Dilemmas of the Week - GW3

Every week, we need to take a long hard look at our squad, and ask ourselves if we want to make any changes....

If we do see a pressing case for a change here or there, we then need to weigh that against the possible advantage of saving our transfer - 'rolling' it over to use in a future week. This option achieves greater tactical complexity this season with the new rule that allows us to save up as many as 5 Free Transfers to use at one time. If we ever manage to do that, it would in effect be a 'mini Wildcard', enabling us to conduct a major squad overhaul in one fell swoop (particularly useful as there are a handful of 'premium' players who cost so much more than everyone else that you can't conveniently move them in and out of your squad without making multiple other changes as well).

Then, of course, occasionally multiple changes may seem so inescapable that we have to consider whether it's worth spending points on 1 or 2 extra transfers (a tactic which obviously deserves a whole post of its own one day).

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 3?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Late news of the Solanke injury caught a lot of people out last week; and although described as only a minor 'knock', it seems he's still doubtful for this week. But those who rushed to buy him on news of his move to Spurs just have to suck that up - you can't be using transfers to move people out for a short-term injury. This is why you need a bench.

Matty Cash appeared to have picked up a hamstring problem last weekend; but there doesn't seem to be any word yet on whether it's serious. If it does emerge that he's expected to miss at least a month, Kosta Nedeljković is his likeliest replacement - and suddenly becomes the most attractive 4.0 option in the game. He could prove to be a useful 'investment pick' to boost squad value but I'd say that's only worth doing if he's likely to get a run of at least 5 or 6 starts - so, we need to wait on a prognosis for Cash.

Foden was just out with a virus, right? So, we'd expect him to be back straight away this week. But you always worry that this is just a cover story, that a last-minute drop-out like that is really caused by some other issue.. maybe a row with Pep?  I think he's a big risk this season anyway at his higher price-point: his returns last year were freakishly good, mainly the result of him taking on primary creative responsibilities for most of the season while DeBruyne was out injured; this year he's likely to be taking a more secondary role again, and might well suffer more rotation.

Caicedo and Lavia at Chelsea both seemed to have quite serious knocks; but no-one's likely to have players like that in an FPL squad anyway. And they are hardy lads; I suspect they'll be fine for this week.

Do we have any players who are dropped, or not looking likely to get the starts we hoped for?

Lewis Hall getting dropped by Eddie Howe was a bit of a blow for some; he had seemed the likeliest regular addition to the Newcastle defence.

Dewsbury-Hall also seems to be purely on back-up duty at Chelsea at the moment, which is a little bit of a surprise and disappointment - after he had such an outstanding season at Leicester last year, and Maresca had seemed so eager to be reunited with him. Maybe there's some kind of fitness issue with him, and we'll see him introduced into the first team next month...?

Presumably nobody fancied Sancho to get a chance under Ten Hag; but the failure to start Zirkzee and De Ligt last week was a bit puzzling. I imagine they'll be eased into the starting eleven over the next few weeks - but if they're not, something is very, very wrong at Old Trafford.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

A lot of people on the forums are talking about dropping Watkins and/or Isak - but that's 'reactive' nonsense. Two blank weeks for a forward is nothing. They remain by far the best two picks after Haaland, and will produce points soon. 

Ditto Eze: people have inflated expectations of him, and get impatient when he doesn't produce a big points haul every week. He's actually been playing really well, and was desperately unlucky not to have picked up at least one goal in each of the opening two games, so I don't see any reason to use up a valuable transfer in offloading him. 

However, Henderson and the Palace defence might be risky picks for a while, as the side seems badly unsettled and weakened by the loss of Andersen... and the threatened further loss of Guehi.

Manchester United look so ragged at the moment, I wouldn't take a chance on any of their players; Fernandes and Mazraoui seem to be the two most popular picks from there at the moment - worth considering moving them out, I would say.

And anyone from the Chelsea, Wolves, Brentford or Everton defences looks a risky pick at the moment. Sanchez looks pretty dreadful in the Chelsea goal, and is surely a candidate for being replaced by Maresca soon. Sa and Flekken have also looked a bit shakey - and have a horrible run of fixtures coming up. And Pickford clearly was never going to repeat his freakish clean-sheet record of last season; but it's currently looking like Everton might take a battering most weeks, and leave him sometimes in negative points territory - so, if you went for him, definitely one to offload. And Muric might be in jeopardy at Ipswich, after one of the worst Premier League goalkeeping performances since the infamous David James PlayStation incident...

Do any new transfers or returns from injury demand immediate consideration?

Some people are getting quite excited about Gundogan's return to City - especially with Rodri still on the injury list.  But he's turning 34 soon (and Barcelona apparently don't want him any more....?), so is likely to get heavily managed minutes. And, when he does play, it's more likely to be in a deep holding role, rather than as a progressive 8 or a false 9 - the kind of roles where he occasionally enjoyed hot scoring streaks for them in the past.

With luck, we might see a slew of late transfers confirmed in the next few days - which could make life interesting after the international break. But obviously no new arrivals now will be involved in this weekend's matches.

Did anyone play so well, you have to consider bringing them in immediately?

Luis Diaz produced an eye-catching display against Brentford; but Liverpool still aren't playing that well as a team, and you don't want to be trebling up on any club in one position... however, if you don't already have Salah and Jota, Diaz would be a tempting representative of the Liverpool attack, especially with their kind run of fixtures.

Everyone should have had Palmer from the start of the season, but if you didn't....  Madueke, though? It's probably a fairly safe bet that he won't get another hattrick this season. And indeed, with Chelsea's bloated squad, it's uncertain how regular his starts will be, however well he plays: Neto and Nkunku and Felix and Mudryk (and Palmer!) are all competing with him for gametime.

Savinho at City is also causing a lot of excitement - mainly because Pep has unusually singled him out as being distinguished for being strong enough to start multiple games in quick succession, leading folks to believe that he might be safer than most from the threat of 'Pep Roulette': ha, good luck with that! Apart from the inevitability of tactical or stamina rotations for him occasionally, his over-eager clumsiness in challenges is a worry to me: he's miraculously got away with penalty fouls in each of the opening two games, and might have compromised City's second goal this week by tangling awkwardly with the keeper on the edge of the box; if he carries on like this, he's going to give away penalties and pick up yellow cards. Rico Lewis, though - I think the time may have arrived for him.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!