33 chances (including nine big ones!).

In fact, since Gameweek 10, no player in the league has created more chances or big chances than Trent.

This coincides with him taking more corners too.

In the first nine games of the season, Trent took just 20% of the corners that Liverpool were awarded. That % has risen to 52% since Gameweek 10.

He's already had his rest in the EFL Cup so should be safe for starts even with the fixture congestion. What further makes me lean towards buying him is a potential double Gameweek in either Gameweek 24 or 25 for Liverpool.

I would sell Tsimikas/Lascelles/Cash to Trent for a hit – I strongly believe it should pay off over the next six Gameweeks.

Q) Is it safe to invest the Haaland funds in defence or to get an eighth attacker?

With two of Salah, Son and Haaland likely to be out of the picture at all times until at least Gameweek 25, having the flexibility to choose between 8 attackers every GW is perfectly fine.

Because Haaland is injured & Salah/Son are unavailable after GW20, there will be no necessity to allocate funds beyond one premium player at any given time which is why I don't mind allocating funds in defence and picking someone like a Trent despite the middling fixtures.

Q) Why saving a transfer this week could be beneficial?

If you own Trent/are in a position to save a transfer this week, I would suggest saving.

With doubts over Haaland’s fitness for GW19, having two free transfers to potentially get him back in GW20 (if fit) could be critical.

Q) Darwin to Solanke?

I’d keep Darwin.

He has been a frustrating own for those who went there but having already had his rest v Arsenal, he’s expected to start this week.

A potential injury to Luis Diaz and the quick turnaround between fixtures further enhances his chances of starting this GW.

Liverpool are projected to score the highest number of goals by the bookmakers this week so Darwin has a good chance of getting some healthy returns.

Q) Play Arsenal defender/Newcastle defender or Porro this week?

Both Arsenal and Newcastle are joint bookmaker favourites for a clean sheet this week.

While Porro's underlying data is still excellent, I fully expect Brighton to score which limits his ceiling.

Brighton have failed to score just once in their previous 34 games under Roberto De Zerbi.

They have been given a mere 20% chance of keeping a clean sheet by the bookmakers this week which looks even more unlikely in the potential absence of Christian Romero.

Q) Best captain this GW?

My captain this week will be Mohamed Salah.

Out of all of the attackers, he is the one with the most consistent underlying data and the standout fixture.

Q) Keep Saka despite recent run of blanks?

Saka is honestly the least of my concerns. He has been really consistent this season - I fully expect him to come good in the favourable upcoming fixtures.

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