'Ones to Watch' - for next season

 

Reflecting on the season just past, I got tempted to list a few players I think have shown us enough to make them very interesting prospects for FPL next season.

But NOTE: 'interesting', not sure-thing; and 'prospects', not already established leading picks. (FPL's own Facebook account the other day was touting Omar Marmoush as 'One to Watch' for next season. Either they're seriously undervaluing him, or.... they're applying a completely different understanding of the term than mine!)

So, in no particular order, here are some of the players I'll be watching with particular interest next season, players I hope could take a big step forward in their FPL points output.

Myles Lewis-Skelly and Nico O'Reilly, despite playing for different clubs, are in a very similar position - both outstanding youngsters who unexpectedly got an extended first-team run-out this season, and looked good enough to lay claim to being given a regular place. Now, if that were to happen, and if FPL reclassified them as defenders, and if they weren't priced any higher than 5.0 million in that position (although, obviously 4.5 would be much more appealing; but it's a measure of how well they did this year that it seems inevitable 5.0 would be their price-point; they might not be far off 5.5),... then, damn, yes, they would be very alluring defensive picks next time. But unfortunately, those are some very big 'IFs'. They're both really midfielders, who were only given an emergency deployment in a defensive role this year; I'm afraid it's quite likely they'll lose their claim to the left-back slot (and will have even less chance of regular starts in midfield). Once Pep's complement of central defenders are fully fit, we're quite likely to see Gvardiol return to being the usual left-back (and, of course, Rico Lewis has also been used there a lot in the past); while at Arsenal, Timber, Calafiori, Tomiyasu, and Kiwior are all alternatives in that position. Moreover, Pep and Mikel are two of the most notoriously 'risk-averse' managers in the League, and, however good an Academy player has been for them, I think they'd probably prefer to spend stupid money on an established world-class talent to plug a hole in their lineup, rather than continue to develop young talents like these two. So, I'm not holding my breath on these lads. They'd probably be more exciting for FPL if they took loan moves to another EPL club. ("But not with their current club..." might become a recurring refrain for these selections of mine...)

I have similar misgivings about Oscar Bobb - absolutely outstanding young prospect, but how much game time is he going to get at City? I am ever so slightly more optimistic for him, as Grealish seems set to be leaving this summer, and Doku has been called out by Pep as being unable - so far - to adapt to inverting into the middle (which is what City wingers are expected to do, currently; although that, of course, may change again at any moment...); Bobb, I suspect, having come up through City's Academy system, should be more 'adaptable' in this way, more able to continually modify his style of play according to his manager's latest whim. But, at the very best, he's still likely to be sharing minutes sometimes with Doku.... and Foden, and Marmoush. So... yep, that's another 'only if he goes to another club' option, I'm afraid.

Kevin Schade and Mikkel Damsgaard were already getting themselves into contention for occasional rotation into that crucial 5th midfielder slot this year, whenever form/fixtures looked particularly positive for them. And I think they might possibly kick on and provide even more regular returns next season - particularly if they have to fill in for some of Bryan Mbeumo's goalscoring contribution. (But equally, of course, Brentford might well fall apart if - as seems very likely - they lose Mbeumo and/or Thomas Frank this summer, So, that's all highly speculative.)

But while trying to maintain some optimism about Brentford's future, I'll also give a mention to Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey. I noted once or twice early in the season that these are two of the only full-backs who might still offer a strong chance of attacking returns, since that style of full-back play has largely fallen out of fashion in the EPL in the last couple of seasons. However, after so long out with injury, one wonders if they will ever get back to their best levels of a few years ago; or indeed if their team will still want to use them as that kind of attacking wing-back, even if they do. But it's a possibility to keep an eye on, I feel. (You see, some players might be exciting prospects for the season ahead, even if they haven't played this year!!)

Another defender I feel has the potential to explode is Ola Aina. If Forest can sustain the admirable defensive solidity they showed for most of this season, he'll certainly deliver very solid points. He wasn't too far behind his teammates Murillo and Milenkovic this time, despite missing a few games. He got a couple of absolutely banging goals, and looks well capable of providing assists too. But the problem is, Forest have shifted away from pushing their full-backs up to support the wide attackers; they may make occasional sallies forward, but most of the time they sit in their own half. I find Aina a thrill to watch whenever he gets on the ball anywhere near the final third; but it just wasn't happening all that much last season. Alas, this could be yet another instance of 'Only if he moves to another club...'

Iliman Ndiaye and Jake O'Brien are another two who caught my eye this year. Ndiaye excited a lot of people with his swift and skillful play - yielding 9 league goals, including a few real belters (though I'm surprised to find he didn't register any assists). And, given that he almost always started out wide on the left, and was mostly required to stay there by David Moyes, he should surely be reclassified in the game as a 'midfielder' for the new season - which, if his price hasn't taken a big jump, would make him another promising contender for an occasional 4th or 5th seat inclusion; all the more so if he is in fact to be given a more attacking role at Everton. But that might be hoping for too much: Moyes has to be cautious in trying to make the best use of his rather limited resources, so I fear Ndiaye will again be tasked a lot with holding width and helping out his full-back, rather than often being given licence to drift inside and terrorise opposing defences (again, if he gets a move to another club, things could be very different). O'Brien, rescued from reserve-team limbo by Moyes, was one of the outstanding defenders to emerge last season; and Everton, despite wallowing at the lower-end of the table most of the time in recent seasons, have still managed to maintain a pretty niggardly defence. He might be cheaper than Branthwaite and Tarkowski, yet he'll probably offer slightly more threat of an occasional attacking contribution. (I don't mention Dwight McNeil here, because everyone's known how good he can be for some seasons now. I was tempted to give a nod to Beto too, but...  while I think he might occasionally be worth considering as a cheap 3rd forward, I suspect Moyes isn't completely convinced about his all-around quality, and will likely be shopping for a new first-choice centre-forward this summer.)

This is probably a bit of a sentimental pick, but I am a huge fan of Adam Wharton. It's unlikely that a deep central midfielder will ever yield very much for FPL - though, damn, he is very much a playmaker as well as a ball-winner. And if there were points credit - or even a significant BPS lift - for 'pre-assists', I think he would be in much stronger contention for an FPL place: so often he plays in someone like Eze, who then sets up Mateta or another teammate for a goal. But he's got a few goals in him as well, I believe. And if he manages to stay fit all season, who knows what may happen....?  (I'm hoping he'll have the kind of season that will make him an obvious and essential pick for England in the World Cup...)

And for forwards who've shown us a lot of promise this season, but probably not yet quite enough to make them super-popular picks at the big kick-off: Evanilson and Jørgen Strand Larsen. Enough said.

And a final pair - less obviously exciting players, perhaps, but ones I have a good feeling about, players I think could, if things go well with their clubs next season, take a big step forward in their points returns - enough that perhaps they could at least get into occasional contention for the last squad place in the defence or midfield categories: Jack Hinshelwood and Illia Zabarnyi. The big Ukrainian has tended to be overshadowed at Bournemouth by his more illustrious teammates - Kerkez, Senesi, Huijsen; but he has been very, very dependable - and almost ever-present - for two seasons now. Bournemouth, despite the loss of Kerkez and Huijsen being heavy blows, look to me as if they could be capable of pushing much more strongly for the European places next season; and if they come up just short on that, they might at least concede slightly fewer goals. And Hinshelwood - damn, he's unglamorous, but you've got love his attitude, he is all-action. At Brighton, I fear, with their huge squad, he might never get a weekly start; he's another one I'm hoping will take a loan to one of the promoted sides, to make him a bit more of an FPL possibility.

I will close by reiterating my opening qualification that these are NOT players I necessarily expect to produce huge numbers of points next season. But - to put it in very FPL terms - a 'one to watch' recommendation is the sort of player who's unlikely to have an ownership of much more than a few percent at the the start of the season,... but might well be owned by 10 or 15 or 20% by the end of it; someone who's not yet on everyone's radar... but might start to become so over the course of the coming season.