Dilemmas of the Week - GW12

 

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

And even 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 12?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

We saw the usual rash of 'yellow flags' pop up just ahead of the international break, as clubs cheekily exaggerated every slight knock and ache to get their boys excused from having to go and play for their countries. This blatant fibbing is really getting to ridiculous levels. However, there are, of course, some more genuine problems hidden in amongst all the lead-swingers, so it gets really difficult to sift through the injury bulletins and make decisions about your squad after a batch of international games like this. It looks as though most of the 'injuries' have indeed been trivial or illusory, with Palmer and Saka looking likely to be fine to play this weekend.  However, Ayari, who suffered an ankle injury in the last game, and Rice, who was suffering with a broken toe last time out and had to come off early, and Alexander-Arnold, who appeared to have picked up a minor hamstring problem, might still be out. And it is reported - how reliably, who can say? - that Mbeumo, Wissa, and Pinnock might not be available until next week (which would leave Brentford desperately short against Everton).

Trossard, Lindelof, Aina, and Bednarek picked up knocks in the internationals, though only the last of these looks serious enough to keep the player out (for a few weeks).

Ramsdale has suffered a finger injury which seems likely to keep him out of the Southampton goal for at least 3 or 4 weeks.

White and Fatawu have both had knee surgeries - the latter for an ACL rupture, which will probably keep the young Leicester star sidelined until at least the beginning of next season; very unfortunate. Ben White's problem appears to have been much more minor (cartilage?), but he's still unlikely to be available again until the New Year. This presumably means that Timber and Zinchenko will be Arsenal's starting full-backs this week; they're really getting stretched very thin.

Oh, I originally forgot to mention - Reece James pinged his hamstring again. a few minutes into the Arsenal game. The only surprise about this is that he'd managed to last 2 full games this time.  Apparently, it doesn't look too serious. But given his history of repeatedly re-injuring himself, I imagine he'll be eased back in very slowly this time. If at all....  After missing so much competitive football over the last 2 years, I fear the poor lad's lost much of his sharpness, and he no longer really looks as if he deserves a start over Gusto or Cucurella.

On the brighter side, Alisson, Elliott, Hwang Yoro and Shaw might be good to return this week....

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

Christie, Buonanotte, and Burn are all serving a 1-match ban for collecting 5 yellow cards. Palace's Kamada is starting a 3-game ban for getting himself sent off against Fulham. Kudus has had a 2-match extension added to his original 3-match ban for 'violent conduct', which will keep him out until the beginning of December. And Betancur has just been handed a 7-match ban (which would keep him out until Boxing Day - although Spurs are appealing the decision) for making some incautious jocular remarks about Son's ethnicity on Uruguayan TV.

South American internationals, notably Nunez and Diaz at Liverpool, must be considered unlikely to start after a long flight back this week.

And I would suggest that any Manchester United players are incredibly risky assets at the moment, as we wait to see what Amorim's selections and formation will be, and how well he'll be able to turn things around for the club (if at all....; a 'quick fix' certainly doesn't seem very likely). Training-ground reports suggest that he is looking to adopt his favourite 3-4-2-1 formation - which would probably mean no place for Garnacho (as I predicted in the last of these weekly round-ups) or Diallo (and moving forward, perhaps not Rashford or Mazraoui either.... or maybe even Mainoo). By contrast, 'forgotten men' Mount and Antony could be much more at home in this system; and perhaps Zirkzee too (playing as one of the 'dual 10s' rather than as an alternate for Hojlund at centre-forward). But even United's next two games against Ipswich and Everton might not be straightforward; and after that, they really face a pretty rocky fixture run through until the winter break. All these people rushing to buy Bruno Fernandes (because he'll enjoy playing for a fellow Portuguese??) have been eating the space candy, I fear!

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Spurs's form has been looking so flakey of late, I wouldn't touch any of their players with a bargepole. (Although Spurs do have a record of upsetting Pep!)

But Arne Muric has actually redeemed himself somewhat in my eyes, with a very solid performance in Ipswich's impressive victory over Spurs last time.

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

Well, Bruno Fernandes had a fantastic game, but that was probably a one-off (they usually are with him). And as I just said above, there are so many reasons now to shy away from United players until the end of January.

Emile Smith Rowe also had a great game, and reassured those of us who were starting to become worried that he might be a little bit of a minutes-risk with Marco Silva's idiosyncratic selection policy.

I favour Joao Pedro and Anthony Gordon as the two most promising acquisitions after their. GW11 performances, though. I go into a little more detail here.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!